*refuses to insult anyone's intelligence by giving lame assed disclaimer again*
HOWEVER, since Puppet Master vs. Demonic Toys was not really recognized by the franchise as being an official part of it (to the best of my knowledge), I feel a certain liberty with the characters of Robert and Alexandra. Sorry if this bothers anyone, but it's going to make my story work out better.
Now that I feel (slightly) like a jerk, onwards..
Needless to say, Jeremiah's adoption of the lost girl was not as smooth as he'd expected. She was put in the closest orphanage in the meantime but he was allowed daily visits. He'd already had a name chosen for her in light of their situation; Rajiya, which meant "hopeful". It was nearly 3 more years before Jeremiah proved himself more than worthy to be her guardian and that her returning to the States with him would be the best option.
Little Rajiya made sure that Jeremiah was the only allowed candidate, throwing ear-splitting conniption fits when other families came to see her. She was the prettiest little girl in the orphanage, her hair dark burgundy and those bizarre eyes that stood out against her golden skin. She learned to speak English in her years there, and rejected any title assigned to her until the officials relented and allowed her to be named Rajiya. It was a name as lovely as she was, when she was with Jeremiah at least. Anyone else got either the silent treatment or tantrums.
So when the long awaited time arrived, Jeremiah and Rajiya said goodbye to India and went back to The United States. Robert welcomed them into his home until Jeremiah finished his house-hunt for the west coast. He'd heard of and had his sights set on UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in San Francisco while he was still in India. It had a significant reputation and the staff-to-patient ratio was superior. Alexandra was delighted to have her new cousin to play with in the meantime, and the two girls had many a sleepover in Alexandra's treehouse.
Not more than a month of his return, Jeremiah and Robert's father, Thomas, had been informed of having Stage 4 Prostate Cancer. He had known of the cancer for well over a year already but had kept it from his sons and wife, hoping the remission would keep hold. Unfortunately, it did not. The Toulons buried Thomas only 2 months after they learned of his illness. It was tragic and broke all their hearts. Diedre was completely devistated and while Robert and Jeremiah were crushed as well, they remained stoic for their children's sake. As well as their mother's; she had a terrible heart problem and the stress and loss of Thomas could very well take her from them too.
By Christmas time, right when Jeremiah was booking his and his daughter's flights to San Francisco, Deidre herself had passed. Robert found her in her bed after not hearing from her for nearly 6 days. Jeremiah remained to help his brother put their mother to rest. It took another whole year to pass before the grief began to lift like a fog and allow Jeremiah and Rajiya, as well as Robert and Alexandra, to move on with their lives and go their seperate ways once again.
And life, as per usual, continued for quite a while without any further hitches. Years crept by, even. Jeremiah became one of the most renowned and beloved of the physicians at Benioff, and not just by his high patient recovery rate. His ability to balance his personal and professional life was astounding. If he was unable to return home to Rajiya by 7pm every night, he arranged for her daytime nanny to bring her to the hospital to stay with him. Jeremiah had even set up a small bedroom, of sorts, in his office for her to sleep over in. This did not bother the child, in fact, she typically looked forward to going to her father's place of work. Rajiya kept the patients in high spirits by playing with or reading to them, even holding their hands if they were unconcious.
This was the way that Rajiya and Jeremiah Toulon proceeded to live until she was about 14 years old. They had managed to go back east to see Robert and Alexandra every year on Christmas, most of the times during the summer as well. It was in late April of Rajiya's freshman year of high school that things were once again changed, and not for the better.
Rajiya was in her Honors English class, passing notes to her best and closest friend of the past 4 years, Jake Steinberg, discussing how excited she was to visit her uncle and cousin that summer when the teacher walked over to her. Rajiya jammed the note into her binder, thinking she'd been busted yet again.
"Ms. Toulon, you're being called to the Main Office," the instructor said, dropping the slip of paper onto her desk that said exactly that. Rajiya let out a sigh of relief, then felt a jolt of excitement when she saw it detailed that her father was there waiting for her. Perhaps they were leaving early for their trip? It'd been a possibility and had happened once before. She felt a smile form as she packed up her books and binder into her messenger bag.
"I'll call you," Rajiya said to Jake, patting his hand as she got up and made her way up the aisle of desks and out the door. When she got to the office, Jeremiah was indeed there. He was still dressed in his nice slacks, shirt, tie, and white jacket. His handsome face was blank, which was odd. She hugged him tightly.
"Hi Daddy," she said affectionately, then became curious when he did not release her from the embrace. "Umm, is something wrong?" She became even more curious when the principal and secretary got up and left them alone in the room.
"I have something to tell you, Raj," Jeremiah said, finally letting her go and placing his big hands on her shoulders. She looked at him quizically, furrowing her brow as he gently sat her down in the chair beside them. He took a deep, ragged breath and that's when Rajiya noticed his eyes were glossy and bloodshot; like he'd been crying.
"Did something happen at work?" she questioned, and Jeremiah shook his head. He remained silent as he tried to regain his composure. "DAD, what is it then?"
"It's about your Uncle Robert and Alexandra, dear," he said shakily. "There was an accident..."
Rajiya began to shake then. She felt the air leave her lungs as she said lowly, "What do you mean..?" Even though she had a terrible feeling that she knew exactly what he meant. She just wanted to be wrong.
But she wasn't.
"We won't be seeing them," her father replied, tears finally leaking out of his blue eyes. "They were in a car accident yesterday. Drunk driver. Nobody survived-"
"NO!" Rajiya cried, getting to her feet too quickly and swaying slightly. "No!" she said again when Jeremiah took her into his arms. Then the dread took full hold and she let out a pained scream, pressing her face into his chest. This couldn't be happening, they'd just spoken to Robert and Alexandra on the phone not even 3 days ago. Rajiya had a pile of CD's on her desk at home of music she'd burned for her cousin. They made plans to shop and gossip, and Alexandra said she had something extraordinary to show Rajiya when she'd gotten there.
Now, Rajiya figured she'd never know what it was. But she figured wrong. The extraordinary something would be left for her and Jeremiah to claim in Robert's will.
After attending the funeral service, Jeremiah and Rajiya went to Robert and Alexandra's now vacant home to meet with the lawyer. All of their belongings and the house had been left to the younger Toulon brother, as somewhat expected seeing as how he was the only living blood relative. It was designated to go to Alexandra first, but since she had perished as well it was now Jeremiah's. His own will was made out the same way; leaving his fortune and possessions to his daughter first and brother/neice second.
"Dad, may I go upstairs please?" Rajiya asked Jeremiah as he and the lawyer began to sift through a mountain of paperwork. He nodded and permitted her to go. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and excused herself from the room, taking out her cell phone once she reached Alexandra's room to call Jake. He answered after one ring.
"Hey girlfriend," he said somberly.
"Hi Boo," Rajiya replied, sitting on her cousin's bed.
"How are you holding up?" Jake asked her. She shrugged even though he couldn't see it.
"Decently, I suppose. It was a nice service." She fought the tears choking her voice and gripped the bedspread with her spare hand.
"Just let it out, girl," Jake told his friend, and she obliged. Rajiya sobbed the way she refused to during the service. Jake understood how much her cousin had meant to her, and had even been close to Alexandra himself, having gone on one of the Christmas visits. Rajiya and Jake met in 6th grade and had been inseperable since. They loved each other in a completely friendly way, not romantically. In fact, shortly before entering high school Jake came out to Rajiya, and Jeremiah had even gone with him to tell his parents he was gay. When he was disowned by both his mother and father, Jeremiah had welcomed Jake into his home until he was able to move in with an aunt. Yes, Jake and Rajiya were closer to one another than they were to anyone else. Which was exactly why she wasn't ashamed to bawl her eyes out to him.
"It's just so fucking awful," Rajiya said before blowing her nose. "I don't think it's ever going to fully sink in."
"Give it time, Raj. It's still way too early to start thinking about moving on just yet."
"I know," she replied, impatiently wiping her eyes as she smoothed out the bedspread and stood up. She walked over to Alexandra's desk, which had a mirror in front of it. Stuck in along the edges of the frame were pictures of her and Rajiya together throughout the years. Rajiya took the most recent one and looked closer at it. "Of everyone in the world, it had to be them. I don't understand." She put the picture in the pocket of her black wool peacoat and patted it lightly.
"I don't either. I'm not going to give you the dumb ass spiel about 'The world working in mysterious ways' either. It just sucks, everything about it is the worst," Jake agreed. Rajiya nodded slowly, her eyes wandering to a large object that was on the floor to the right of the desk. She cocked an eyebrow in interest and kneeled down in front of it. It was a large, beat up old trunk. Rajiya touched one of the latches lightly with her index finger, jumping in surprise when Jeremiah knocked lightly on the door. She didn't realize she'd closed it.
"I gotta call you back," Rajiya said, exhaling and rising to her feet. "Dad needs me. Love you, and thanks."
"Anytime," Jake replied. "Love you too." Rajiya put her cell phone into her other coat pocket and opened the door. Jeremiah gave her a weak smile.
"Hi honey. Sorry about that boring lawyer stuff. Have to just get the legalities out of the way," he said as he entered the room and patted his daughter lightly on the back.
"It's okay, Daddy," Rajiya said, returning her father's forced smile. Jeremiah's gaze fell on the trunk, which now seemed to stick out like a sore thumb.
"That must be the infamous Trunk Robert mentioned in his will," he said slowly, going over to it. Rajiya helped him haul it to the center of the room.
"Did he say what was in it?" she questioned as he turned it so that the latches were facing them. Jeremiah shook his head.
"No, but I already know what it's contents are," he said as he took the small key the lawyer had given him out of his pants pocket and unlocked it. Opening it revealed several dolls and puppets; most still under construction.
"Were these Grandpa's?" Rajiya asked, gazing at the only (seemingly) finished and vivid puppets that were situated in the very front. "They're beautiful." Jeremiah opened a compartment in the back of the trunk and found what appeared to be large, leather-bound journal of sorts. Opening it, he smiled genuinely for the first time in weeks.
"Yes, and his father's before him, et-cetera," Jeremiah said, sitting on the floor in front of the trunk. "I think it's time you learned about the more, let's say 'eccentric' part of the Toulon family history. Sit down, dear, this might take a while."