Hey everyone! I'm sorry I haven't updated in such a long time!! I am so busy with school and homework and extra-curricular activties. For my best friends out there, don't worry, nothing happened to me, other than sudden huge loads of homework and more dedication. I won't be writing chapter 3 for Bitter Rose until I get my laptop back which will be in March Break, so sorry guys! Anyways, onto chapter two of Close to the Heart.
Chapter Two
"I'll go and check on her," I said as I stood up and walked into my room. On the right side of my bedroom was a crib of pink and red color. Walking closer to the crib, I peeked into it. There laid a beautiful black-haired and blue-green eyed, two-year-old girl.
"How are you doing my little Nightstar?" I picked her up and patted her on the back. She sighed in contentment, sinking into my embrace. "Such a beauty to see, my baby," I commented as I laid her down into the crib, and I slowly walked out of the room.
"How's she doing?" Toni questioned as I entered our workroom once again.
"Fine. Just needed to give her motherly love," I smiled as I sat down on my chair, continuing with my case report.
"When are you going to tell him?" Toni dropped her pen onto her desk and propped up an elbow to rest her head.
"When do you think?" I haven't seen him in how many years? How can I go up to him and say 'you and I had a child'? What would he think?" Irritated, I stood up and I was heading for the door but Toni stopped me mid-way there.
"You'll have to tell him sooner or later, Kori, even if it will jeopardize your relationship with him. Now let's forget this topic. Want to read what I have so far in my story?" Sighing in defeat, I dragged myself into a chair beside Toni. She took out a piece of paper she was writing on and presented it to me to read. Toni Monetti was the best author around in Jump City. All of her stories depict the truth of life. This should be another good one of hers.
Never Forget
"Dad!" I turned around in my velvet, sofa seat and glanced at a thirteen-year-old, sapphire-eyed, red-haired girl, looking very agitated.
"Yes sweetie?" I tried to sound casual and calm, but I knew it didn't fool my daughter.
"What's on your mind lately? You've been inattentive for ten minutes. You were just explaining what to do on question ten. When I was finishing it, you just zoned out."
"Sorry honey. I was just thinking of something I thought I forgot long ago. Hey, I'm going to talk to your mother. If you have any questions, just phone Brad and he should be able to help you." I left the room in such haste; my daughter nearly fell out of her chair. I walked into my bedroom where I saw my red haired, sapphire-eyed wife lying on our bed with a book in her hand.
"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?"
Ambrose Lavold put down her book and sat up, a puzzling expression disrupting her perfect face. "What's wrong?"
"I just remembered something I thought I forgot a long time ago."
"Excuse me?"
"I remembered Rosalba." My wife had that surprised face and it hurt me ever so much. I had promised her that I would forget Rosalba ever since I proposed to her."
That's all she had. "Wow, Toni, it's awesome! A heartbreak story?" I asked.
She nodded, "I just love this dramatic, tragic stuff."
I rolled my eyes, "Will you ever be happy and not so moody?"
Toni playfully punched my arm, "Stop making fun of me." She paused to look at the clock, "Don't you have to feed Rosemar'i in fifteen minutes?"
I stood up almost forgetting what time it was. I was about to leave the room, when I said, "You are trying to kick me out of the room, aren't you? You chose the excuse of feeding Rosemar'i."
Toni put on her innocent face on, "I have no clue what you are talking about.
Twilight peeked out of the gloomy, night sky, declaring a new day. We had to leave early if we wanted to be in Gotham City on time. Driving for the past couple of hours, everyone in my Jeep were getting restless. Once Victor and Karen told us they were free for the week, we immediately took the chance. During the first couple of hours there were few cars on the highway, which was beneficial to us. Taking the week off, I left everything in charge to Jennifer Bauer, my secretary and former teammate Jinx. She gladly told me that she would take care of everything. She also insisted that I take the break. In return, I let her work with Wally West, also known as Flash, her boyfriend. She worked so hard to keep my office under control, she deserved extra time with Wally.
Taking a look at the back, I saw Rosemar'i sleeping and happily sucking her thumb. Toni was writing in her notebook, with bangs under her eyes. We both had to admit that it was hard for both of us to look after Rosemar'i on our own, but it was worth it.
I kept on driving, until we entered the city limits of Gotham. Toni and I switched spots allowing her to drive, and me to get some sleep. If I wanted to be lively and awake when I saw Vic, Karen, and their 'special visitor', forty-five minutes of sleep should be enough for me.
Slowly opening my eyes I saw a pale yellow stucco, two storey mansion in full view from my window. Shifting my sleeping position into sitting, I looked over to my right side. Rosemar'i was already awake, and the door was opened, with Toni unbuckling the seat belt for her.
"Hey, you're finally awake! It's been fifteen minutes since we arrived at their estate. I stayed in the Jeep as I didn't want to wake you. You woke up at the right time," Toni explained, before carrying Rosemar'i in her arms. I smiled as she walked with Rosemar'i holding on her one hand. She suffered so much for me; if only I could return the favor. Finally realizing where I was, I immediately jumped out of the Jeep and ran to Toni. Waiting a few minutes at the door, it finally opened. There stood a bald, muscular build man with an infant in his arms, an exact replica of himself.
Smiling, I greeted him, "Victor, I missed you so much!"
"Lil' lady, I take it that Rosemar'i, your work, and Toni keep you busy, so you can't ever come to visit us," Victor leaned over to give me a hug, totally forgetting his son was in his hands.
"Um Victor, Nick?" Victor looked at Nick and blushed.
"Oops forgot this little buddy in all of this excitement." He handed Toni his son, allowing her to deal with two babies at the moment.
Just as I was hugging Victor, I heard Toni mumble, "Oh great, double the trouble."
I laughed as I took Rosemar'i into my arms, and walked into the house after Vic. Toni and I decided to take the luggage later.
"Oh Kori. There was an article in the newspaper about a case you solved in today's edition," Vic lead me into a spacious family room.
"Oh really?" I asked surprised, as I never knew the Gotham's paper had news from Jump City.
"Yeah," a new voice stated as I turned around to see the source of the voice. It was Karen, with her usual cinnabuns, with Nicholas' twin sister, Eleanor. Once again I gave Rosemar'i to Toni to hold, and embraced Karen.
"I missed you so much! I don't know how long I could wait to see you again!" I exclaimed to Karen. Giving a quick peck on Eleanor's cheek, I went back to take Rosemar'i out of Toni's hands, to allow her to hug Karen and Vic. While Toni and Karen were hugging, Vic showed me the newspaper where my case was.
"Here read this. Great job girl, solving the case," Vic smiled as he handed me the newspaper. I looked at the headline and deck head, and instantly remembered the case.
BEHIND ONE NIGHT'S MYSTERY AND ITS TRUTH
The wife of the victim who died in the bear attack of 2006 spoke the real truth behind his death to Kori Anders, Jump's own famous detective.
GARFIELD LOGAN
Jump City Press Writer
After so many years, last night the 'Steel City' case is reopened, due to the revelation of "the truth", by Mrs. Sabel. Many know about the death of Samuel Sabel seven years ago, at his town fair. It was said that he was attacked by the bear when Mr. Sabel and his wife went to feed the bear, as they usually did every night. Supposedly, the bear's cage was left open or was opened by someone and the bear leaped once it saw the owners. Once the whole camp was at the scene of the crime, they were too late as Mr. Sabel was dead, laying on the ground with the back of his head crushed in, and with deep-claw marks across his scalp. His wife, on the other hand, was on the ground as well, but underneath the bear, as the creature ripped her face apart. Mrs. Sabel is still alive today, but with half of her face with its flesh. After six months after Mr. Sabels death, due to the evidence given by Mrs. Sabel, the verdict of death from accident was suitably held. However, seven years after the incident, Mrs. Sabel reveals the truth behind the incident to Jump City's famous detective, Kori Anders, head of Robin Investigations.
Lodge owner, Mrs. Thompson, who lends Mrs. Sabel a room, went to Kori Anders for a request from Mrs. Sabel. Accepting the case, Kori Anders went to have a meeting with Mrs. Sabel.
Mrs. Sabel revealed that her husband was a man of a great notorious reputation that many people feared, even herself.
"When I became a woman this man loved me, if lust can be qualified as love, and in a treacherous moment I became his wife," stated Mrs. Sabel.
She claimed that she was abused to physically by her husband regularly, with her having to bear with it. Even though the town fair crew pitied her, they all feared him and didn't try to help her. However, there was only one man who helped Mrs. Sabel, Nicholas. As Nicholas came more into her life, Mrs. Sabel and him had a close relationship. Mr. Sabel grew suspicious and to punish his wife, he tormented his wife more than ever. Not taking any more of his rough punishments, Nicholas and Mrs. Sabel plotted to kill Mr. Sabel.
When the couple went to feed the bear the night Mr. Sabel was killed, Nicholas was waiting nearby with his club, fastened with five long steel nails, reading to strike his target. Once Mr. Sabel was struck on the head, he fell into the ground with his head cracked open. The bear must have sensed this and the bear pounced onto the corpse from the open cage. Just as Mrs. Sabel and Nicholas were about to leave the scene, the bear jumped onto Mrs. Sabel. As he hungrily gnawed on her face, the whole town fair by that time had heard the screams of agony and distress. By the time the whole town fair crew arrived, Mrs. Sabel had the flesh on her face bit off. Ever since then, Mrs. Sabel and Nicholas never saw each other again, and never received their charges for murder of Mr. Sabel.
"Yeah, it's right. Such a pity, Vic," I stated as I leant forward to place the newspaper on the coffee table. Rosemar'i, Nicholas, and Eleanor were taken to the playroom by the maid, while Toni and Karen took a seat on the sofa cushion seats beside me.
"Do you know Mrs. Sabel from before?" Karen asked as she grabbed the newspaper and skimmed the article for reassurance. "It says she called for you."
"She's Rachel's mom." Silence had fallen between the four of us, before Vic cleared his throat.
"Rae's mom? Arella? She remarried to another abusive man? Well, I wouldn't call Trigon a man. Is she okay?" Vic asked worriedly, with his face already showing some worry wrinkles.
"She should be fine. Arella has been improving a lot, and she has been healing herself slowly," I sighed in admiration of Arella's courage and determination. Even though all she has been through, she still keeps pursuing her interests like healing and helping the needy.
Once again silence had befallen us, and it was rather uncomfortable sitting there with nothing to say. Finally, Toni broke the silence and asked a very good question, "So, umm, how's the Graysons?"
Vic and Karen shifted nervous glances at each other, then at me. A tear did threaten to come, but I whipped it away quickly.
"Kori," Karen spoke with great softness in her voice," There's something you need to know."
I raised my eyebrow at her statement. What else could there be about the Graysons? Rachel and Richard already broke my heart enough with their union as a married couple. Nothing else could have been worse.
"Rachel and Richard are----" Karen gulped, "dead."
My eyes just widened in shock, and stayed that way when I stood up and walked past everyone to sit on the couch away from everyone else. I stayed quiet which was very disturbing to the others, as they thought I would go berserk by now. Nevertheless, I couldn't, I was paralyzed; the love of my life was dead!
Glimpsing at the others, Toni looked as if she was going to explode, while Vic and Karen looked sympathetic. "NO!!!!!!!" I screamed at last, which caught everyone's attention, making them to run to me as I was looking as if I was about to faint. Drowsiness took control of my body and my eyes slowly closed. The last thing I recalled was a memory of Richard, when we talked about his reason of why he didn't tell the team, at the time, that he was Red X, before everything turned black.
I'm going to leave it there. I know the newspaper article may seem irrelevant, but it will be of a lot of importance later in the story. As well, in the next chapter, you will meet the 'special visitor'. The next time I will update will be in two months when I try to update Bitter Rose. Thanks a lot for your patience! Please review! Until then, bye!