~ oOo ~
***IF YOU HAVEN'T READ LAST WEEK'S UPDATE,
GO BACK AND READ IT BEFORE THIS ONE, OR
IT MIGHT NOT MAKE SENSE! FF WAS DOWN,
SO MANY PEOPLE DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY UPDATES.***
Happy Mother's Day to everybody celebrating!
I hope you're all having a lovely day. I've been
treated to a lay-in and plenty of hugs and sloppy
kisses from my spotty fur-kid.
As always, I want to say a huuuuge thank you
to my dream team,
SunflowerFran and annaharding
They make me look good, and tidy PP up so that
it shines. Plus, poorannaharding often has to deal
with my rambling on when I get stuck, usually
when I've totally forgotten that she's some hours
behind me. I really do appreciate those nights you
stay up helping me into the early hours - THANK YOU!
I have tinkered with this chapter a whole lot since
either of them looked it over, so any and all mistakes
are completely mine.
And thank you to you all for continuing to read, review,
and recommend Pinky Promises on your various
blogs/pages. It truly does mean the world to me!
Anyway, I'll shut up now and let you get to it.
This chapter is a beastly 8100 words!
Biggest chapter yet!
~ oOo ~
***TRIGGER WARNING***
MENTIONS OF ABUSE AND VIOLENCE IN THIS
CHAPTER
***ALSO, TISSUE WARNING***
FOR THE SAME REASON AS ABOVE
~ oOo ~
Summary: When two little girls were allowed to walk
home from school one bright spring day nobody could've
predicted the events that followed. The way two families
were torn apart by the vendetta of a deranged man.
Nearly twelve years on, we'll watch as the two girls stolen
away from their homes at eight years old fight to take
back their lives. If only it were as simple as escaping. AU
Pinky Promises
Chapter Twenty
Leaning over the rubbish bin, Edward emptied his stomach of the breakfast he managed to eat earlier that morning, all the while replaying snippets of the two-hour-talk he'd just been subjected to on a loop.
Riley had asked Scarlett if she understood that she needed to tell the truth and give as much detail as she could, and that's when the torture had begun.
"Dad and Uncle Pete let us walk home by ourselves that day because the twins were sick and Archie was at school late for football practice. We'd done it lots of times before, but usually, we were with friends who lived down the street. They were at the dentist though, so it was just us – just me and Rosalie. We didn't hear the van coming, but then they grabbed us and stopped us from screaming."
"How did they stop you screaming, Scarlett?"
"They held us really tight and put their hands over our mouths. Garrett grabbed me, and another guy took Rosalie."
She'd described the other man with a dull look on her face, only speaking again when Riley prompted her by asking what had happened in the van.
"I think he drugged us. He put these towels over our mouths…they smelled, weird? I don't know how to describe it. Like cleaning fluid, maybe? But not as strong. It made us sleep. We didn't wake up until we were at the ranch. So, I guess, we must have slept a really long time, to get to another country without waking up."
Scarlett had needed a few minutes then to regroup, her eyes having gone cloudy with memories. It was worse when she started talking again in the same monotone voice. She looked detached. It was unnerving.
"Do you know how you got from England to America, Scarlett?" Riley asked. He had theories that he'd shared with the families as much as possible, but it was still high on the list of things the FBI wanted to ascertain.
"Umm, I'm not sure. I know G-Garrett has a helicopter, so maybe he used that? I don't know…I don't know how far that flies. He always made a point of mentioning how many contacts he had, so I'd guess somebody helped him."
Riley nodded, murmuring that he'd figured as much. "All right. What happened when you got to the ranch?"
"When I woke up, I was in the study on my own. I didn't know where Rosalie was until after Garrett had told me what we had to do. He, um, he said we had to pretend he and his wife were our parents, and that we were twins. He didn't want people to ask questions about why we looked so similar in age, I guess."
Charlie had almost lost it when he'd heard his daughter had been forced to call Garrett Smith 'Dad' to keep up the act. For the second time in a short while, Edward had calmed a raging father, only this time he had Archie's help, too.
"I tried to comfort Rosalie as much as I could," she'd paused, looking up towards the window. She was aware her dad was behind it, though she didn't know Archie and Edward were there, too. "I tried to be strong, like my dad always told us. We both did – we both tried to be brave. But we were terrified. We kept waiting for somebody to come and get us, so we didn't eat the food or water someone kept putting inside the door while we were sleeping. I suppose whatever drugs they'd used for the trip probably didn't help. We were both sick a lot, those first few days. And then, nobody came. Nobody came to rescue us, and we had to figure out how to survive."
Edward's body shuddered with the sound of Scarlett's choked sobs fresh in his mind. It was the only sound she'd made belying her true emotions in the entire two hours. The rest of her recount had been relayed in a frighteningly numb tone, eyes murky like the English Channel, body rigid against the back of the armchair. Hearing how she and Rosalie had denied themselves food or water for two whole days because they were waiting for someone to save them had torn everyone to shreds. Charlie had slumped against the far wall in desolation, guilt, and pain for his daughter and niece like a punch to the gut. Archie's reaction was similar. The image of eight-year-old Scarlett and Rosalie curled up together on a bed in a strange country, the remnants of some kind of sedatives in their systems, was devastating.
The group – Edward, Archie, Charlie, and the police officer – listened with morbid, horrified fascination as Scarlett detailed the first couple of years of their time in Montana. Archie growled as she blankly explained the incident that led to her first visit to the study. Edward's stomach heaved harshly as he recalled her words.
"It was stupid, really. Me and Rosalie were in the kitchen, and Garrett came in, wanting some coffee. He told Rosalie to make it, but she didn't have the hang of the machine yet so I figured I'd do it. I thought he'd be angrier if she did it wrong than if I just did it myself. But he was so, so mad when he realized I'd done it. He pulled me by my arm…" Scarlett reached up, demonstrating the hold he'd had on her upper arm, squeezing hard as she remembered, as she felt the phantom grip of his hand around her. "He pulled me to the study and sent Rosalie to our room."
"What happened in the study, Scarlett?"
"He hit me." Shaking badly, she held her hands out, palms up. "Here. He hit me here. With a wooden ruler." Inhaling a deep breath, she winced, adding, "and he stamped on my f-foot in his steel toe cap boots. He did that a lot, actually. I think it's because it was easily explained, like, I could just say I'd twisted it or something. It was easy to hide. He said that if he ever caught me doing things he'd asked Rosalie to do again, it would be a much worse punishment."
It hadn't just been Archie and Charlie who'd needed restraining when Riley forced himself to ask, through gritted teeth, if that had been the only time he'd hurt her – Scarlett's answer had been to scoff and reply 'no, that was just the first of many times.' The officer in the room was more observant than the three men had thought, calling for backup while they were distracted by Scarlett talking, so when they tried to burst from the room to end the session, they'd been met with Riley's two large guards on the other side of the door. The pair formed an unbreakable resistance with their combined strength and had corralled Charlie, Archie, and Edward back into the observation room swiftly, extracting their agreement that if listening became too much, they would have to leave under escort. Unbeknownst to her dad, brother, and friend, Scarlett had made Riley promise not to let them intervene. The only way she'd be leaving the room early was if she couldn't handle it, or if Marley desperately needed her. So far, she'd been utilizing her ability to numb herself and was coping.
"Please tell us about your day-to-day routine, Scarlett."
"Umm, well after we woke up and got dressed, we would always have to go downstairs and make breakfast for everybody. Sometimes we were told what to make, but most of the time we had to just choose and hope we wouldn't get told off."
"Who told you off, Scarlett?"
"G-Garrett. Garrett told us off if we chose wrong."
"All right. After breakfast…"
"We'd clean up the kitchen and all the plates, cutlery, whatever we'd used, basically. Then we had our chores to do."
"Okay. What sort of chores?"
"Household stuff, mainly. Laundry, cleaning, mending clothes if any of the guys had torn their work shirts or trousers. Umm, we got to help in the stables sometimes. Just brushing the horses or cleaning the stalls and tack."
"So, you were allowed in the barn? Did you ever venture further away than that?"
Scarlett shuddered. "Once. Not on purpose. Marley wandered off looking for the horses in the paddock, so we went after her. And we never tried again. Garrett caught us on one of the cameras around the ranch and h-he wasn't ha-happy." Knowing Riley would ask what had happened, Scarlett sucked in a deep breath and continued without him having to prompt her. "He took me to his study, and made me repeat the same phrase over and over. He…he hit me. On my back, with his belt. And he hit my leg, too, but that was with his ha-hand."
It's odd, where a person's mind can wander when they're trying not to think about what is happening to them. When they're trying to ignore the bite of leather against their skin, the sting of a calloused palm on their leg. Over and over and over, a mind can switch off to the pain while remembering the happiness of a previous life. Of a life left behind.
Well, not left behind. Stolen.
Scarlett coughed. "He made me say 'this is home, and I love my home.'"
The door of the bathroom clicking open caught Edward's attention; he turned his head with a grimace. Archie looked as wretched as he felt, fists tight in his mop of dark hair, eyes red-rimmed with the pain of hearing how his little sisters had suffered. Neither man knew what to say in the face of such agonizing truth. Of course, they'd known it would be hard, listening to Scarlett's in-depth recount of the past twelve years, but they hadn't factored in how it would be to hear the words fall from her lips, hear the numb voice Rosalie had come to know so well.
The only very slight upside to the longer sessions by both girls was that they'd probably only need three days, instead of the expected four. Scarlett had originally planned to try and get her entire statement out in one go, but she'd found herself struggling when she neared Marley's conception. She couldn't stand being unable to see her daughter, and so had cut the session short. It frustrated her, but she couldn't quell the voice in the back of her head that she needed Marley, needed to feel her warmth and see her sweet smile.
"Scarlett with Rosalie?" Edward asked. His voice was raspy, so he moved to the sink to wash his mouth out with water.
"Ye—" Archie coughed to clear his throat, then tried again. "Yeah. Dad and Pete are with Riley. Marley woke up, but she's okay playing with that dollhouse."
Mouth now thoroughly rinsed, Edward turned to lean against the counter while shifting his hat from hand to hand. Archie scowled at the floor, eyes filled with tears. "You okay, man?" He nodded at the bin.
Edward's ears tinted red with embarrassment at being caught throwing up. "Milk in the coffee didn't agree with me."
Both men knew it wasn't the milk turning their stomachs, but neither would say it. They'd keep hold of some pride, at least.
~ oOo ~
Her insides torn to pieces by the day's events, Rosalie cried soundlessly into Scarlett's hoodie-clad shoulder. The pair wrapped their arms around each other, as though afraid if they loosened their grip they would be swept away. The salty taste of tears was strong on the lips of both girls as they tried to pull themselves together, to no avail.
Having had a couple of hours to compose herself as much as possible, Rosalie managed to keep some of her strength, whereas Scarlett, fresh from recounting the first years of the worst twelve of her life, fought flashbacks and panic attacks, her mind flushed with long-buried memories. For a long time, she hadn't had to think about her first two or three years on the ranch. Hadn't had to recall that awful first assault or the way Garrett Smith had spat his threats warning her that if the ranch hands found out where she and Rosalie had come from, he would harm their families.
As soon as the days passed, Scarlett pushed them from her mind in an attempt to protect herself. Now, those actions were coming back to bite her as she had to sift through memory upon memory of spirit-breaking hit after hit, curse after curse. Logically, she understood the authorities needed to know which laws had been broken. However, knowing it, and liking it, were two very different things.
Finding herself crushed at the thought of returning to the station tomorrow, Scarlett had to jam her lips shut to stop herself from begging Charlie not to make her. She knew he'd do it, which was why she refused to ask. Though the idea of the grueling days ahead terrified her, the idea of Garrett Smith walking free because she couldn't be brave enough to give a statement was abhorrent. As miserable as she was, Scarlett couldn't bring herself to plead, knowing the effects it would have. Not to mention the fact that Rosalie would be facing the same ordeal and would likely need her, just as she had earlier.
"Sc-Scarlett?" Rosalie whispered, throat clogged with tears.
Scarlett's responding nod was jerky.
"W-will you, say your thing?"
Without her having to go into further detail, Scarlett knew exactly what she meant. She inhaled a deep but shaky breath, pulling back a little to clasp her sister's face in her small, trembling hands. "It's all right, Rosalie, you're okay. You're with me, and you're just fine. We're going home to help with lunch, then we're going to spend some time with our family before we go to sleep. We're safe. You hear me, Rosalie?"
The words were slightly different, of course, but similar to those Scarlett had spoken to Rosalie what felt like a lifetime ago, that cold January day in Montana – the day everything began to change. It was the day the girls were told about the two new ranch hands, Paul and Lola. Of course, the girls hadn't known then that those two new arrivals were the catalyst to their escape. How could they? Only now that they were home had they been told Paul and Lola's real identities. They were two of the FBI's finest, most well-respected, and talented agents. Though it was close to five months since that chilly day, Scarlett and Rosalie felt as though it had been forever. The symbolism of the words Rosalie asked Scarlett to speak wasn't lost on either of them.
"I…I hear you, Scarlett." Rosalie's lips moved into the shakiest of smiles, the confidence she felt swirling in her stomach courtesy of the determination she could see in her sister's ocean-like eyes.
~ oOo ~
Hours later, the entire clan – Charlie, Peter, the girls, Edward, Archie, Heidi, Pippa, Carl-Roman, Chase, and Marley – watched the TV. The six o'clock news had an entire segment on the girls' disappearance and rescue, showing snippets of the conference back in March of 2004. They also showed images of Southern Road cordoned off, as it had been for days after the abduction, and the red van the police later discovered burnt out on an industrial estate. Then, they showed images from earlier that day, of the group arriving at, and leaving, the police station. As the presenter spoke about stats and figures relating to other kidnapping cases, they watched themselves hurrying from the cars back into their houses after the station visit.
From his spot in the window seat, Marley happily ensconced in his lap playing quietly with Mr. Eddie, Edward's eyes flickered routinely between everybody's face, finally landing on Scarlett's. She looked exceptionally pale in the almost-blue light of the TV. Two, large round eyes rimmed with red stared unseeingly at the screen as the broadcaster detailed what they assumed her life had been like, leaving out the twelve-year gap of which they currently had no knowledge.
That was all about to change, though, because the girls had given Riley permission to share the bare minimum to spread the word that Garrett Smith was out there and dangerous. He gave them the option to opt out of giving details, but with the knowledge that the search was already at another standstill, they'd decided unanimously to get it over with. Everyone was aware, no matter how much they hated it, that sooner or later people were going to find out what went on in the time since their abduction. It was inevitable, so if sharing some details now helped the case, helped them to find Garrett Smith, Scarlett and Rosalie were keen to get it over with.
The only thing Scarlett had put her foot down on, was Marley. She was adamant that her existence not be mentioned. It was enough that she was being thrust into the spotlight alongside her mother and auntie, without having the press hone in on her, and where she'd come from.
Riley had agreed, and they were all doing their best to keep Marley away from the windows as much as possible. Edward had drawn the curtains when he took her to sit on the window seat, and she'd been happy enough just being with him to not mention it.
The group watched as Riley strolled out of the police station flanked by Rodriguez and his other, equally enormous and intimidating, agent – Frederickson – to the pre-erected podium. A cluster of microphones had been arranged almost like a bunch of flowers at the top, so the gathered news outlets could hear what he was saying.
Silence befell the living room, everyone seeming to take in a breath and hold it as Riley cleared his throat and introduced himself.
"I am here on behalf of Isabella Swan and Rosalie Hale, the girls who were abducted in February two-thousand-four, and who have now been reunited with their families and friends. They have asked me tp express their gratitude to all those involved in the search and in supporting their loved ones throughout their ordeal. I am also here to ask that you are on the look-out for the man responsible for their abduction and subsequent captivity." He then paused with a hard blink, which the girls knew was their cue to look away. "Garrett Smith. He's fifty-five years old with gray-brown hair, standing at around six-feet tall with hazel eyes."
Everyone watching could see the way Riley's entire body tensed in preparation for imparting some of his newly-acquired knowledge to the world, and his voice was cold as ice when he began. "Isabella Swan and Rosalie Hale were taken by force in a van, before being flown to the USA where they were held captive, physically and emotionally abused over a series of twelve years. Through sheer bravery, they managed to escape and find help. Garrett Smith is an extremely dangerous man, and I beg you not to approach if you see him. Call the number below, or contact your nearest police department. I assure you, we're doing everything possible to keep you all safe from this man."
Edward's eyes caught the girls quivering against each other on the sofa as Riley described their tormentor, warning the public against approaching. His nervous stomach rolled when a picture of Garrett Smith appeared on-screen alongside Riley, who moved on to request privacy for the girls and their families in this stressful, but relief-filled, time.
As soon as the segment was over, Charlie switched the TV off, hovering in the doorway, unsure as to what he should do. His entire body burned with hatred for the man whose face had just filled half of his TV screen, the mere sight of him enough to ignite his ire.
Edward eyed him, seeing he was about to erupt, and gestured to Archie. His friend quickly ushered him into the kitchen, where Charlie yanked at the top buttons of his black shirt. He used too much force, sending one flying through the air before bouncing off the wall and resting on the tiled floor. Calloused hands tugged at scruffy blond curls in an angry attempt to feel something other than complete despair or anger.
"How do I help her, Arch? How do we help both of them?"
The image of Scarlett and Rosalie tucking their faces into each other's necks to stop themselves from seeing the vile face on the screen danced in Archie's mind as he grimaced. He hated that he didn't know what to do with himself, but knew he needed to step up and do something to stop this family from collapsing.
Two little eight-year-olds pranced about in fairy dresses with ribbons in their lopsided pigtails, gap-toothed grins and cheeky, mischievous eyes. His memory caught all the details in high definition despite the passing of twelve years. Like a gauzy layer of film, the images of Scarlett and Rosalie as they are now blanketed the old memories. They smothered them until all Archie could picture was the numbing cloak Scarlett had worn to protect herself, and Rosalie's soaked cheeks as she cried for the chance to live the normal life she and her sister had snatched from them.
He didn't know what to do, but he'd try everything in his power to make this family whole again.
~ oOo ~
The second day of statements was worse.
They'd gotten to the time of Marley's conception. Despite having already explained it to Megan back at the safe house, Scarlett had to put it in writing as part of her statement. With Edward and Charlie watching from the observation room, Archie taking care of Carl-Roman at home as he'd fallen ill with a tummy bug overnight, Scarlett had described Marcus Lucien in vivid detail, his actions, and the little information she knew about his background. Charlie had cried when he watched her frown as she remembered the day she'd discovered she was pregnant, just fifteen years old and forced to watch as Garrett Smith made an example of Marcus, shooting him right in front of her, Rosalie, and the rest of the ranch hands.
"When I was pregnant…he just ignored me. He didn't take me to his study or anything, just pretended I wasn't there. Except for one day near the end, he…he said 'you disgust me.' That was it. He didn't speak to me again until after Marley was born."
"He wouldn't let me have any medicine or go to a doctor. I was so scared something was wrong with Marley. She didn't move very much for about a week before I had her, but nothing me or Rosalie said made any difference. Neither of us had any idea what to do, literally no idea. The guys brought us back some baby supplies after their last supply run, including some books. They were mostly pregnancy related, but one of them had a small section about the actual labor. We just had to wing it, basically. The book didn't cover everything, but without it I honestly don't know what would have happened to me and Marley. Rosalie had to help me breathe and encourage me to push, like the book said, and then she had to check for the umbilical cord round her neck and remember to cut the cord. The placenta…" Scarlett winced. "We buried it outside. Garrett wouldn't help us, and we just didn't know what else to do with it, so we buried it behind the house."
"When Marley was born, she was so, so tiny."
A nostalgic look had crossed Scarlett's face then, the smallest of smiles on her lips. She both loved and hated remembering those early days with Marley. She'd been so terrified her baby was sick, or too small. Absolutely scared witless that she wouldn't be enough, that she couldn't be a good mother because of their situation and her age.
But she'd risen to the occasion, and had settled into motherhood slowly. As baby Marley had grown, so had Scarlett's confidence in her abilities to take care of her. After all, she'd been mothering Rosalie all their lives.
"When she was about six weeks old, she smiled at me for the first time. I don't even know why, I was just talking to her by the fire, and she gave me this proper smile. Not like a gassy one. A proper, real smile. Because she wanted to and not just out of reflex."
Nobody had missed the way her hands twitched in her lap, towards her stomach. It wasn't visible in the large hoodie she was wearing, but a tiny bump had become apparent, the baby within growing steadily.
"I think it was that day I realized how lucky I was that we both made it without any real complications."
She'd moved onto the next couple of years, and despite everyone's curiosity regarding the paternity of her unborn baby, no one had dared interfere. She'd get there eventually.
"Did you ever see Garrett doing anything illegal, Scarlett? Aside from your abuse and your abduction, and Marcus Lucien's murder."
Scarlett winced at the mention of Marley's biological father, then thought hard about Riley's question, her brows furrowed. "I don't…Umm, I don't think so. He was very private. He kept everything in his office, and to be honest, when he was on the ranch he spent pretty much all of his time in there, too. All his phone calls were taken in his study, and he never had visitors."
"Did you ever see any mail arrive at the ranch? Take any phone calls?"
"No, never. The only phone was in his study. Some of the guys – the ranch hands – had their own phones, though. I did overhear some stuff, though. Not often, and it was mostly back when Marley was a newborn. When I'd go down to prepare her bottles, sometimes he would be talking loud enough that I could hear him."
It had been impossible to miss the excitement in Riley's eyes as he leaned forward in his chair, pen poised over the pad in his lap. "What sort of things would he talk about? As much detail as possible, please."
"Umm, mostly about transport? It always sounded weird to me, because he was so secretive about it. At first I thought he meant moving guys around to work in different places, but the guys on the ranch where we were just drove in trucks. The people he was talking about, he said they had to stay invisible. One time, I heard him tell somebody that he needed to get a bunch of new papers made quickly. Oh! And he used to get really miserable and extra angry, and when he did he always used to mumble things about deliveries that had gone wrong, people that had messed up and gotten pinched, that sort of thing. I have no idea what any of it means, so I don't know if that helps?"
Of course, having had TV and fictional books removed from her life at such a young age, she hadn't had the chance to learn these terms as other children and teenagers would from programs like CSI or Criminal Minds. A term like 'pinched' would mean little to somebody who'd never heard it used in reference to an arrest.
"That's perfect. Well done, Scarlett. You're doing great. Now, can you remember anything else that he said? Anything at all?"
"I can't really remember much from then, sorry. The guys might have heard more, though. I mean, we used to spend as much time as possible up in our room, so…Yeah. You might have better luck with the others."
"Okay. You've done amazingly well, so thank you." Riley consulted the list on his notepad, then asked, "what about Garrett Smith's wife? Uh, Chloe Smith. You've mentioned her a few times. Did she live on the ranch with you?"
"No, not at all. She hated the ranch and didn't hide it. She came out, maybe, once or twice a month? That was it. They didn't share a room, and apart from when he'd flaunt her in front of the guys to try and make them jealous, they didn't spend any time together."
"All right. Do you know where she went when she wasn't on the ranch?"
"No, sorry." Scarlett grimaced. "She didn't talk to us if she could help it. The only time she ever acknowledged our existence was to yell at us if she had something to complain about."
"Okay, that's fine. Do you know where she was when the ranch burnt down?"
"Umm, actually just before she left the last time, a week or two before the fire, she mentioned a trip to New York. She was going with friends, I think she said. I only remember because they fought about it. Garrett and Chloe," she clarified when Riley asked who had fought, just for the record. "He was angry that she said she wanted to stay there for a few months. It was somebody's wedding, and Chloe was a bridesmaid. They only stopped arguing when Chloe stormed off to her room. She left the next evening."
On and on it went. Question after question, dredging up horrid memory after horrid memory.
The day passed slowly, with Scarlett wanting to get as far as possible in her recount before going home. If she and Rosalie continued as they were, they would only be needed for one more day before they reached the end of their captivity, catching up to their rescue.
They had spent the rest of their day at Charlie's, sitting in the garden to soak up some much-needed vitamin D, the sun making a welcome appearance. Marley very much enjoyed her time playing on Carl-Roman's slide, once Edward and Charlie showed her what she needed to do. She'd delighted her mother by repeatedly calling her 'Mommy,' to show off her new skill, and had even braved her Pawpaw's lap for the first time. He'd worked hard on being friendly and approachable since frightening her by fainting back at the medical center in Montana, and it had finally paid off.
Edward had made sure to snap plenty of photos of the grandfather and his only granddaughter smiling at each other, Marley content on his knee as he showed her videos of dogs on his phone. She'd become a little obsessed with any kind of dog video, so he was only too happy to indulge her.
Dinner had been a quiet affair, but everyone was pleased to see Scarlett and Rosalie eating the macaroni and cheese with home baked bread they had prepared.
By the time they'd fallen into bed, they were all exhausted, but had woken early once more for their third, and hopefully final, day of statements.
As he brushed Marley's hair and promised to take her to the park one day, Edward forced himself to sound cheerful despite the memory of Scarlett's last statement. She'd managed to finish her recount of the final few years on the ranch in one, two-and-a-half-hour session that morning, collapsing into Edward's arms as she stumbled from the interview room.
"Scarlett, I know we've discussed your pregnancy with Marley, but is it okay if we discuss this pregnancy, now?" Riley had asked, looking every bit like a man being led to slaughter. He no more wanted to discuss it than Charlie and Edward wanted to hear about it.
Scarlett had gulped visibly. "S-sure."
"All right, we'll take it slowly. Do you know the man involved? His name, or where he came from?"
"Paul. His name is Paul."
"All right. Do you happen to know a surname? Don't worry if not, Scarlett, it'd just be easier if—"
"Lucien. His name is Paul Lucien." As Riley and Kendra gasped, confused, and Charlie and Edward froze on the other side of the glass, Scarlett covered her face with her hands and sighed hard. "He's Marcus' brother. I didn't know at first, but before he left he admitted he'd only come looking for his brother, but he was glad he hadn't found him."
"Right. Ah, so, um…" Riley had been visibly flustered, so he'd taken a few seconds to compose himself before asking, "he left, you said?"
"Yes. He was only on the ranch for a few weeks, maximum." She'd huffed, uncovering her face to peer at Riley with what looked like apology blanketing her features. "It was the most stupid thing I've ever done. I don't even know why I did it, to be honest. Rosalie and Marley were asleep, and I was just, so down, you know? I'd been really struggling. Marley had just had the flu, so I was tired and stressed…I found a bottle of whisky or something in the barn. I don't know what made me drink it because I knew it was nasty and would make me feel worse, but I guess I just wanted to feel something. It doesn't even make sense to me, but I wanted to not feel so numb, you know? I was stupid. I thought it would help. So I was drinking it for a while in the barn just watching the horses in their stalls, when he came in."
"By 'he,' you mean…?"
Scarlett whispered Paul's name, swallowing before continuing. "He'd always been a bit, aloof? I think that's the right word. He was nice though, polite at meal times and pretty quiet. He kept to himself, except for when he would ask these questions."
"What sort of questions?"
"Who worked there, when, why, that sort of thing. He asked if many people came and then left. It wasn't until Paul was leaving and admitted he'd come looking for Marcus that it clicked. He was trying to figure out where Marcus was, if he'd been there at all and when he'd left. I don't know why though. Marcus never mentioned a brother the whole time he was at the ranch, and Paul didn't either until the end."
"Okay, so he was looking for Marcus. Did you admit what had happened?"
"No. I just said he sounded like somebody who'd come for a few weeks, but had left a month before. He didn't seem suspicious, and then a few days after we…after we had sex, he left and didn't come back. I never talked to anybody except Rosalie about the things he asked. He did the same with her, but we didn't know if that's just because he believed we were Garrett's daughters. I have no idea if he asked the other guys the same things, or Garrett."
Edward was pulled from his memories by Marley tugging his t-shirt. He gazed down at her, smiling at the way her eyes were sliding shut, and at the yawn that stretched her mouth wide open.
"Bedtime for you, little sweet," he cooed, brushing a single loose strand of hair away from her eyes.
She nodded, winding her arms around his neck as he stood and carried her through to the kitchen. Charlie, Peter, and Archie were still up, the latter having put his boys to bed in their room upstairs some time ago. Marley had forced herself to remain awake to be able to snuggle on Edward's lap for longer, but at almost ten p.m., she couldn't put it off any longer, and had begun to doze on his knee.
"Bedtime?" Charlie asked, hesitating for a moment before extending his arms to Marley. To his surprise and delight, she went to him willingly, cuddling into his chest before placing a quick kiss to his beard-covered cheek and scrambling down to give Peter and Archie the same treatment. She'd warmed up to them all, but Edward was still her favorite by far. It was him she returned to; all but climbing his legs until he took pity and scooped her up, baby-style. She didn't seem to care, and huddled as close as she could get, Mr. Eddie clutched tight to her chest.
"Night, Marley," the trio of men around the table murmured, tired smiles all round as they watched Edward leave the room with her, trudging up the stairs carefully to avoid waking anyone. Scarlett and Rosalie had given him permission to creep in with Marley when she finally passed out, so even though he felt uncomfortable invading their privacy, Edward toed open the door and crept inside. At first glance, they appeared to both be fast asleep. Only when Edward rounded the bed to Scarlett's side, where a Marley-sized gap awaited her, did he realize he was wrong.
"Hey," Scarlett whispered, a smile on her lips as she took in the sight of Edward, such a large, muscular man, cradling her tiny baby girl.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," he whispered back, kneeling to tuck Marley in as Scarlett lifted the duvet. "She's sparko, should sleep right through for you. She was out like a light once she finally gave in."
Scarlett was thankful for the darkness, as it meant Edward wouldn't see the flush rising in her cheeks as a result of his cheeky wink. "Thank you. I really do appreciate you helping with her."
"Ah, she's no trouble. I love the little sweetheart already."
Scarlett's stomach did a little flip as she admitted, "she loves you, too. She's so comfortable with you. She's not like that with anybody except me and Rosalie."
Edward himself felt the tinge of pink on the tips of his ears. "She's a sweet kid; she must just have good taste."
"Definitely."
The pair stared at one another for a minute, until Marley shifted between them, making a soft purring sound as she twisted towards her mother, mumbling 'Mommy' in her sleep.
Scarlett's face lit up with the force of her smile. Edward couldn't help but mirror it.
"All right, I'll leave you to sleep." He couldn't resist reaching out to gently tap Marley's chin one last time for the day, murmuring 'goodnight' as he turned to leave.
Both of their smiles turned to ear-to-ear grins when, quietly but still loud enough for them to hear, Marley mumbled 'Ed-wood' before making like the bunny in her arms and burrowing down into the covers.
~ oOo ~
Beams of sunlight peeking through the blinds were the first thing to seep into Archie's consciousness, his eyes squeezing shut against the bright light as he reached up to rub the sleep away. He blinked blearily a few times, finally focusing on the shape of his six-year-old curled up in the space beside him where Kristen should have been.
Carl-Roman's spaceman, pajama-clad butt was sticking up in the air, the side of his face smashed into the pillow while he somehow managed to keep his thumb in his mouth without choking himself. Chuckling sleepily, Archie reached out to tug his sleeping little boy against his chest. Carl-Roman mumbled something about 'choc'late hoops' and 'Auntie Rose,' snuggling into his dad's t-shirt covered torso without waking. Archie took the next few minutes to sort out his still-half-asleep mind.
Oh. It's my birthday, he realized with a sudden bolt of clarity. His lips pulled upwards into a slight smile, his chest lighter than it had been for the last four days, though his good mood took a small dip when he recalled the pain his family had endured over the past week.
As predicted, the girls' statements had only taken three days, their determination to get it done as soon as possible aiding the gruesome task.
Yesterday – Saturday – the entire Swan-Hale clan, with the addition of Edward, had spent the day doing their best to unwind. Archie had introduced Kristen to his sisters for the first time, with the help of his sons who were both overjoyed to have their mum back after an extended work trip. By the time Archie, Kristen, Carl-Roman, and Chase had left, it was dark outside, and Scarlett, Rosalie, and Marley had gone to bed, exhausted by their efforts and the intensity of the past three days.
Waking up now, at what was obviously still a fairly early hour on his birthday Sunday, Archie decided there was nothing he wanted to do more than spend the day with his family around him. His whole family, for the first time in over a decade.
Rising carefully to avoid waking Carl-Roman, Archie stretched out and glanced at the clock on the dresser. 7:48a.m. Remembering Kristen's promise of breakfast in bed, he quickly made his way to the bathroom before heading downstairs to halt her. He'd rather wait and eat at his dad's if she hadn't already started.
Instead of the smell of cooking food he expected, all Archie could detect when he got to the bottom of the stairs was the faint remnants of her perfume lingering in the hallway. His eyes fell instinctively to the coat hooks near the door – hers was missing. A quick glance at the table nearby revealed the lack of her work bag, too, and Archie's stomach free-fell to his feet as they carried him with far less enthusiasm than before to the kitchen. He immediately spotted a note stuck to the bag of bread on the counter. His mood plummeted when he read the simple, seven-word note she'd left.
Called into work early. See you later. K x
"That's it?" Archie huffed, anger taking the place of his confusion. "That's fucking it?"
"What's it, Daddy?" Carl-Roman's innocent, sleepy voice stopped Archie's rage in its tracks, his half-smile tugging at his dad's heartstrings when he twisted to see him in the doorway.
"Nothin', champ. C'mere."
Grinning widely, Carl-Roman flew into Archie's open arms, planting a loud, sloppy kiss on his cheek before pulling back to smile even wider. "It's your birthday, Daddy! I gots you a present, but Pawpaw's looking after it for me 'til we go there. Daddy, can we go Pawpaw's house now? Before breakfast?"
Eyeing the note stuck to the bread, then his excited and adorable son, Archie decided he wasn't going to let anything ruin this day. With that decision made, he grinned and leaned forwards to Eskimo kiss his son. "Of course, champ. You go get dressed, I'll get Chase, then we'll go."
Still feeling a sting of hurt that Kristen hadn't even wished him a 'happy birthday', Archie leaned in to whisper, "you can even have extra chocolate hoops as it's my birthday. Don't tell Mummy."
The little boy's answering cheer was more than enough to straighten out his dad's dark mood.
When Archie, Carl-Roman, and Chase arrived at Charlie's a half-hour later the birthday boy's temperament was impeded slightly by the presence of the journalists still camping outside his dad's house. But they were, for the most part, respectful, so he ignored them and found himself astonished when he spotted the 'Birthday Boy' banners in the bay window. Carl-Roman pointed out the 'Happy Birthday!' sign over the front door as he tugged Archie up the path by the hand not carrying Chase in his car seat. His young son was elated, bouncing up and down.
As soon as they stepped through the door, Archie grinned, because he recognized the song playing, and if his dad were any sort of reliable, it would be the exact same CD he'd put together as a teenager and played religiously throughout his entire fourteenth birthday. It had become a bit of a joke since then, and Charlie had played it throughout his fifteenth and sixteenth birthday as a throwback. Songs that had been popular back then weren't so much now, so as he paused to listen to the music, it was an odd contrast to the songs they'd listened to in the car on the way across Eastbourne.
Carl-Roman blew Archie's cover. He was far too excited about what he saw as his dad's first birthday party to stand in the hall and wait. He darted off into the kitchen, attaching himself like a limpet to Scarlett's legs. Blue-green eyes met mini versions of themselves as she looked down at her nephew in bewilderment.
"I didn't hear you come in, little man."
He laughed, tugging at her t-shirt until she bent to perch him on her hip, ignoring the looks of gentle reproach for doing so. She'd heard the 'you shouldn't be lifting' lecture a few times and would ignore it on every occasion. There wasn't a thing in the world that would stop her giving her nephew or Marley cuddles.
"That's 'cause I was quiet, Auntie Scarlett."
"Where's your dad and Chase, then? Did you forget to bring them?"
"No, silly! He's out there!" Pointing a little fist towards the hallway, Carl-Roman suddenly began giggling like crazy, Rosalie's fingers digging into his sides playfully. "Hey! Stop, stop! That tickles, Auntie Rosalie!"
Scarlett smiled as her eyes met Rosalie's over their shared joy – their namesake. The past few days had been horrendous, heart-breaking; some of the most painful days of her life, and yet Scarlett had never felt so purged. She'd never felt freer than she did at that moment, gazing at her gorgeous little nephew and her ever-supportive best friend alternately. She had a long way to go, of course. She and Rosalie wouldn't be magically healed, but they'd taken a tentative step towards their happily ever after.
Archie appeared in the doorway in time to see his sisters cooing over his eldest, now calm but grinning widely at his aunties. Charlie, Peter, Edward, and Marley were sitting at the table, watching the trio with smiles on their faces, but Archie bypassed them. The men found themselves battling back tears as they watched Archie set down Chase's seat, and engulf the girls, and his boy, in a bear hug. Their sniffled, synchronized 'Happy birthday, Arch' didn't stand a chance of reaching them over the sound of Carl-Roman's happy squeals.
"Christ, it's so good to see you," Archie murmured into Rosalie's hair, pressing a kiss to her head before giving Scarlett the same treatment and pulling back enough to see their faces. Understanding, sadness, and happiness were the three most predominant emotions, their joy bright in their eyes as they peered up at their brother.
"You just saw them yesterday, Daddy!" Carl-Roman frowned.
Archie, Scarlett, and Rosalie snickered. "I know, but this is the first birthday in ages that Daddy gets to see all his sisters."
The little boy accepted his dad's explanation, shuffling down to his feet so he could dive across the room to his Pawpaw's lap, where he insisted he and Marley be allowed to 'guard' the large chocolate cake in the center of the table. Archie watched the proceedings with one arm around each of the girls, as his dad tickled Carl-Roman until he pleaded for mercy and scrambled under the table before climbing into Edward's lap, where he and Marley grinned happily at one another. The children had accidentally been dressed almost identically - both sporting denim jackets and shorts, with blue t-shirts underneath. The huff-scowl combo Carl-Roman shot his Pawpaw across the table was both petulant and playful.
"All right, champ, how about you run next door and get Auntie Pip and Heidi for me? Think you can manage that?"
Keen to be a 'big boy,' Carl-Roman leaped from Edward's lap, little legs pumping furiously as he dashed out of the French doors, through the garden, beneath the broken fence panel, and into Peter's house. Knowing Pippa and Heidi were in the kitchen wrapping the rest of the food to bring over, Charlie felt confident letting Carl-Roman head over alone.
While they waited for Carl-Roman, Pippa, and Heidi to join them, Peter stood to hug Archie and wish him a happy birthday, laughingly reminding the young man that he was well on his way to thirty at twenty-nine years old.
"Yeah, yeah, old man. Just you wait. How old are you in a few weeks?" Archie's teasing reminder of his upcoming fiftieth birthday brought a boyish scowl to Peter's face, though his eyes belied the joy that this year, he'd have his whole family there to celebrate with him.
"All right, all right, let's leave it at that, shall we?" Rosalie and Scarlett giggled from Archie's back, the four men in the room masking their smiles at the sound. While they'd expected the girls to be worse than usual in the days following their statements, Scarlett and Rosalie had gone the other way. While it was clear they were hurting, it was also obvious they were fighting their fear, fighting to enjoy Archie's birthday for the first time in twelve years. And why shouldn't they? It had been a long time coming, and if anybody deserved to have a day of trying to forget the past to enjoy the present, it was Scarlett and Rosalie. Their own birthdays had gone uncelebrated on the ranch, so they were cramming twelve years of birthday parties into this, their first, since being reunited with their family. They didn't care in the slightest that it wasn't their party, they were just happy to be there, happy to celebrate their brother.
With that shared, resolute thought, Charlie, Peter, Archie, and Edward decided to do everything in their power to make the day as ordinary, yet as memorable, as possible.