Rora-s - Rora S.

The Derivative Chapter 5: Home

Chapter 1 <- Chapter 4

“You didn’t think to tell him first?”

“Well I did but unlike Charlie he doesn’t live here”

“Sometimes it feels like we live here”

“Ain’t that the truth. Maybe I should give him a call later”

“Oh no don’t do that”

“Why not?”

“Because I want to see his face when he finds out” I replied grinning broadly as I looked at my grandfather over the back of my chair in the sitting room.

“You know you have a liking to trouble that alarms me sometimes” Gramps muttered. I just shrugged. There was a knock at the door and the man straightened “alright now get up and make yourself look presentable” he instructed heading for the door I got up and stood off to the side as he opened the door.

“Hello” the woman at the door greeted.

“Hi you must be Ms. Collins yes?” Alan smiled politely and let her in. She nodded in response looking around the room as she entered. “I’m Alan and this is my granddaughter, Abby”

“Nice to meet you, and call me Meredith please” She smiled at us and extended a hand that I shook politely.

“So I was thinking we could start in the back of the house, go through inside and then head outside” Alan suggested.

“That sounds like a plan” the woman agreed “but I can tell you I already like this entrance space very open and welcoming”

“Oh thank you” Alan smiled then led her toward the back hall. The woman started to walk and he turned to me “you keep working on your homework. I don’t want to come in here and find you reading another mystery novel”

I let off an exasperated breath but surrendered at his stern look. He hurried after the real estate agent and I headed back over to my seat. Not long after Charlie came in and headed straight upstairs not even acknowledging my presence. I sighed and continued filling in the pointless pages of my english workbook when the door opened again.

“Hello” Don called into the house.

“Hi” I called in reply and he came over to my chair to look over my shoulder.

“English huh?” he asked.

“Vocab workbook” I explained “not only do I use a majority of these terms in my normal venacular a third of them I don’t plan to use and all of them I can literally just read the definition of and have it memorized I don’t need to fill this out”

“You do need to” Don objected “for a grade not for your brain”

“Yeah but isn’t school supposed to be about the opposite” I grumbled.

“Yeah well, life ain’t always like that kid” he commented, messing up my hair as he straightened and Charlie came into the room.

“Hey” the younger brother greeted the older. “Tell me you found Emily Burdick”

“No, I’m sorry buddy not yet” Don replied.

“Who’s-” my question was cut off by Alan’s voice reaching us from the kitchen.

“Hey, take a look at this. Here in the kitchen, I put in the new sink myself, and the, uh… I did the tile work.” Alan was explaining.

“Oh it’s beautiful work” Meredith complimented “I like how you’ve preserved the original Craftsman detail.”

“Oh, hey, boys” Alan greeted as they entered the foyer I closed my workbook and shifted around onto my knees in the seat to watch the show.

“Hi,” Charlie spoke first “we didn’t know you were home”

“Meredith, my two sons” Alan introduced “this is Don and Charlie”

“How are you?” my father greeted, shaking the woman’s hand.

“Hi Don” the woman replied and turned to the younger brother.

“Hello” Uncle C shook her hand as well.

“Hello Charlie” she smiled.

“Pleasure” he assured.

“Oh, Meredith would you mind going upstairs for a minute?” Alan asked politely “I’ll be right with you”

“Sure” she responded and headed off waving to me in greeting as she passed.

“What?” Alan asked as he turned to see the faces of his two sons.

“Nice, she’s cute,” Don pointed out with a grin. I had to try and keep from laughing.

“What’s going on?” Charlie asked, seeming amused “What is this?”

“Oh, come on Charlie. Don’t you remember we talked about this?” Alan sighed in annoyance and I no longer worked to hide my giggles which earned me a look from the men.

“Talked about what? No” Charlie replied in confusion.

“I’m sorry, I should have made sure you were paying attention when I was ta-”

“Don’t apologize, Dad.” Don objected, cutting his father off.

“No you have no idea what this is all about, trust me” Gramps told his eldest.

“I don’t think we want to know,” Charlie scoffed.

“Well you have to know” Alan tried to explain, shooting me annoyed looks as I continued to laugh at the scene.

“No, we don’t, Dad” Don started “Look you’re allowed a private life”

“Wait a minute. Just hold it a second” Alan finally intervened “this is not a date”

Charlie then began to draw bad conclusions it seemed as Don shot me a look “oh, my… Dad, what are you telling me? That this woman is a pr-”

“Real estate agent” Alan cut off the word about to leave his youngest son's mouth.

“Oh right” Don murmured in realization as I finally got control of myself.

“I’m confused. Are you dating a real estate agent?” Charlie asked.

“I thought you were supposed to be a genius” I muttered from my seat.

“Hey, you, homework,” Don ordered pointing to my workbook. I gave him an annoyed look in response. “No, Charlie, he’s selling the house. Right?”

“Yes” Alan nodded.

“Why? I- I live here. You live here.” Charlie objected.

“Don’t you remember?” Alan inquired “I said I wanted to find a smaller place for myself, maybe a condo.”

“I remember that, sure.” Charlie murmured.

“And you need a place of your own” Gramps continued.

“Yeah but I didn’t think you were serious” Uncle C explained growing irritated “you can’t- you can’t sell our house.”

“What are you saying?” Don turned to his brother in confusion.

“The market is at its peak right now.” Alan attempted to explain to his youngest who was not happy.

“Yeah but I live here” Charlie reiterated.

“We are living- We are living on a very large part of my retirement savings” Alan declared

“He’s right,” Don agreed. “Prices are high believe me I looked around”

“Can we- do me a favor-” Charlie continued to ramble as Meredith came down the stairs.

“I like how it looks upstairs; it’s great,” she explained. “I love the solarium”

“Oh you haven’t seen the outside” Alan told her.

“I do my best work in the solarium” Charlie commented seeming rather dazed now.

There was some clanging from the pipes overhead “oh, that’s the heating system.” Alan told Meredith “it’s a little temperamental. It needs a little finessing. I’ll show you later” with that he led her out the door with one last look directed at his sons continuing to talk to the woman.

Don looked over at me “I take it from the maniacal laughter earlier you knew about this?” he asked I shrugged “uh huh, thanks for the heads up”

“I can’t believe this” Charlie murmured and Don’s focus turned to him.

“Look, relax” Don reassured his brother, “I got a great apartment in a good neighborhood. You’ll find one too”

“Then why are you over here all the time?” Charlie questioned.

“Because of that one for a start” he gestured to me “and because I’m making sure you let dad have a life” he declared heading into the dining room.

____________

I raked a couple more leaves toward the pan and let off a breath “you know I have homework to do. I should really be inside.”

“Ah ah nice try” Alan objected quickly. “You’re helping. Though I do find it ironic you only ever do your homework to get out of doing something else”

I shot him an annoyed look and continued to rake the leaves scattered about the yard as Alan dumped the tray into the trash bag Charlie held. “You know, Dad I’ve been checking around. You were right about the house. You were right.” Charlie spoke up.

“Yeah, the real estate lady said that this property on the current market, I can expect competing bids.” Alan explained.

“Dad, am I, uh… Do I bug you?” he asked.

“What? What kind of a question is that?” Alan looked to his son confused.

“Well, it’s just, you know my math work, and uh..” Charlie cleared his throat as Alan unloaded another tray of leaves into the trash bag “I never listen, and I’m always in my own world.”

“Well, that sort of makes you the ideal housemate, doesn’t it, Charlie?” Alan pointed out “plus you contribute more than our part-timer over here” he gestured to me.

“I’m contributing” I held up my rake as proof. Alan gave me a look as he held up another tray of leaves he had raked.

“I just wanted to make sure.” Charlie sighed

“Make sure of what?” Gramps asked.

“You’re selling the house because you want to do it for yourself.” Charlie clarified.

“No, Charlie, I want to do it for both of us,” Alan informed.

“I thought we were having a good time,” Charlie continued.

“We are” Alan agreed “It’s just this house is so big, and it takes so much work to maintain it. And besides you’re almost 30. Don’t you think it’s about time you found a place of your own?”

“I love this house,” Charlie said.

“So do I” Alan sighed “but still, the both of us we have to move on” Charlie nodded “alright now you two finish up here I’m going to go make us something to eat”

I sighed and started raking the leaves more now that Alan was gone. I glanced over at my Uncle’s saddened face “you really do love this house a lot huh?” I questioned.

“There’s a lot of good memories here” Charlie informed “history”

I shrugged “I don’t really get that. Bonding your history to a place. Growing up with my mom we were always on the move. I was thirteen when we got our own stable place that actually was ours not a transition or one of her boyfriends places. I never really had a place that was home”

“I’m sorry” Charlie murmured.

I shrugged “just because I didn’t have a place doesn’t mean I didn’t have anything. Maybe if I did i’d hate to lose it too”

“Yeah” Charlie nodded and looked back at the house with a sigh.

__________

3rd POV.

Don sighed entering the Burdick’s kitchen where Ethan was pouring himself some coffee before heading back to work with Charlie and Amita on the fake algorithm. The mathematician's hands were shaking and he missed the cup slightly splashing hot coffee on his hand. He winced, nearly dropping the cup.

“Here let me” Don intervened taking the coffee pot and mug filling it as Ethan grabbed a towel to wipe his hand off. The frightened man let off a shaky breath.

They were silent for a moment before Ethan spoke up “do you have any children Agent Eppes?”

Don was caught off guard slightly by the question. “Yeah” he nodded “a daughter she’s sixteen”

“Then you understand” Ethan voiced turning to the agent “Emily is everything to me. Is there anything you wouldn’t do for your daughter?”

“No” Don murmured without even having to think.

“I have to get Emily back no matter what and- and if she dies-” he choked on his words. “I can’t lose her”

“I know.” Don sighed “I only met my daughter about two months ago and I can tell you it- it changed everything for me. There was this one time she went missing it was only for an hour or so but for me it felt like an eternity. I couldn’t think straight I- I was terrified with a kind of fear I’d never felt before and- and she was okay. So I can’t even begin to imagine what this is like for you. But I can promise you I will do whatever it takes to try and get your daughter back to you. Okay?”

Ethan took a deep breath “okay” he grabbed the coffee mug and started to head back to the table to work but paused looking back at Don. “What's your daughter’s name?”

“Abby” Don replied. Ethan nodded and continued out to the table leaving Don there in the kitchen with his thoughts.

______________

Don came into his apartment with a sigh glad to finally be back after working so hard on the case. “I’m home brought dinner” he called, setting the pizza he’d gotten down on the counter. Abby appeared after a moment from upstairs.

“What’d you get?” she asked hopping onto a bar stool as he grabbed a beer from the fridge.

“Meat lovers”

“Yes!” she cheered, folding the box and grabbing a slice. “Grab me a Mountain Dew” she asked while he was in the fridge and he pulled the can from the shelf in the door and sat it on the counter. “Thank you”

Don popped the lid off his beer and went to get his own piece of pizza. “You get your homework done?”

“Yes” Abby grumbled “finally. I swear they give me more just because they know I hate it”

Don scoffed “yeah I thought the same thing in school and I wasn’t a genius.”

Abby hummed “So guess what Charlie told me.”

“What?”

“He’s buying the house from Gramps” Abby informed.

Don looked at her shocked “no way”

“Yes way” Abby nodded, “apparently he has a lot saved up since, you know, he’s never had to pay rent or anything before and he liked the house so…” she shrugged, taking a sip of her soda.

“Huh” Don muttered.

“I’m glad,” Abby declared.

“Yeah why’s that?” Don asked.

“Spend a lot of time there and it’s a cool house” Abby explained.

“Fair enough” the man conceded.

“Don’t you care about it?” she asked.

“Yeah but you know it’s just a place right? I moved out ages ago.”

“Doesn’t seem like it”

“Well, yeah alright” Don muttered giving Abby a look as she smirked. “Seriously though working with the FBI I moved around a lot guess it helps you realize that what they say is true”

“What they say?” Abby questioned.

“Yeah” Don shrugged “home isn’t really a place it’s a people”

Abby smiled “well I like you people” she declared.

Don chuckled “me too kid” and he raised up his bottle a bit and Abby tapped it with her soda can for their own little toast.

Chapter 6 ->

Life Series Book 1 Chapter 1: Broken Peace

“Arbor Eliffe! You get back here young lady!” I ran at top speed as Mrs. Greenwood yelled after me brandishing her woven basket over her head.

I laughed like a maniac as I happily got away with the pockets of my jacket stuffed with cookies. However I hadn’t quite reached the woods when a hand reached out and pulled me back by the collar of my coat.

I turned and smiled sheepishly at my father. He didn’t say anything as Mrs. Greenwood caught up to us. “Burian she’s done it again” the woman huffed her breath making little clouds in the cold air with each exhale. “Stole the whole tray the little troublemaker” she prodded me in the stomach with her basket which made me squirm from where my small frame was still being held up by my father gripping my collar.

“I’m sorry Lavender, I'll have Camella bake you a fresh batch if you would like” my father offered.

I looked up at the adults talking over my head. “Hey I still have ‘em here in my pocket” I explained. Reaching in I pulled out a handful of crushed cookies.

My father sighed and Mrs. Greenwood let off a noise that sounded an awful lot like a growl. “I’ll be waiting for your wife’s delivery,” the woman declared turning on her stubby legs and hobbling back to her little cottage. I stuck my tongue out at her back.

“Arbor” my father spoke scoldingly.

“What?!” I exclaimed “she’s a mean old woman!”

My dad let off a breath “that’s not-” he was cut off by a tearing noise and in the next moment my butt was in the snow. I looked up to see the torn collar of my coat in my father’s hand. “Let’s go home,” he declared defeatedly. “We’ll talk there”

I followed my father through our small village. Cradled in a little glen it was a peaceful, wintery world all to our own. It was mostly filled with Dryads like my family and Mrs. Greenwood but we had the occasional animal friend who came to say. The Beavers who lived in the nearby dam came over every once and awhile to buy some things and a family of deer had a hollow down the road.

It was a calm place most of the time. However there were times when we would hear the bells of the queen’s carriage or the pounding feet of the security police pack and would have to go inside. Those times me and mother would wait in the back room until father came and got us. To tell us things were safe.

When me and father got home the first thing he did was take my coat and dump the pockets into the trash bin. Which I felt was a great waste. Then we headed into the kitchen where my mother was cooking. “Darling is that you?” she called over her shoulder.

“It’s both of us” my father replied “someone got in trouble with Lavender Greenwood again”

“Hey she’s the one that hordes all those goodies she bakes” I argued “and I’m not the only one who steals them”

“Yes you’re just the one who gets caught the most” my mother chuckled turning around. She came over to the pair of us “i’ll make Lavender a new batch of cookies” she looked down at me squinting her eyes “oh look you’ve got dirt on your face” she murmured raising her apron to wipe my cheeks.

“Mom” I whined. “It’s just a little dirt from Mrs. Greenwood’s garden.” she continued to scrub at my face “why are you making her cookies anyway? She’s the mean one who’s always glaring”

My mother sighed, apparently giving up on getting my face clean. “How about I double the recipe then and we can keep the extra batch?”

“I quite like that plan” I smiled as she stood.

“Oh so you’re rewarding our little thief here now are you?” my father inquired of my mother with a smirk.

“Well Mrs. Greenwood is quite the grouchy old woman” mother pointed out. I gave my father a proud smirk having said something very similar earlier.

“What am I to do with you two?” the man of the house sighed.

“Love us” I cheered.

“I quite like that answer” mother laughed lightly. Then she noticed my father holding my coat. “Oh what happened to your coat?” she inquired coming over.

“Dad ripped it” I pointed up at the man quickly.

“Nice” he grumbled down at me.

I shrugged “it’s the truth”

“Alright well we’ll get this fixed up then” the woman declared taking up the torn fabric. She sat it off to the side and returned to making dinner.

“Come here kid” my father picked me up and sat me on the table. “We have to talk about all this stealing you’ve been doing. Mrs. Greenwood’s cookies, yarn from Mr. Orchard.”

“It’s not stealing” I objected “it’s borrowing”

“Do you return it?” my father inquired. I didn’t answer because I knew he was right “exactly now you can’t do that alright. Your five years old Arbor you have to understand. People work hard to make or earn the things you just take.”

“But I work hard to take them,” I explained. “I had to wait for an hour outside Mrs. Greenwood’s window for her to place the cookies out and then even longer for them to cool off.”

I heard my mother chuckle and my father sighed “listen Arbor things have value beyond just the work you put into them. Things like the value of promises and hope and love” my father sighed and sat down. “Here I’ll tell you a story. There once was a great king of Narnia. A king by the name of Aslan back in a time when our people would dance and bloom. Green grassy hills and fields filled with colorful flowers, petals drifting on the wind. Great celebrations with singing and dancing with the fauns and centaurs and all the other creatures of the wood.”

“That sounds incredible,” I explained. “You would dance outside in the snow?”

“There was no snow then” the man objected “Before this eternal winter there was once the four seasons. There was spring where things would grow and bloom and we’d have rainy days to splash in puddles. Summer where it would get so hot in the day we would all relax in the shade and play music, we’d have bonfires and tell stories. Autumn when all the trees would turn beautiful colors and we would harvest the fields preparing great feasts and parties. Then when winter would come it would be a short time where we’d go sledding, build snowmen, snuggle inside with warm drinks, and give gifts to one another”

“Wow” I exclaimed in awe imagining such a world “what happened?”

My father’s joyous smile faltered “it was stolen away from us by the White Witch.” my father explained he glanced over at my mother who had been watching us as she cooked. Her face heavy, and rigid in concern and sadness. “She came and she stole and she destroyed, Arbor. She took our joy and our happiness she took all the magic from our beautiful world and filled it with winter and sadness and fear”

“That’s awful” I murmured looking out the window at the white snow falling outside.

“She stole Arbor and she destroyed this entire land do you understand now why you must never steal what belongs to another?” he asked.

I nodded quickly “but there has to be some way to end this winter? I want to see spring, summer, autumn”

My father smiled warmly. Then looked around as if he expected us to be overheard before scooting closer. “There is a prophecy left to us by Aslan.” he cleared his throat dramatically before continuing “it goes: When Adam’s flesh and Adam’s bone sits in Car Paraval in throne the evil time will be over and done.”

“Wow” I breathed, keeping my voice low in a mirror of his “what does it mean?”

“It means that one day two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve. In other words two human boys and two human girls will come into this land and vanquish the White Witch restoring all we once had to Narnia”

I let off an excited giggle “they’ll bring spring back?” I questioned loudly.

“Shh shh” my father hushed lightly “yes they will.” he sighed and reached a hand out to touch my cheek “oh and my dear Arbor I hope you get to see it”

There was a moment of silence in the house before mother sighed “alright you two enough story time” she decreed. “Burian I need you to go pick me some more apples for the crumble”

“I can do it mom” I exclaimed jumping from the table. “I want to go see Malic”

“Oh alright but your coat is torn” my mother observed.

“Here she can borrow mine, it's not that far to Malic’s orchard,” my father offered. He picked his jacket from the back of his chair and wrapped it around me. It smelled like him, warm and comforting. Like pine needles and old wood. The jacket was far too large for me made of brown leather, however it didn’t drag on the ground and I could move in it. “There that should suffice for your small journey”

“Here” Mother handed me a basket. “Alright now it’s getting late so off to Malic’s and then straight back here for dinner”

“Yes ma’am” I nodded in agreement as I shuffled to the door. “I love you!”

“Love you too darling” father replied.

“Love you” my mother also voiced kissing my forehead and then ushering me out the door.

I ran down the snowy lane. Weaving past ice patches and giving an extra big smile to the glowering Mrs. Greenwood as I passed by her Cottage. Entering the woods I navigated among the trees with practiced ease. I reached my destination with a happy squeal.

“Malic!” I greeted the aged apple tree. He rustled his branches in greeting. I reached up and placed a hand to his trunk leaning in. I felt the life rushing below and within his bark. I felt a weight hit my arm and looked to see an apple had fallen into my basket. “Oh thank you mother sent me to collect some for a crumble she’s making.” I explained.

Malic reached down with his branched and I climbed up among them. I loved going high up into the air and looking out at the woods. Sitting in his branches I began to pick offered apples and tell him the grand story my father had told to me. Malic allowed me to jabber at him for a long time before I finally realized the sun was setting behind me and it was getting dark.

“Oh I have to go, my mother said to be back quickly” I told the tree. “I’ll be back tomorrow though” I promised. Malic let me down from his branches and I began to run back toward the village waving goodbye to my friend.

I weaved among the growing shadows of the trees, my feet crunching in the snow. I was nearly out of the woods when I was brought to a stop as a scream split the air. Fear suddenly shot through my veins as my breathing picked up. I started forward again slowly as firelight came into view. I entered the glen and dropped my basket with a gasp at the sight. People were running around madly two of the houses of the village burned and another began to catch.

Statues that looked a lot like people I knew stood along the street in frozen images of terror. Shielding themselves from whatever was about to attack them. Standing there in the middle of it, just as frozen as the statues around her, crystal white with a gleaming scepter in her hand admiring the chaos with a look that could only be described as a chilling evil. The White Witch.

I stood there staring as screaming was all around me just looking at her. Then someone grabbed my arm. I turned to see the panicked eyes of Mrs. Greenwood. “Arbor, come this way quickly!” she whispered urgently and dragged me off toward her house. We came inside and she pulled me over to a place on the floor. Lifting a hatch she rushed me down into the little crawl space below. “Stay here” she whispered hurriedly looking over her shoulder.

“Where’s my mom and dad?” I asked desperately.

“Shhh” she hushed me quickly. “Just stay quiet and stay hidden. Arbor please stay here until everything is quiet please promise me”

“I promise” I agreed, too terrified to do much else. She closed the hatch and I heard what sounded like her slapping the carpet back over it. The small space suddenly became very dark. I curled up into myself and listened.

There were screams and crashing and yelling and the roar of fire and things falling more screaming. I covered my ears and rolled on my side burying my head into my father’s jacket. Praying for peace.

It was a long time before there was finally peace. I remained hidden in the darkness long after there was silence listening in fear. However, eventually I rose from my place on the floor and pushed on the hatch with my shaking hands. Slowly it creaked open. Climbing out I looked around. The house above was trashed, the table overturned and the door crashed in. Gentle morning light was pouring in from every crack in the walls and through the shattered glass in the window.

Slowly I walked forward. Every step sounded far too loud in the chilling quiet. I exited the house and looked around in despair. Half the village was burned to the ground. The street was empty. I walked on down the road heading for home. Praying that it was safe hoping my parents were there waiting for me. Hoping they would be there to tell me everything was alright. The more I thought of them the faster I went until I was running around the corner to my house.

I stopped dead in my tracks. It was gone. The entire home was ruble. Burnt to a chard crisp. I felt tears threatening my eyes as I looked around and didn’t see anyone. “Mom? Dad?” I called into the silence. There was no response “Mom?! Dad?!” I called louder. Still nothing I called again and my voice broke as my knees buckled. They were gone.