Bane of His Existence
Chapter Fifteen
Down at the precinct, Anastasia walked in feeling unsure about her decision to leave the witches to find her mother and sister, especially since she had been a part of a ritual that almost resulted in their deaths. However, she also knew from listening to the women she's been staying with since she had been brought back, that the detective in charge around town was keeping her family close in order to keep his eyes on them, and that he wasn't the sort of man who would have told the rest of the cops under him about the magic the coven were trying to bring back into a non-magical world.
She didn't want to be there and risk running into Detective Weaver, but she knew she had to find out once and for all if she, her mother, and her sister could be a family again, or if she was meant to become a part of the coven like Gothel assured her was her destiny. Little did she know that while the senior detective wasn't there right then, the female officer Gold trusted enough to help him knew very well the older Belfrey daughter was a person of interest even if the rest of the police force didn't, and that she had called Weaver right away to let him know she had just walked into the precinct.
Anastasia finally walked up to the receptionist desk where the desk sergeant was sitting eating his dinner despite the lateness of the hour, then she nervously cleared her throat and spoke up saying, "Excuse me, Sir… I was hoping you might be able to help me. My name is Anastasia… Anastasia Belfrey. I'm Victoria Belfrey's oldest daughter. I believe she and my sister, Ivy are here. I was told they had been in a fire."
The man stared at her strangely until he snapped out of his surprise and then laid down the fork he was holding while he replied, "Yes. Uh… I believe they are currently in separate rooms talking with other officers about what occurred tonight. Only, you should know they weren't just in a fire. They told the paramedics on the scene that they had both been abducted and then rescued by another of our officers."
"If you wouldn't mind having a seat in one of the chairs over here while I go have a word with the cops talking with your family…" he continued when he came around the receptionist area, then gently guided the young woman over to the chairs nearby. "I'll be sure that someone will be right with you."
"Thank you," she whispered, then watched him walk away and began to wait like he requested of her.
It wasn't any more than a few minutes when another officer, the woman working under Weaver, came over as she reached out her hand to the young woman to introduce herself, then stated, "Good evening, Miss. Belfrey. I'm Officer Andrews. If you would like to follow me, I can take you to see your mother and sister. I've put them in a room together and thankfully unlike before, they've fallen silent. They really don't like each other, do they?"
Anastasia followed after her as she shook her head and answered, "I wouldn't really know. I mean… I've sensed it since I've started to get to know them again, but I haven't really had the opportunity to really know for sure. I was in a coma… my mother said. For the last few years."
"Yes, I'm sorry," Andrews responded quietly, then they arrived outside of the room and guided her inside.
"What are you doing here?" Victoria asked snidely upon seeing her oldest come in behind the officer, then waited for the stranger to leave again before saying another word. "I'm surprised you would have the gall to show your face around here of all places. It's a bit risky, is it not?"
Drizella glared at her while she questioned curtly, "Where are your new sisters? Or do they not even know you've risked all they've been working for so you can come all the way down here just to realize what you already know. We're never going to be a family again. We hardly were before you even fell through that ice."
Their mother immediately snapped at her youngest as she said, "I warned you never to mention that night again. You promised me you would never speak of it."
"I only told you what you wanted to hear so that you wouldn't shun me anymore than you already did back then," the younger woman replied angrily. "You've never loved me like you loved your precious oldest. It just took me a little longer to finally admit the truth I knew all along."
"I didn't come here to bring up the past again," Anastasia cut in again before the argument between them escalated even farther. "I came here because I was hoping we could look towards the future and put the past behind us. I wanted to know if you could forgive me for what I've done tonight and I will help you… Mother, and Dri… Ivy… I will help you to fight against the witches. I just want to be loved. I want to be a family. Please."
Ivy scoffed at her sister's plea and then answered, "I don't think so. We're way past being a family we never were to begin with."
Lady Tremaine spoke up again as well saying, "For once I actually agree with your sister on this. As far as I'm concerned, you're dead to me… my precious daughter."
Anastasia fought back the tears that welled up in her eyes and then suddenly ran from the room and through the station until she ran right into Detective Weaver who barred her way on the way out. He grabbed her arm gruffly and nodded his head in gratitude towards Officer Andrews, then shoved the young woman forward until they wound up in an interrogation room.
"I will ask this once and if you cooperate with me, I will do everything I can to help you through this difficult time in your life," the senior detective forcefully stated after turning off the microphone within the room so that no one outside of it could hear their conversation. "Where is Detective Rogers? Where is my partner?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," she responded coldly as he forced her into the chair behind the table and stood over her, then she turned her head away from him to avoid looking into his eyes. "If you're looking for him, perhaps you should try calling him on those black devices you all use for talking now."
Weaver glared down at her until he sat across from her while he replied, "Don't pretend I don't know you were there in that subway tunnel tonight with the other three witches so they could attempt to bring you into their coven. Gothel told me as such. I also know that Rogers came down to rescue your mother and sister. If anything tragic happens to him, you will fall before you even get the chance to become one of them, or the Guardian like they want for you."
Anastasia finally looked into his eyes and said more firmly, "You will have to find Rogers without any help from me. I suggest you let me leave, detective. Because you know what I can do if you don't. You said it yourself, I'm the only one of us in this room who has powers and you saw how powerful they are. Don't let me go, and I will unleash it throughout this building. It will create a panic among all of your police friends as well as everyone else around just outside."
After a few more minutes of trying to convince Lady Tremaine's eldest daughter to help him, he finally had no choice but to release her like she demanded in order to keep her from following through with her threat. Then he guided her back through the station and walked her outside, where he was surprised to see the security officer from the psych ward sitting in his car waiting for the young woman to come out. And without the proof he needed in order to arrest the guard, Gold knew that he was the one responsible for sending the doctored footage showing his partner as a murderer and a kidnapper, as well as for the bomb that kept him from protecting Rogers when he needed him.
When Burke saw the detective had seen him, he grinned at him smugly and waved, then motioned to Anastasia to come along. Once she got in, they drove away and while every part of the Dark One wanted to follow after them, Gold knew that he would never be able to help Rogers on his own without the help from the few allies he had in Hyperion Heights, especially without magic to back him up against those who did possess it.
Back at the witches' cabin…
The Stabbington brothers finally returned after they had gone out to get themselves something to eat and to bring back food for the women they worked to protect. Maggie let them inside as she had with Burke earlier, while Draya questioned them about why it took so long for them to come back.
"It doesn't matter why," Gothel uttered before they could say anything, then faced them when she spoke again. "Did you at least keep your eyes on the Dark One for me?"
"Like you expected, he drove to Roni's Bar to talk to its owner and some redhead," the man with the scar along his cheek answered while he handed Minerva the bags with food in them. "We ate at the diner across the street and watched him. You should know that some blonde haired teenager eventually showed up too and she didn't look too happy. She appeared to scold the detective about something."
The other brother with the eyepatch continued, "You should know she didn't stay long before she left again. But we discovered she's now out walking the streets looking for my brother and me, and for any information on the detective's whereabouts."
Gothel smiled and then responded, "I figured she would eventually wind up out there. I know how much she cares about him even though she has no idea Rogers is her own father. This is good. Minerva… why don't you return to your spot on the streets where you shopped for your men to sleep around with. Look out for that girl and when you see her, give her the information she's looking for. She doesn't know you yet and therefore she won't recognize you. Let her know exactly where she can find Detective Rogers. We'll take care of the rest."
