1.Bad Day
Four years later
Officer Jem Cassidy was already having a bad day and the day had not even started yet. So to keep things simple his mood was more or less sour, especially since he had not yet gotten his morning coffee and he definitely needed his morning coffee when he had to work the morning shift. The day started with that he overslept, didn't have time to make himself breakfast and just barely made it down on time to the station before the debriefing about what his job was today.
When he finally arrived at the station he was completely out of breath from running from his place, since he didn't have a car and it was just a waste of money to take the cab, so as a result of his decision his uniform was all curled up like he had gone to sleep with his uniform on. Things didn't get any better when he realized because of the time that there was no way he could grab a cup of coffee before the meeting, so he had to sit there during the entire meeting with a sour mood, listening to his staff sergeant going on and on about the drug circles that was still roaming around the streets and endless complains how they never seem to show up on time whenever someone called it in. His mood didn't lift until he was told that he was going on patrol along with his partner Officer Jenkins, which brought a grin on his face. Jem loved going on patrol, being part of the action, to serve and protect the civilians in Boston. It definitely beats sitting on a desk all day and doing boring paperwork. However that didn't mean that he didn't take this job lightly despite what other people might assume about him, since they always thought that he being too lose with the rules little rogue and the fact that he was just twenty-seven years old and could easily be mistaken for rookie even after working at the station for the last four years. But he really didn't care what they thought and as long as he could do his job no one openly questioned what he did.
"Alright now, go out there and protect our city from criminals," Staff Sergeant Williams said determined before he left the room and then the meeting was adjourned. And it didn't take long till everyone except Jem left in the room. He knew that he got some time before he had to meet up with his partner and the line to the coffee pot was going to be long and seemed almost never-ending because everyone was needed caffeine since what they do for a living was hard work and they all needed to stay sharp for the long day to begin. So he sat there on his chair for a moment and relaxed his mind by thinking of Saturday's baseball game when he heard some calling for him.
"Hey, Cassidy," Officer Steinberg shouted. He stood by the door entrance and waited impatiently. "You got a visitor. Make the social calls quick since you're on the clock."
"I'll be right there," Jem replied. He stood up from his chair, left the room and walked up to the front desk to see a young woman standing there, dressed in hospital scrubs, looking very agitated over something. Unfortunately he had a good idea what exactly she was fussing about.
"Haley, what are you doing here?" Jem asked with a slight annoyed yet worried tone. He hugged the woman lightly and then took a step back to see her face and to find out what was going on. "You're supposed to be home and asleep since you took the nightshift. Why are you here?"
Haley Cassidy was his younger sister by two years and worked as a nurse at St. Patrick Hospital. She was a very charming and beautiful woman with long curly brown hair that was currently tied into a messy bun, chocolate brown eyes, tanned skin and was at least a foot shorter than him. It was common that people would point out how much they looked alike due to the similar hair and facial features with the exception of height and the fact that his eyes were brown-green instead of brown, and most of the time it was true. Still no matter how much they looked alike they were as different as night and day when it came to personality.
They lived together in the same apartment for the last three years, even though he wasn't sure how they managed to live together for so long without killing each other, it worked most of the time despite the fact that they rarely managed to see each other anywhere else than back home. So he was surprised to see her at his workplace.
"He is gone," Haley said. Jem took her to the nearest chair for her to sit down and waited to hear the rest of the story. "When I got home there was a message on the answering machine from his school, asking about his whereabouts since he didn't show up for homeroom. So I went in to his room and found it empty. I looked everywhere I could of think and I tried calling him, but I got no answer."
"Okay-okay, Haley," Jem tried to calm her down when she started to panic and mentally cursed to the person of interest in the conversation. "Look, you know that he is sixteen and old enough to make his own decisions. Obviously he skipped school again and went out to hanging out with his friends or something like that."
"Jem, you and I both know that Alan doesn't have any friends, at least someone he would consider as his friends," Haley argued and shook her head. "I'm worried about him. Things haven't been easy for him and things aren't getting any better right now. He gets in trouble, skips out of school and disappears out of the blue."
Jem sighed and ran a hand through his brown hair. He knew far to well how things was going with Alan, remembering the many situations where he had been on called up to fix the mess that the teenager who he considered as his own brother, had managed to get himself caught up in, but he couldn't do much about Alan right now since he was at work. Once he got home from shift he and Haley were going to have a serious talk with Alan about everything, hoping to solve this situation. And if that didn't work there was one other option they could do in order to solve this problem, but that option is the last solution in hope for things to get better with Alan and finally makes a better life for himself instead of tearing apart every chance he had gotten till now.
So without anything to add he said wearily, "Sis, there isn't much neither of us can do right now about this situation. I have to work and you have to go back and get some rest since you just got off shift. Alan will back at the apartment when he feels like it and there is a chance he is already back right now, so don't' worry. I'll will keep an eye open on him while I'm at work and we will talk about this when I get home, okay?"
Haley didn't say anything, but they both knew that he was right, so she nodded slowly. Jem gave her a reassuring smile before he told her that he had to go. Then they both said their quick goodbyes and left their separate ways. It wasn't until he looked at his watch to see that break time was over and his shift had already started. The worst part was that he still didn't get the chance to go and get coffee, so he wasn't happy when he met up with Officer Jenkins and they drove out of the police parking lot.
Jem got shotgun while Officer Jenkins drove the car around the city, canvassing the usual areas where criminals distribute drugs and among other things. Officer Jenkins or whom he would normally call Oliver, sat there facing the road in silence until he finally cracked and asked, "So what's going on with Haley? She doesn't normally show up at the station unless it's something important."
Jem didn't answer and continued to stare out the window, but he knew that Oliver wasn't going to let the subject go.
"Alan skipped school again," Jem answered simply, both knowing that this wasn't the first time Alan had disappeared without anyone telling anyone about his whereabouts, since most of the cops that Jem worked closely with knew about Alan and was well acquainted with him for several reasons. "Haley came to notify me and hoped that I could do something about it, but there isn't much I could do other than keep an eye on open while we're on patrol. Hopefully Alan's back at the apartment before he manage to get himself in trouble. Again."
Jem had not wanted to let Haley know that he too was freaking out about Alan's disappearance, even though he had done the exact opposite with her by trying to reassure her that everything was fine and this was normal teenage behavior. He was trying very hard to fool her and possibly fooling himself as well, but he knew more than anyone that Alan is anything but an ordinary teenager.
"Have a little faith, Jem. Alan is a young teenage boy and at this age they try to rebel and find their own place in the world, but in the end we both know that he is a great kid who just makes some mistakes, just like any other human," Oliver said. Before Jem had a chance to argue the police radio was turned on and dispatch called in an on going trespassing on private property not far from where they were currently located. Jem was glad that something came up that stopped the whole conversation and finally giving him something to distract him from the problem that was currently taking over his mind. However just as Jem had decided to focus on something else, Oliver asked out loud, "Besides how much trouble can that kid actually get into?"
The sixteen-year old Alan Shepard turned the wrench one last time to right to tighten the screw before he rolled out from underneath the car he was working on. Then he got up to take a closer look at his work and was more or less pleased about what he saw. The owner of the car was going to pick up the car later today and was definitely going to be happy about the restoration and the new upgrade he has done both with the bodywork and the engine of the car. It was one of his finer works, though he is not the most artistic person, the small and boring grey Mercedes-Bentz was transformed into flaming red car with a large engine despite its size. The owner could easily be used to win street races or robbing banks, but the car was not going to be used for neither. Which was a good thing since there was no way he would fix cars that could be used for illegal actions. The car was a birthday present for recent-retired cop, who had his collection of fast cars and now had time to increase his collection due to his empty spare time.
"Are you done with the Mercedes yet?" Mr. Malone said. Mr. Malone was the owner of the body shop and his boss, but he was also a good friend who helped him out to earn some money even though he was aware that he was supposed to be at school and not working at a body shop during school hours. However as long as Mr. Malone could claim deniability about any knowledge or actions he has done, the man wouldn't voice his opinion about it.
"Yeah, just finished it," Alan answered with a cocky grin. "I believe the customer is going to be satisfied by the result."
Mr. Malone was clutching his chin with his left fingers and nodded in agreement. Alan pulled out a red handkerchief from his back pocket of his worn-out jeans. He began cleaning his dirty hands that was filled oils stains and look a short glance at the scars on his hands before quickly covering his hands with the cloth. He had no idea how in the world he managed to get those identical scars on his hands that went from one side of his palm and out on the other side, but whenever he saw the scars he would quickly cover up his hands up and while trying not to vomit from the sight.
There was not any more cars for him to work on, so he spent time talking with Mr. Malone and just talked about random topics that didn't reveal much personal opinions from neither one of them, which was normal on Alan's side. Mr. Malone might be his friend, but he was his work friend nothing more. Alan never had close friends who really knew him and the secrets that he hides on the inside. The only people who Alan truly trusted and saw as his friends and family were the Cassidy siblings, who were also his foster parents/siblings. Jem and Haley had taken him in four years ago, after he woke up in hospital and had absolutely no memories about his life when he was twelve years old. He didn't know anything about his family, his friends or people that had played a part in his life. Hell, he didn't even know his real name. Alan Shepard was the name Jem had first called him when he woke up, so the name just stuck and he didn't bother to correct it if there was going to be a time when he decided to find out about his past. Which as of now was not a priority in his life since the only people who knew about his past or lack of one, was Jem and Haley who was like older siblings to him. Who could ask for a better family than them?
But as Alan thought this during the light conversation with Mr. Malone, a car pulled up in front of the shop and out stepped out two dark men. And it didn't take much to know that those men meant trouble, but Mr. Malone, Alan nor the other guys in the shop said or did anything to cause suspicion to the men. Mr. Malone stepped in and this usual pleasantries like they were honest customers while Alan hung out in the back and observed the interaction between the two men and Mr. Malone. Things were quiet at first, but the interaction quickly heated up between them and the two men began loudly demanding something about hides and not getting caught by the police. Mr. Malone tried to calm them down and still refusing their demands. Unfortunately they were very understanding to the whole 'no' word, so one of the men pulled a gun out from the inner pocket of his jacket and aimed it at Mr. Malone's forehead.
"I believe you don't have any other choice," the man without the gun said calmly. Alan thought he was slick in the way he didn't threaten or did any of the muscle work unlike his partner. "Now you will get me two of our best mechanics to make several hides in the car and make it impossible for the cops to find them. And if you don't my partner will shot you in the head and kill all of your employees. So I suggest you take me serious on this."
Mr. Malone nodded while his body shook like a terrified bunny. Then Mr. Malone asked for Alan and another mechanic named Harris to go and look at the car. Mr. Slick kept an eye on Mr. Malone and the rest of the crew, while the man with the gun was in charge of him and Harris. The gunman shifted the direction of the gun and aimed it at Harris. Obviously the gunman thought it was a good idea to keep a close watch on one guy and not so much the other. So when Harris opened up the car hood, Alan opened the side door and opened the glove compartment. The glove compartment was the perfect place to make a hide, but it was also the most obvious place for the cops to look. Which was why it was perfect to try and contact the police. His hands were out of sight and gave him the perfect opportunity to carefully slide his hand down his jean pocket and pulled out his cellphone. He couldn't take the risk to call and talk to the police, so called Jem's cellphone number and put the phone back in his pocket and quickly got out of the car to get his tools. Alan only hoped that Jem would for once answer the phone without starting the phone call by yelling and reprimanding him for something he has done wrong or less he was going give away his plan put him in more danger than he was already in.
The song Trouble from P!ink began playing when Jem and Oliver got back into the squad car after checking out the trespassing site, which had come up empty. Jem was surprised to hear his personal cellphone ring, especially since the person number that was attached to that specific ringtone was Alan and Alan would never call unless he was as the song said in trouble. Jem answered the call and was just about to give Alan the reprimand of the lifetime when he heard suspicious voices in the background. He heard someone unknown ordering who he would assume was Alan and another person to hurry up and make the hides. Oliver was about to say something, but Jem asked him quietly to stay quiet. He held closer to him, so that Oliver could listen in on the on-going conversation. It didn't take long before Jem and Oliver knew exactly what the hides meant to be used for. The bad guys were going to use the hides to smuggle drugs into the country and distribute it on the streets. The thing that bothered Jem the most was how in the world Alan managed to get himself involved in this. He was like walking trouble magnet, attracting himself to the closest source of trouble, but this time was illegal trouble that could get him sent to juvie or worst get tried in court as an adult and get sent to prison for real.
"You asked how much trouble he could get into," Jem said, referring to their conversation from earlier. "Let's just say he is in a lot of trouble unless we don't get to him right now."
"Understood," Oliver replied and started the engine, while Jem called dispatch on the radio, asking to track the location of the phone call signal and send back up. Jem kept the phone call going in order to track it better. When dispatch told them it was body shop on the outskirts of the city and back-up was on its way, Oliver stepped on the accelerator and drove towards the given address. Jem clutched his cellphone tightly and held it against his ear, trying to listen if anyone was hurt. Most of all he chanted over and over in his mind that Alan would act accordingly and not try any heroics on these guys. Because if he knew Alan right then there was a big possibility that he was going to do something stupid in order to save an other person from harm.
The tension was heavy inside the body shop with Mr. Malone and the rest of the employees hanging in the back, watching the two thugs aiming the gun at Alan and Harris as they worked on the car in silence. Alan didn't get a moment alone to check if the call was still going or if Jem had ignored the call, since now the slick guy was paying close attention to him like he knew that he had done something. Which was why Alan didn't want to take any chances when he worked on the glove compartment. His eyes followed every person in the room fixed the mechanism that made it possible to activate the hide behind a hidden wall inside the compartment. The gun guy held his weapon in his hands, but didn't have it aimed at him or Harris while the slick guy was positioned to watch him from behind, apparently to make sure he did in fact do what he was told. It was good that they hadn't done anything to harm anyone yet, but if the cops didn't hurry up and get here these guys were going to walk and they were going to smuggle drugs efficiently into the country and without getting caught. As he thought angrily about this, he turned the wire was that connected to the mechanism on before he began to write down the sequence activated the hide.
Then everything happened so fast and furiously that Alan could barely comprehend it himself. First, loud police sirens shrieked in the distance, so the thugs didn't think much of it at first, but the sound of sirens was getting closer and closer to the location of the body shop causing the thugs to become panicked over the change in the situation. Then wheels screeching the pavement as the sirens pulled right in front of the shop and someone shouted out police from the outside. Alan almost want to scream in euphoria over that soon everything was going to be over, but he forced himself to stay calm and quiet. The police shouted from outside that the bad guys needed to surrender or else things were going to end badly for both parties. The reaction from the bad guys was expected when the slick guy exclaimed in fury, "Who ratted to the cops?"
No one answered, which only triggered the anger even further when the gunman loaded his gun and began aiming it at the Mr. Malone and the rest of the crew. They all squirmed back, but still didn't say anything. It was then the gunman fired and the bullet hit the wall behind them.
"That was a warning shot!" the slick guy shouted to them all. "Next one is for the kill unless the one who called the cops steps forward. If we don't get out of here without the police interfering then neither are you. So answer me right now!"
Alan had to think fast. If no one stepped forward they all were going to be in worst danger than they already were, but if he did step up then he could put himself in danger as well as the rest of them. However no one needed to get hurt on his account, especially for doing the right thing, so without much holding him back Alan stepped forward like an idiot and said cockily, "I did."
Alan held his gaze intently on the two bad guys, but didn't fear his life by giving himself. Instead he forgot all about his inner emotions that was piercing through him and donned the façade of a cocky brat that had a lose mouth, he hoped that he could buy the cops some time in order for them to come in here and arrest these guys without putting everyone in harm's way.
"So what are you going to do about this information?" Alan said with a cocky grin. He tilted his head to the left in a questioning manner, but at the same time challenged them to do something, which gave the cops a cause to enter the shop.
The bad guys reaction over his comment was expected as the slick guy sneered while the gunman had his gun directly aimed at him, more specifically at his head. The others including Mr. Malone and Harris gasped over his action and honestly grew more worried over how things were going turn out.
"You stupid brat!" the slick guy exclaimed in fury. "Didn't you think about the danger on the lives of your co-workers and yourself when you began gambling with their safety by calling the cops?"
Alan just shrugged his shoulders with an 'I-couldn't-care-less' manner. Of course he thought about it when took the risk and he was more than willing to do so, but he wasn't going to tell the bad guys.
"You didn't answer my question," Alan said, redirecting the conversation that would work for his and the police's advantage. "What are you going to do with this information? After all there is only one of you armed and there is no way you two can get out of here without getting caught by the police."
Alan had intentionally asked that question loudly, hoping that the police heard it since he remembered Jem mentioning that the police would be more reluctant to enter if there was someone armed inside. The police needed to know exactly how big the threat was and now he was practically giving them the key to open the door and help them.
Fortunate for him that the cops caught the hidden message when the doors suddenly opened and several police officers entered and took charge. They apprehended the thugs and they were taken to the ground and their arms cuffed behind their backs. Then the hugs were escorted one of the squad cars while some of the officers went to take statements and make sure everyone was all right and no one needed to go to the hospital. Alan had taken a step back and hung in the back, observing the chaos and letting out the breath he had not been aware he had been holding. Things were going to be all right he thought to himself as he fidgeted with his fingers in order to calm himself down. He had been so lost in thought that he didn't notice someone standing in front of him, only a few feet away and coughed to get his attention. But once he did notice he immediately regretted it. Because right in front of him stood Jem in uniform, but that wasn't worried him the most. It was the worried and pissed off expression on his face that made Alan almost shiver in panic.
"I'm glad that you're okay," Jem said with hidden anger in his voice. "However I do believe have quite a lot to talk about once we get home including how you managed to get in the middle of this situation when you were supposed to be at school and get a healthy education."
Alan turned his face away in shame, but he knew better than to try and deny anything especially when he had been caught. However the thing that he was not looking forward to was the conversation he was going to have with Jem and Haley when they got back home. If there was one thing that Alan and his adoptive family more or less sucked in was having a civil conversation about his behavior and trouble-making ways. He and Jem was the worst with them losing their tempers, which lead to them almost having screaming matches. It was only because of Haley that they didn't kill each other whenever they fought and still managed to have the close relationship that they had.
Alan sighed and nodded his head in defeat. Then Jem lead him to one of the squad cars that would take him first to the station for him to give a statement on the situation before he would be escorted back home. During the trip to the station all Alan could think about was how bad he was going to be punished for his actions this time and how his punishment would affect not only him, but Jem and Haley as well.
"There is a difference between stupidity and insanity, Alan!" Jem exclaimed. Alan rolled with his eyes and sighed in annoyance as he sat there on the couch listening to Jem reprimanding him for basically everything that had happened today along with other unfortunate events that he had done which caused both trouble and pain for Jem and Haley in more ways than one. The moment they had gotten back to the apartment Jem had begun scolding him and paced back and forth in anger while he and Haley sat in the couch listening to him rant for thirty minutes without stops or breaks. Normally Alan would be defensive over the reprimanding and start arguing back, but he was too tired and annoyed to care, and wanted nothing more than to leave and just go to sleep and forget this day had ever happen, but Jem was honestly making things harder for that plan to work.
"Are we done soon?" Alan asked defeated. His head leaned backwards and into the cushion. "Dinner is soon ready and I for one is starving. So how about we eat first? And then if you have more to say, we can continue the reprimanding after dinner."
"That seems like a good idea," Haley said reassuring. She patted his knee before she got off the couch and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. "Be nice you two."
Then she left him alone with Jem who looked not so ecstatic about the idea. However Jem didn't say anything instead took the seat next to him and was facing him with a tired and defeated look.
"Alan, listen to me," Jem said. "This behavior you keep doing, it is going to get you in someserious trouble. What happened today at the body shop, it scared the hell out of me and it was a clear wake-up call for me. Because I care about you so much that I don't want your life in danger. And by getting in trouble like you do now the chances to fix things lessens. At some point neither Haley nor I can get you out of the trouble you managed to get yourself in. And I don't know what else we can do to help you understand that you are a good and bright kid with so much potential to do anything if you put your mind to it. But right now you are wasting your talents away and I don't know what else I can do for you."
Alan didn't say anything. He kept his head down and his hands rested on his lap, while trying to maintain calm, but in his mind things was spinning. He couldn't help wondering if Jem was finally going to ask him to leave and never return. Just thinking about being thrown away and abandon by the only people in the world, it scared him more than his own well-being. However he was taken back by what Jem continued saying, "Which is why Haley and I decided to send you to boarding school. More specifically the Wharton Academy For Boys."
"What!" Alan exclaimed in shock. "You're sending me to boarding school. Why in the world…I already have a school, so why the hell are you sending me to boarding school?"
"I think you need a fresh start, somewhere you can find out what you want to do with your life and by sending you to Wharton gives you exactly just that."
Alan shook his head, couldn't believe what was happening. His world or the world that he knew off any way, was changing and he didn't like it one bit. That was why he needed to get away.
"I…I need to be alone," Alan replied shaken up. He stood up from the couch and hurried off into his room and slammed the door behind him. He could hear Jem calling after him, asking him to come back so they could talk about it, but right now Alan was too messed up and needed time to think. So in order to ignore Jem's voice on the other side of the door he put on his headphones, which was attached to his computer and began playing loud music in his ears. Tuning out the rest of the world, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
Jem felt horrible when he saw the teen slammed his bedroom door behind him. He could have handled the situation better, especially after they both have had a bad day.
"You could have waited to tell him," Haley said. He turned to see her leaning against the doorframe to the kitchen with her arms crossed.
"I know," Jem turned back and picked up a photograph that was sitting on the coffee table. It was a recent picture that was taken a couple of weeks ago with the three of them standing next to each other with huge grins on their faces. But what he focused on in the picture was the teen with the long blond hair that went down to the waist. If he didn't know any better Alan could have easily been mistaken for a girl with blue eyes and slightly tanned skin. He had no clue why Alan was persistent about keeping his hair long, but then again he had no clue what was going through that kid's head.
"When do you think he has calmed down enough to talk with us again?" Jem asked before putting the picture away and looked at Haley again. She sighed and took a seat next to him and took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly.
"Hopefully later tonight," Haley said. "If we are unlucky then probably in two days when we are driving him up to Wharton."
Jem slumped back and closed his eyes. This day had been horrible and nothing seemed to have lightened it up, especially with the situation Alan got himself in the middle of. When he had taken Alan in he had not been sure what exactly would happen, but he quickly learned over the years that teenagers were like foreign creatures. Alan was even more of a mystery than average, since he had no clue what was going on with him and he certainly didn't know how to help him any other way than sending him away to Wharton. All he ever wanted for Alan was that he could have a bright future he deserved to have. He could only hope that Alan find the answers he needed in order for him to get his act together and do something with his life that didn't get him in trouble for once.
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Here's the next chapter. Sorry for being so late updating. But I have been busy with school and then I was sick for a couple of days, making it hard to concentrate to write.
But thank you for the reviews, favorite and the followings and please continue doing so. I will update this story as soon as I can.
xXrebelgirl07Xx