Chapter 3: The Truth About Daddy...Part 2

Abbie was exhausted when her Dad came and picked her up. There had been a brush fire in the Sierra Nevada's and many of the patients ended up at Rampart. Abbie had been given two hour long breaks to make up for the fact that she was the youngest person there. The other Candy-Strippers bailed out early using stupid things like 'I have homework' or Abbie's personal favorite 'My Mom is in the hospital. She just had another baby.' First of all the homework excuse was bogus, after all it was in the middle of friggin July, and Sara's mom had just had another baby three months ago; Abbie had seen her at the grocery store the day before. But whatever, at least Abbie was getting PAIDto stay after hours.

Abbie collapsed onto the couch and picked up the phone book. She skimmed her way through it until she came across the hotel sections. "Hey Dad?"

Johnny looked up from the magazine he was reading and replied "Hey what?"

Abbie rolled her eyes at her father and asked "Do you know which hotel Uncle Remus is staying in?"

"Nope. But I think he said something about the West Coast Academy. Whatever that means." Johnny went back to his magazine when he remembered something that his cousin Emma had mentioned when she had visited him thirteen years ago. "Don't worry about us Johnny. The three of us have a place to stay at the West Coast Academy Inn." Then he remembered the extremely important thing. His cousin came from a prestigious American wizardry family. And she married a wizard. This meant that the 13 year old in his living room was a witch. A 100% bonnafied witch. Crap. Johnny's day had just reached what he thought was an all time low. Boy was he wrong.

An hour later there was a knock on their apartment door. Abbie sprang up from the couch to answer it. Standing in the door way was Remus Lupin, her uncle. "Uncle Remus! What a surprise! Won't you come in?" Abbie opened the door to the apartment all the way and ushered her uncle and his companion in to the living room. "Let me tell Dad you're here and you and um..., your friend can get comfy in the living room." Abbie popped her head around the corner into the kitchen of their large apartment, and muttered, "Uncle Remus and some chick are in the living room, wanna come and talk things out?"

Johnny put his magazine on the kitchen table; it was hopeless to think he'd finish it tonight. "Talk what out Sweetie?"

Abbie rolled her eyes. "Duuhh. The biological parent thing I talked about earlier. You know I know I'm adopted; Remus is my godfather, and my godmother's dead, and school and vacation locations. Just the daughter who just found about her family in England kinda wanting to spend time with said newly discovered family type of stuff."

Johnny got out of the chair he was in and opened the fridge. "Oh that stuff. The kid leaves her Dad in one country and goes to the other and lives with her godfather, and goes to a boarding school in Scotland and teases the hell out of her cousin a year behind her, kind of stuff. Right?" He pulled out a bottle of beer and took a swig out of the bottle as he closed the door.

Abbie looked really guilty at this. "Maybe, or it's your daughter wants to meet the family she can't remember at all type of stuff." Abbie opened the fridge and took out two bottles of water and a soda for herself. She closed the door and walked across the room, and snagged a bag of chips off of the counter on her way out the kitchen door.

Back in the living room Remus and his companion surveyed the living room. It was modestly decorated, and had a slight masculine touch in an overall feel of the room. The walls were a cream color, with a few tasteful art pieces spread out on the walls. One wall was dedicated to photographs; there were plenty of Johnny and Abbie, and plenty of the staff of the firehouse and the ER team they worked with on a regular basis. But in the middle of the picture wall was a slightly faded picture of three adults, two men, one woman, and a little baby girl. Remus got up and looked at it more closely. He was stunned, because he thought that all copies of that particular picture were missing.

One of the men was Johnny, it was very easy to see that, he hadn't changed in twelve years, but the other man was Sirius Black, Remus' former friend. He was unmistakable to recognize, his shoulder length black hair, grey eyes, laughing smile, and yet in this picture there was a look of gentleness on his face that Remus had never seen on his former friends face. He followed the path of the gaze to the little baby girl he held in his arms, the bundle of pink and ribbons, the enormous grin on her face, her arms stretching upwards to try and grab her father's hair. The poor girl who didn't know that in a year's time from that picture her only family would be the man to her father's left, Remus stopped himself from thinking any further. He instead focused in on Emma, her curly chestnut brown hair spiraling down past her shoulders, laughing at something the baby had done. Her hazel eyes were forever crinkled in laughter, and her arms wrapped around her husband's shoulders, and her gaze, as well as Johnny's and Sirius' was on the baby. The one person that would always tie those two families together, walked into the room carrying water and a soda. And watched her godfather stare at her favorite picture in the whole apartment.

"Do you want a copy of the picture?"

Remus jumped when he heard Abbie's voice. "Wh-a-a-...?"

Abbie laughed at him. She set the drinks and chips down on the coffee table and repeated her question. "Would you like a copy of that picture? I have six more in my room if you do."

A grin broke out on Remus' face. "I'd love that. I haven't seen a picture of the three of you in over ten years! They were all moved to the Black vault in Gringotts after..., well after you came to the states, when they cleaned out the house."

Abbie nodded and plopped herself down into an armchair as Johnny walked into the room, and she was quickly reprimanded for 'abusing that poor chair with her large behind'. She then in turn told him she was doing no such thing, because 'he abused the poor treadmill in the gym by putting his enormous body on it and running for a half minute before turning the speed down to an extremely slow walk'. Remus hid a hurting smile, because this was the typical banter he used to hear around James and Sirius in the old days. The types of banters where his name would be thrown in at random, and he'd be mixed up in it in no time. Now it just hurt to listen to it, but he didn't say anything. After a few minutes of the mindless banter Johnny stopped it and disappeared in to the kitchen muttering something about ordering a couple of pizzas.

"Well Uncle Remus, if you couldn't get anything out of our rambles my Dad is getting us dinner and is willing to let me go back to England whenever I want to. But first I'm kinda curious as to who your friend is."

Remus somewhat mentally jumped at his rudeness of not introducing his companion. "This is your mother's friend Mary O'Malley; she was in Gryffindor with us."

Mary smiled at her friend Emma's daughter; just by looking at the girl Mary could see everything that made her like her parents. Her mother's compassion, kindness, and thoughtfulness. Her father's sense of humor, brains, and appetite, his love for pranks, jokes and anything involving sugar. Mary liked the girl already, and hadn't even said hello yet...oops. "Hello lassie. Ya look jus' like ya ma, but ya 'ave ya father's soul, and love of pranks." Her heavy Irish brogue accented her speech heavily, and made Abbie think of her long dead mother.

"Thanks, I guess, did you know her well then?" Abbie thrust her hand into the open bag of Lays, and took a handful of chips.

"She was like a sister ta me. We got along great, and she kept the peace between Lilly an' James in their firs' and second years. An' she was a great person to tell all of ya secrets ta." Mary was traveling down memory lane at a lovely pace, forgetting where she was. "Always there for ya even if ya wanted to be alone."

Remus smiled and plowed on into business. He pulled an envelope out of his pocket and gave it to Abbie to read. "I think you'll find everything you need to know is enclosed in this envelope. You're slightly delayed Hogwarts letter, and all the legal documents that will enable you to access the Black family vaults. It also contains the keys to the vaults, houses, and the motorcycle that were left in your possession."

Abbie accepted the bulging envelope and opened it. Two separate letters fell out, along with a key ring. She carefully replaced the key ring in the original envelope. She opened the Hogwarts letter, and pulled out the sheets of parchment and unfolded them and began to read them. Her eyebrows went up slightly, as she read the standard book list, and mouthed out her supply list. Without noticing she silently summoned a notebook and a pen. She picked up the pen and copied her supplies, and continued to read the book lists. Again without noticing she waved her hand and her pen wrote what she was thinking. Remus was amazed. She was performing difficult spells with ease, and wasn't even aware of it. She finished the first and second year book lists and pulled out her third year book list. And laughed, and laughed and laughed. Remus wanted to know what was so amusing. So he did what any Marauder would do, he asked her.

"What's so funny?"

"Whoever the DADA professor is this year sure likes this guy." She was acknowledging the complete set of Lockhart books on her list. She went back to the letters and the magic kept going, and the pages in the notebook turned themselves. She picked up the other envelope and read the legal papers inside the envelope. On the notebook page it was translated into plain English for her to read later, and she plowed through all the legal mumbo jumbo without a problem. Johnny came back in to the living room and said nothing about the moving pen and paper, Remus concluded that this happened often while Abbie was studying or doing homework. She finished with her mother's will and proceeded into the papers that justified her father's incarceration. She flipped through the first few pages, and the pen stopped moving as a confused look came over her face. She kept flipping back and forth between certain pages and was frustrated. Remus was the first to pick up on it.

"What's wrong Abs?"

"There's something wrong with these documents. It says here on page 12 on paragraph 6 in sub paragraph B that all notes on the trial are on page 20, starting at paragraph 25, but it only goes up to page 18, and there's no other papers in the envelope, and the end of page 18 is halfway down the page, so that means that there are no more pages. If Dad had a trial his lawyer would have enclosed the transcripts, but there's nothing here, no mentions of a lawyer hired for the defendant, no court date, just a sentence, and that's it. Hell it barely mentions the custody status for me. It just says 'The Court rules that the toddler known as Abigail Elizabeth Black, heir to the Black family is not to placed in the custody of her godfather Remus Lupin, a known werewolf. Instead the court awards custody to one John Edward Gage of Los Angles California, America. Anyone wishing to change custody arrangements may not appeal to the courts for the next four months.' That's it, and then it says that I was formally adopted by Johnny. That's it."

"No trial. Why's that weird?" Remus inquired.

"It's a violation of his rights! The first amendment says that all persons are entitled to a trial by their peers, regardless of if they can afford a lawyer or not. He should have had a trial."

"Right love, but he wasn't tried in America. Remember that when we're back in England, and just so you know, even if there had been a trial, he'd still be in jail. There was too much evidence against him in the first place." Remus said glumly. Even though Remus had long ago given up on Padfoot, but, this discovery, it gave him hope for some reason, it made him think that after all of these years that he could free his remaining friend. "Let me see those notes you've been taking."

"What notes?" Abbie looked around to see what Remus was talking about, and then saw she had done it again, and there on the table was a notebook full of the deciphered transcripts, and her supplies. "Jeez! I did it again; I do this when I study for tests, do homework, and whenever I concentrate too hard on anything. Here you go." She handed the notebook to Remus on the couch and continued to read the transcripts, as the pen fought off Remus.

"Abbie, a little help?" Abbie looked up at Remus and waved her hand. The pen fell back to the coffee table with a thud, and they continued on.

-o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o-

Two hours later, along with four pizzas, two cases of Coke and a case of Poland Springs water, they came to the conclusion the Sirius Orion Black was innocent, but they needed a lawyer to back up their claims. Mary had to leave for England in the morning, so she had left almost an hour and a half before Remus and Abbie had finished their research. Abbie had changed into sweatpants, and a tank top, and was curled up in her armchair. Her hair swept up off her neck and face in a high ponytail, and she chewed on the end of her pen as she flipped through her large pile of notes.

Johnny couldn't help being reminded of his cousin Emma. Abbie was a miniature Emma in looks, but her personality was a split of both of her parents. Emma's dedications to her studies, family, friends, her senses of duty, her heart in the right place, and her temperament all were characteristics she had passed on to her daughter. Sirius' love of jokes, pranks, food, and dogs was prominent. And so was his little secret, you know the "Padfoot" thing. For some reason, from the age of two on Abbie had possessed the ability to transform herself into a beautiful black cocker spaniel, a complete contrast to her hair color. The only thing that stayed the same was the curly fur on her ears; they resembled her hair in pigtails. Johnny was shaken out of his musings as the phone rang.

Remus jumped as he heard a strange noise. It rang and then there was silence, and then it rang again. Johnny was up and grabbed the funny shaped object that Remus recognized as a telephone from Muggle Studies, it had buttons on the front, and the part you spoke into was in the cradle next to it. Remus was surprised when Johnny picked the buttoned part up, pushed a button and the ringing noise stopped.

Johnny picked up the cordless phone, and pressed the TALK button as he answered it. "Hello, Gage apartment."

On the other line was Captain Stanley. "John, it's Captain Stanley."

"What's up Cap?" Johnny moved from the living room to the kitchen getting a raised eyebrow from his daughter, and a confused look from their guest.

"We need you to come in for this shift, I'm sorry but the other paramedic went home with the flu...Oh crap." The phone on the other end fell silent for a moment, and the sound of retching could be heard.

"Sure I'm coming." Johnny hung up the phone, and walked out of the kitchen. He put the phone back in its charger, and turned back to the two spread out in his living room. "I've got to head into the station."

Abbie's head snapped up faster than Remus thought possible. "What? Why?"

"Cap just called and said both of the guys on duty now have the flu, and he has it too. Roy's gonna meet me there, and if you need me just call the station." Now Johnny and Abbie were both nervous about this new arrangement. Abbie, being just shy of thirteen, had never been left alone at the apartment when her father was on call. She'd always stayed with Dixie or her babysitter Cordelia. Now this would be a test for the girl, being alone for a large amount of time, unless Remus would stay with her. Now that's a good idea. Why didn't I think of that before? Johnny thought to himself. "Remus can I ask you to stay with Abbie for the night? Her usual sitter has a work thing to go to tonight and we weren't expecting me to get called in to work."

Remus looked up from his paperwork again. "Of course I'll stay. I need to work on my story anyways. And if I have any questions I can just ask Abbie."

Abbie jumped into the conversation. "You're actually doing that story?"

"Yes, I am actually writing that story. I'm working for a newspaper in London right now, and if my editor likes the story, it will be syndicated to every Muggle paper in England, through his office at the London Times. And if that goes well, it may wind its way into a special issue of The Daily Prophet. That particular issue specializes on Muggle newspaper articles written by wizards."

"Cool! Can I help you write it?" Abbie asked, starting, what Johnny knew would be one of her famous Black Sugar Highs, which happened after two cases of Coke, and four jumbo bags of candy. Johnny could see the multi-colored candy wrappers hiding under the couch, and he knew that Remus was in for a rough night.