Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters
"I can't believe that you forgot that Black didn't drive to the hospital and actually road with the paramedics to the hospital," Sapphire complained as they waited outside the hospital with Black and White. Ruby had already called Pearl to come and pick them up but there was no telling when he would come, though he couldn't complain when Sapphire was leaning against his chest with her arms crossed.
"I said I was sorry," Ruby said apologetically, trying not to smile at her adorable scowl.
"All those times you go on and on about these silly details and this time you forget a very important detail! Now we have to wait here and the forecast said that it might rain today," She added knowing how he would react. She had to laugh when he did as she had predicted as he looked up at the sky as if it would rain lava rather than simple water. No doubt he was worried about his clothes getting wet.
"Stop arguing you two," White ordered, sitting next to Black who was still worried about her. Ruby noticed that Black was looking around frantically as if he expected someone to come out from the shadows and attack them. Ruby didn't doubt that might happen either but it was clear day in front of a hospital, the killer wouldn't think about attacking them now.
"White!" They all turned to see a woman come out of an extravagant car and wrapped her arms around White. Everyone was taken back at the woman's crying into White's hair.
"I'm fine," She tried to calm the two and gave Black an apologetic look over the woman's shoulder. "I didn't think that you'll meet my parents. Mom, dad, this is my assistant Black and these are my performers, Ruby and Sapphire. Why are you here?"
"Someone called us and told us that your trailer was set on fire!" Her mother explained, not bothering to look at Black. "I knew you couldn't do this! I want you to sell this circus back to that strange man and forgot about this pipe dream. You'll be a great vice president to your father's company."
"But I don't want to be a vice president!" She pulled away from her mother and bumped into Black. He placed his hands on her shoulders and she placed her hand over his. "I don't even want to be part of father's company! I want to be in charge of my company. I can do this and I'm not going have you cuddle me for the rest of my life. I'm going to fight for my circus and no crazy man is going to stop me!"
"You need to sell that circus back to the previous owner. You can try this again with your father after a couple years after business school. You know your father and I only want the best for you. It would be a safer venture than to start something like a circus from scratch."
From the corner of White's eyes she saw Pearl come up beside them in the pickup and pulled Black away. She didn't bother to look back at her mother, not wanting her mother to see her angry tears. She was not a helpless child and this was supposed to be the thing that proved it to her mother. She didn't want to leave with angry words though and called back.
"My next performance will be in the next town in about two weeks. I would really like if you came and watch so you can see what this circus means to me and everything I put into this. I love you and I'll call you if anything happens… I love you, mom."
Black looked between mother and daughter and saw the fear in both of their eyes. He gave White's hand a squeeze before helping her into the pickup truck. He didn't go after her immediately though and went to White's mother instead. He held out a hand to the woman, expecting her to shake it. She hesitated though so he went on.
"White is very smart and passionate, though you must already know that, her being your daughter. Prez has everything it takes to lead this circus and I wouldn't ask for a better employer. I'm with her every day and I'm not going to let anything happen to her so you don't have to worry about her."
White's mother looked over him as if he was a horse and Black began to question his action. He wanted to reassure White's mother and leave her with some peace of mind. Suddenly she threw her arms around Black and whispered in his ear, "She was right about you. Protect my daughter or I'll take your contract and then you'll be my employee and you can see what a demon an employer can be."
She pushed Black away and he stumbled back, a little confused about White's mother. He climbed into the pickup truck and slid next to White. The truck only seated three people so Ruby and Sapphire had to climb into the truck bed. Black stared back out the window at White's mother and then turned back to White sitting next to him.
"What was that about?" Pearl asked, as he drove away from the hospital. He looked in the rear mirror to see that woman wipe away her tears before re-entering her car.
"That was my mother," White explained, also watching her mother in the rear view mirror. "I always wanted to start my own theater but they were… doubtful if I was able to run my own company. I kinda went behind my parents back and bought this circus from Nelson without them knowing. I just thought that if I showed them I could do this, and they'll let me start my own theater."
"The circus is the stepping stone to your dreams," Black whispered. He knew the circus was important to her but didn't know how much until she revealed this. He wanted to make her dream come true, that was the least her could do after bringing N to her circus and putting everyone's lives in danger. He placed a reassuring arm around her shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze.
"Let's make the next show the best show we've ever put on since your mother is going to watch. I'm sure she's going to come, she's your mother after all." White looked up at him and nodded with a smile. She looked down at her hands on her lap and turned her wrist to read the time. Black noticed her glance and said.
"I didn't want you to wake up and think that no one was there for you. I know what it's like to be alone and have no one to trust," She nodded and smiled up at him. "I'm sure your mother will come."
Sapphire was watching the two from the truck bed and smiled to herself. They were out of town by then and she wasn't afraid of the police would stop them. Ruby was next to her with his arm around her and she couldn't help but leaned her head against him. "I really do hope that White's mother really does come to see the show. I know how much it must mean to her. I used to go to my father after a show."
"I know what you mean," Ruby said quietly. He tilted his head up to the sky and let out a breath. He could remember all the time at his high school plays. He never performed in the play but he did design the costumes and he wanted his father to see them. His father was too busy with work and stated that if Ruby wasn't going to be in the play, there was no reason to see a bunch of strangers play Romeo and Juliet.
"But after a while, you get used to it…" Ruby could feel Sapphire's gaze on him but didn't look down at her, knowing she had questions in her cobalt blue eyes.
Sapphire knew that he never had a close relationship with his father but the resentment surprised her but it was the sadness in his voice that hit her harder than the anger. "Did you speak to him… your father, I mean… before he died?"
"He died on duty, chasing a drunk driver. The last time we spoke, we were just said hello and bye as he left the station that day…"
"When was the last time ya spoke to your father?" Sapphire asked after a pause. Ruby really didn't want to answer her since he knew she expected more from him. But he didn't have the relationship she did with her father and couldn't lie to her.
"I honestly can't remember," He admitted. "I think it might've been night we had an argument. I didn't want to go into the police force. There was shouting and after that… nothing. I joined and we never spoke at any length after that. I still don't know why I did it; join the police force, at least. I always wondered what he thought of me but I guess that I'll never know now."
"That's it?" Sapphire raised a brow at him but he refused to show pain. His father tried as little as he did to make their relationship work. "He left you with no parting words? My father left me and May a letter before he passed. I'm sure your father would've left you something."
"Isn't it too late to fix this?" Ruby's bitterness was more toward himself than anyone but Sapphire felt her heart tightened. He held more regret over broken relationship than she knew. Though he broke her heart all those years ago, she couldn't bear to see his in pain either. Maybe she could help him come to terms with his father. After a pause, he admitted. "He did leave me a letter but I haven't read it yet."
"Why not?" She puffed her cheeks and sent him a quick glare. He could've at least tried a little harder and swallow that pride of his. "Ya don't even want to know what your father wrote to you? What's stopping ya?"
"I already know what he's written to me," He laughed bitterly. "It's probably him going on and on about what a failure of a son I am! 'Why don't you do go off and do rash things!' It'll start, then it will go on to say that making fashions-"
Sapphire rolled her eyes as he began ranting. She had heard him complaining time and time again about his father and she began to doze off. She laid her head against his heart and listened to it beating faster than usual. She knew that he had to vent out his anger before she could try to reason with him. It frustrated her that there was some truth to his father's words.
She never really understood why he wanted to go into fashion, not that it went against being the norm because it wasn't practical. Clothes were clothes, why add so much to it so that one couldn't even move. She couldn't understand the logic behind his passion but didn't try to deter him from it, since it made him happy. Though she might not agree with it and spoke against it often.
"I guess I'm also afraid that I'm wrong," He whispered against her hair. She felt his sadness and leaned her head up at him. It wasn't something easy for him to admit, mostly because of his pride. His hand was already on her lap and she gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"Where is the letter your father left you?" She asked, hoping that he brought it with him. Ruby didn't answer, knowing that she would want him to read it. He wasn't ready to read his father's, and to be honest, he didn't know when he would, if he ever would. He had it with him, for some reason he couldn't name. What could those letters hold for him?
"Okay, we're going to make our next show the best!" White declared to the remaining circus performers around the fire later that night. "I know that two weeks isn't the best time to ask you to perfect your acts and still get to the next town in time but I'm sure we can pull this off. We'll alternate between driving and practise each day so that should give us enough time."
"I don't see why you must put more pressure on us with a killer trying to pick us apart one by one," Missy said quietly, lifting a teacup to her lips daintily. Even though she mumbled it, she spoke it so that White could hear her. She felt a little guilty at the fallen look on White's face but she strengthened her resolve.
She was planning to leave in the next town but this sudden circus act was going to prevent her from doing so. Her side show brought in ten percent of the circus's profit and Dia always checked up on her in between acts. There will be too many questions if she were to disappear right after the show. She already planned everything for leaving and would just have to run as planned.
She sighed into her teacup and glanced over at Dia beside her. She felt a little twinge at the reminder that she was deceiving them. How ironic that she had always told her sister to always be herself while she had to pretend to be someone else to survive in an illusion she created. They had been nothing but kind to her and she had thought about telling them but always stopped herself since she knewit wouldn't help her, they couldn't help her.
"I know it's a lot to ask," White sighed. "But this is really important to me and if we don't make this the best show ever, my mother's going to shut us down. You'll all be without a job if we can't show my parents the magic this circus can create!"
"Don't worry, we'll be able to pull this off," Dia reassured her though he questioned why she was so stressed since her act didn't need to be rehearsed. He turned to see Missy still looking a bit skeptical. He nudged her and she gave him a small smile to hide her doubt. Dia once again wondered what was going through her mind. He made a note to ask her before they went to sleep that night.
"We'll be able to do this!" Pearl said excitedly, excited by the challenge of mastering his newest act. He grabbed Poppy and Dia's hand to drag them away. He turned slightly and called for Missy to come so she could give them her opinion. She saw Dia's helpless smile and she went after them leisurely, setting her teacup aside.
"At least they're excited about the show," White said quietly as she took the kettle from over the fire, pouring the hot water into her own cup for coffee. Black took the cup from her and she pouted when he took it from her.
"It's already late, you shouldn't be drinking coffee." He said. He was usually described as a hothead by his friend so it scared him a little that he had to keep her on track. The killer was pushing White closer to that unknown edge and that worried him.
She breathed out heavily and looked back to where her trailer once was. There wasn't much of her trailer left so she had it taken away, not able to look at her devastated work. Her heart clenched a little at all the work she lost and had to rebuild.
"You need to rest," Black forced her to his feet and ushered her away. "You've been through a lot and need to rest tonight. We'll start on rebuilding your trailer and start with designing all your posters again, tomorrow. But not an hour before you get the proper amount of sleep."
"Rebuilding will take too much time," White protested, though leaned against him as they walked. "I'll just take up a corner of Sapphire's room. I'm sure she won't mind since she's one of the few people here that don't have to share a trailer. We'll add a bed later, until then I'll just sleep in bed tonight."
Black nodded but Black didn't like the idea of White being so far from White, where he couldn't protect her. So he walked her to his own trailer and helped her onto the bed, pulling the ribbon from her hair. His breath caught when her hair spilled over his hand and her shoulders. How can so have so much hair? Pulling himself from his daze and lowered her onto the bed and pulled the blanket over her.
She caught his hand when he tucked the blanket over her shoulder, "Do you think it's going to be alright? Do you think that we'll catch him before he runs this circus into the ground?"
He saw the doubt and fear in her eyes. He couldn't very well lie to her since he wasn't sure about what would happen. He was glad that he didn't have to answer since she was already asleep.
Ruby watched the two walk away smiling to himself a little. He nudged Sapphire who sat next to him, placing a marshmallow between two crackers and handing it to Ruby. She saw the smirk on his face, and she raised a brow in silent question.
"Sapphire's is crashing in your trailer and I'm sure you wouldn't want to sleep there with her snoring. You can sleep in my trailer tonight, if you want?" His silky voice thick with suggestion sent shivers down her spin but she returned it with daggers and a sharp tone.
"And what do you think this will achieve?" She challenged and Ruby smile lit the night as he answered.
"I was hoping to seduce you." He whispered to her, turning her scarlet. She looked around to the other performers who didn't seem to notice them. She risked a glance upwards to Ruby's crimson eyes, his voice washing over her as he leaned down closer to her. "Do you think I have a chance?"
"I saw Black leading her to his room," Sapphire retorted. "So I'll be sleeping in my room tonight."
Ruby didn't seem to hear her protest for her wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned back until they fell off the log so that they laid back against the soft grass. His arm was still around her so she couldn't move, not that her body would follow any of her orders at this point. He turned so that his body was inches over hers.
"A chance Sapphire, that's all I'm asking." He kissed her forehead and then pushed himself to his feet. "I won't ask for more, but I won't wait forever. The ball's in your court now."
"It should be here somewhere," Poppy walked around the camp fire, looking for her poi's that she dropped when Pearl had pulled her away. He was a little eccentric at times but that made her laugh. Her eye caught a glint in the dirt and pulled her poi's from its place in the dirt. She quickly wiped the dirt from them and glanced over the circle.
She thought of putting out the large fire but worried that someone might have to wonder out in the dark if she did put it out. Then again, she knew a fire left untended was dangerous and began to gather some dirt to put out the fire. The moon was bright enough to help them see, she reasoned with herself. She rubbed her hand and stared into the ember flames.
She frowned when a shadow casted over her and her hand tightened over the poi wires. She held her breath as he passed by her, not really noticing her. By instinct, she moved quickly, dashing to the side into the shadows of a trailer. She looked over the corner and knew from the shape of his silhouette that he was wearing a cape and a velvet top hat.
The masked magician.
She merely watched him as he walked toward one of the trailer. He stopped and turned in her direction, though she knew that she was hidden in the shadows so he couldn't her. Her eyes narrowed when he turned back and began walking toward that trailer again, his steps more slow this time. Did he know that she was watching him?
He took off his hat as he reached one of the trailers. She frowned, knowing his intent long before he knocked on Henry's door. She couldn't just stand idly by when she knew he was going to strike again! She dashed out from her hiding place, spinning her poi's while still trying to keep quiet. She used them as she would her meteor hammer.
She threw the poi so that it wrapped around his body but when she pulled the chain, it caved in on the body and the cape went limp to the ground. She ran to where the cape landed and looked over it, where had he gone? She patted the ground beneath cape and scowled that she didn't find anything.
The door to Henry's trailer opened and she looked up to see the masked man standing above her. She jumped back and held her poi's up as if it would shield her from anything the man could do to her at this distance. She tried to hide any fear she felt, ready to defend herself.
"Secrets are bad for you, little girl." He held out a candle and she frowned, trying to predict his next action. To her surprise, he didn't hurt her, only retreated by walking backwards into the trailer. She went after him of course and placed a hand over her mouth at the sight of Henry hanging before her, the trailer illuminated by the candle he left. She turned to run out to tell someone but ran straight into the killer.
She wasn't quick to anger but she frowned up at him and clutched her poi's, resisting the temptation to hit him on the side of his head. He held out his hat and pulled out a card and placed a finger on his lips. She took the card from him and her heart stopped at the Joker card.
This could only mean that Pearl or Dia was next. He already attacked Dia so Pearl must be one this card was referencing. She looked up and saw that the masked killer wasn't standing there anymore. She tucked the card into her pocket and ran to Pearl's trailer. She was going to go to White first but she found herself going to Pearl first to warn him.
She hesitated when Missy was the one to open the door. She looked past her to see Pearl and Dia juggling in the background. She knew that Dia and Pearl shared a trailer and Missy often spent time with them. In front of the crowd, she suddenly felt trapped and backed away.
"Is everything okay, Poppy?" Pearl stopped juggling and was accidently hit by the ball. She shook her head and went to Pearl, to pull him aside to show him the card, explain what she thought it meant. Almost immediately after, she ran to White's trailer to tell her what happened.
White sighed as she petted Gigi's mane. She had just finished talking to the police who wrote off Henry's death as a suicide. She had already called her parents to tell them that her show will be delayed due to this and she spent a good hour convincing her mother that she had everything handled already. She also wanted to call to Henry's family personally too.
After everything, she had been drained emotionally and had to take a small moment for herself. Black had wanted to go with her to make sure that she was safe despite her trust with Gigi. She knew that Black was near so he could watch over her. She turned over her shoulder to see Black leaning against Buoh, trying not to be too obvious with his watching.
She sent him one last desperate look, pleading for the solitude she needed to clear her thoughts. He saw that in her eyes and nodded. She waited for him to leave the cage before she leaned more on Gigi. The lion seemed to sense her sadness as well since she nudged White.
"I know I shouldn't be breaking like this," She whispered. "It doesn't look good in front of my employees and it'll make them doubt me abilities. It just gets hard sometimes, especially when I feel so helpless. But I'm going to find that killer, there's not a doubt in my mind!"
"There isn't doubt in my mind either?" She turned sharply to see N standing behind her. She made a dart for the door but he stopped her by grabbing her arm roughly. She glared up at him but looked at the door from the corner of her eye, trying to catch anyone's eyes but not a lot of people pass by the lion cages except Black and she already sent him away.
She raised her hand to strike him but he already let her go roughly. She stumbled back but didn't take her eyes from the man. Gigi came between them, as if to protect White. N stopped at this slight but then came forward and started petting the animal, speaking softly to her.
"How painful it must've been for you to be near such vile people like Black," White hands tightened and she shot back.
"You're the one that attacked me!" She tried to pull Gigi away from the man but the creature wouldn't listen so she threw her arms into the air before she shot an accusing finger at N. "You have no right to saw such horrible things about Black who is great with the animals."
"You actually let the man come anywhere near these animals?" He sent her such an angry glare that she knew that it had the ability to shot daggers through her. She wished she had carried a weapon like Black and Poppy or knew how to fight like Sapphire. Once again, she felt helpless and had only her wit to save her at this moment.
"Seeing that you've just broke into my circus, you have no right to speak about anything concerning Black. I don't know what happened between you and Black but I've known him for a good time now and he's a great guy. He's trustworthy, honest, a little rash at times but still a great guy."
"A great guy that murdered," N snarled. He didn't show any emotion at the shock on her face but replied, "He didn't tell you about that, did he? Maybe you should ask him about that. He should be here soon, and I shall be leaving now."
White couldn't stop him, her body shaking at N's word. He merely passed by her, his shoulder hitting her as he did so. She shook herself, telling herself that N was only trying to scare her because of this animosity he held against Black. Black couldn't be a killer!
"White, are you okay?" She asked and turned to see Black. She didn't know how long she had been standing there, lost in dark thoughts.
"I'm fine," She gave him a shaky smile which he obviously didn't believe by his frown. "I'm sure it's nothing."
Still having a little too much fun with Poppy now that Silvia (Silvermoonstone23) had told me more about her. This was mostly a Agencyshipping chapter with Franticshipping put in there and I promise that the next chapter will have more of the investigation and Frantic.
Review if you liked.