Chapter 1 <- Chapter 8
“Apparently there’s large performance differentials between same caliber bullets from different manufacturers” Amita told Charlie walking over to him with a piece of paper with the information.
“Based on what?” Uncle C questioned looking the paper over.
“Lead composition, gunpowder packing” Amita shrugged, sitting back down in her seat.
“Just what I need more variables” Charlie muttered.
“I could help you run through the equations if you want” I offered leaning forward on the couch.
“No you’re not helping” Charlie objected turning back to his chalkboard “if Don even found out you were in here we’d both be in trouble”
I rolled my eyes and turned back to my book. Just then there was a knock at the door to the solarium and Larry meandered in. “oh, some assistance in my brazen attack on the Lorenz invariance?”
“No, drag coefficient models” Charlie informed.
“Drag co- drag on what?” Larry questioned. Walking from Charlie to Amita.
“Bullets” the woman answered.
“Bullets as in ballistic trajectories defined by the Einstein Equivalence Principle, related to the Lorenz frame?” Larry questioned over her shoulder pointedly.
“As in, bullets that kill people” Amita replied.
“Oh” Larry muttered with slight disgust in his voice as he turned to join me sitting on the couch.
“There seems to be some disagreements over the sniper’s expertise” Amita explained looking to Charlie.
“Well, I’d say the public’s decided on the question.” Larry explained “I have an aunt who lives two blocks from the first shooting. She’s afraid to go out on her front lawn now.” he gestured out the window.
“Why don’t you tell your aunt that statistically she has a better chance of being mauled by a bear” Charlie explained exasperatedly.
“Actually, statistics would favor the bear being mauled by my aunt but…” Larry joked and we all shared a small laugh. “This fear, this extends beyond the reach of statistics Charles.” Larry explained sinking into the couch. “No this is about arbitrary inescapable death. No, times like these, you just wind up speculating on paths not taken, jobs left undone.”
“Larry I- I’m trying to get those equations done for you as soon as I can,” Charlie defended.
“No, no, no.” Larry objected sitting up “at that moment, I was actually thinking of a far more prosaic legacy. Someone to carry on the Fleinhardt standard”
We all looked at the physicist in surprise. “I didn’t know you wanted kids, Larry” Charlie voiced.
“Well children are wormholes” Larry declared.
“Wormholes?” Amita questioned.
“As the only minor in the room can I protest that classification?” I asked the man who sat next to me fiddling with a small bowl “or at least get an explanation?”
“Yeah. They’re portals into the unreachable future and unattainable past.” he somewhat clarified “No, as things stand now they exist only in the theoretical realm so..”
“Well, I can see where you might have some trouble selling a woman on the idea of carrying you wormhole” Amita stated and we all chuckled again.
____________
There’s isn’t anything quite as annoying as sitting at the kitchen table trying to get a look at the work your Uncle is doing for the FBI that you know you can help with but aren’t allowed to. This is where I was as I sat at the dining table Charlie working and Larry getting himself another cup of coffee.
“You know,” the physicist spoke up from the kitchen, “I have had almost no attendance at my morning classes. It’s like everyone’s afraid to set foot outside”
“Not everybody” Charlie objected as Larry came in and sat a cup of water down for the mathematician.
“Just the general populous” I commented.
“Yeah. In times like these, an empty house is not a home” Larry said taking a seat at the table. “Evaluating my immediate prospects for a conventional nuclear family, I’ve just now begun to consider adoption.”
“How long have you been considering it?” Charlie inquired.
“Three days,” Larry offered.
“Give it a few more days.” Charlie advised.
“Yeah” Larry agreed “but consider Don. He had no prior notion or plan for raising a young adult and yet here he is doing just fine.”
“That would convey the notion that my father is doing more than just monitoring me and providing me sustenance” I muttered.
“I suppose there is something to be said about a mentoring learning curve” Larry murmured. Then looked at Charlie’s work “so what? You found a pattern yet?”
“More like a pattern of patternlessness.” Charlie informed.
“Is patternlessness even a word?” I asked.
“Well it is now” Charlie stated.
“Hey, there’s an interesting metaphysical notion.” Larry voiced.
“What, whether patternlessness is a word?” I asked.
“No the interesting part it plays in this case.” Larry explained “perhaps a human element remains to be inserted”
Charlie groaned in annoyance. “You sound like this, uh, Agent Edgerton guy. He’s a sniper instructor that Don brought in from Quantico he thinks I should be out shooting rifles.”
“Well, why aren’t you?” Larry inquired.
“That would be cool” I agreed.
“It’s a poor allocation of my time” Charlie objected “in the time it takes to shoot X number of rifles, I can access ten or twenty or a hundred times that amount of data”
“No, no, no, no. there’s data and there’s hands-on experience” Larry pointed out. “These are two different beasts. That’s why you’ve got blackboards and laboratories.”
“Well you study the universe, and you’ve never been to outer space.” Charlie countered.
“Yeah, but if I had the opportunity, do you think for a moment I’d hesitate?” Larry said.
Charlie sighed. “I think it’d be cool to shoot a rifle,” I voiced.
Charlie gave me a look “you know It’s those kinds of statements that make Don worried about you”
___________
“Why’d I have to come along?” I muttered.
“Because if you hung around Larry and Charlie any longer you’d end up helping them on this crazy case and we both know it” Alan stated as we got on the elevator in the FBI office.
“So your solution is to bring me to the heart of where the case is being handled.” I pointed out.
“Point made but this is the side of it you definitely can’t help on” Alan commented. I nodded in agreement getting the point.
The elevator opened and Don greeted us. “Hey guys” he smiled.
“Hey Donnie” Alan smiled as we headed out of the elevator and into the FBI office. I’d never been here before and it was a cool place. People were all over the place in cubicles. There were meeting rooms with glass walls and doors and on one side a tall stack of file boxes.
“Thanks for bringing lunch all the way down here.” Don told us as he led us through the office “Come on, this way.”
“Oh well, you know, the drive was a pleasure.” Gramps explained. “Traffic on the 10 has never been thinner since, uh, well, since it’s been the 10”
“Yeah, it’s like all LA’s in lockdown, huh? Little eerie” Don commented. “Right in here” we were ushered into a little break room. Alan sat the bag of food on the table and started setting things out. “You guys want a water?” Don asked, leaning by a mini fridge.
“Yes please” Alan said politely.
“Sure” I shrugged watching the people through the glass.
Don set out three waters before taking his seat at the table. Alan got up to grab some napkins. “Hey kid, why don’t you sit down?” Don suggested.
“Yeah” I agreed, coming over and sitting across from him where Alan had put my sandwich. “Everyone’s really busy out there huh?”
“Yeah sniper’s a big case and it’s not the only one we have open right now so a lot going on” Don explained as Alan came back over.
“So, how, uh, how are you and Charlie managing this case?” the elderly man asked.
“Well, I mean, he’s frustrated; I’m frustrated.” Don shook his head raising his sandwich up to his face “I mean, we’re having a rough time on this”
“Is that why he’s been running out of the house late at night?” Alan inquired as we ate.
Don nodded “we got an agent on him all the time” he assured.
“I mean, I know he’s been helping you out and that he comes down to your office a lot, and I- I think that’s great. But, but now you got him going out on crime scenes.” Alan explained “I mean, there's this guy shooting people out there.”
Don made a face and I could see the argument coming. I quickly spoke up to leave the room “uh where’s the bathroom here?”
Don look to me “uh out down the hall to the left and then take a right” he gestured.
“Thanks” I replied, getting up and shuffling out of the room. Glancing back I could see the conversation continuing in my absence. Don and Alan had a strong relationship this I could tell from the beginning. However, Alan was always worried about his sons especially on the FBI side of things. It was a worry I never fully understood but then again this was my first time with male role models so maybe it was just a guy thing to constantly worry about what you can’t control.
___________________
3rd POV.
Once Abby had left the room Don turned back to his father “Dad. you really think I would put Charlie in danger?”
“No,” Alan objected “you know what I really think?”
“What?”
“I think you have to understand that Charlie can never say no to you,” Alan explained. Don let out an exasperated breath putting down his sandwich “I mean, I mean. All you have to do is to ask him something and he’s there for you.”
“Yeah, and I’m there for him.” Don insisted.
Alan sighed “look, he’s not a cop. Now, come on, I mean, he’s better off with chalk in his hand than a gun.”
“You know, you got to stop this; he is a grown man, and he’s capable of-”
“Who still seeks the approval of his older brother” Alan cut Don off. “Whether his older brother likes it or not. And- and more than that Abby, Abby is just like him I had to bring her out here with me just to keep her from trying to help anymore on this sniper math of his.”
“Abby’s fine alright” Don objected “she just needs to learn to leave that stuff alone”
“Yeah, and who’s job is it to teach her?” Alan pointed out.
Don sighed and was about to reply when his phone went off he pulled it out to answer, muttering an excuse me. Meanwhile Abby returned hesitantly but determined the argument was over as she saw her father on the phone.
“Gotta go” the agent declared gathering his food and getting to his feet “another shooting”
“Oh my god” Alan muttered.
“Yeah, I promise I won’t call Charlie till we roll the tanks out.” Don stated stopping in the doorway. “And I want you two to stay here until I call you, okay?” Alan nodded in understanding “all right, thanks for the sandwich”
With that Don was heading off into the bullpen. “I barely got to say two words to him” Abby muttered, sitting down with her food.
“Well, I suppose when duty calls” Alan sighed, turning and watching his granddaughter eat.
__________________
Abby POV.
I left off a loud sigh as Larry and my grandfather began their chess game. “Come on Abby, you like chess,” Alan said.
“I like playing chess, not watching it,” I replied, turning the page of my book.
“Well how about you play winner” Gramps suggested and I shrugged in reply. “And would you mind sitting like a normal person we are in public” I raised my hands in an annoyed gesture as I sat sideways in my chair, my legs dangling over the arms rest of one side. Alan gave me a stern look and I sighed shifting in my seat. “Thank you”
“Yeah, yeah” I sighed slouching in my chair and turning another page of my book.
“Oh. The Ruy Lopez opening” Alan commented on Larry’s move. “I see I’m dealing with a classicist here.”
“Look, I warned you I was a little rusty” Larry pointed out with a slight laugh to his voice. “My game is also a little undeveloped.”
“You know I had to stop playing with Charlie when he was eight years old.” Alan explained.
“Yeah, more precociousness in the biography of professor Charles Eppes.” Larry sighed “yeah you know, among mathematicians, isn’t that just such a cliche, the playing chess?”
“I didn’t mind losing” Alan explained leaning forward in his seat “it was that bored expression on his face, like he was playing out of courtesy. That’s what got to me”
“That’s why I keep my poker face up when I challenge you” I muttered, not looking up from my book. “It’s just common courtesy”
“Oh is that so?” Alan asked and I could hear the amusement in his tone as I smirked. “Perhaps you should remember who your ride home is then” we both chuckled lightly amused.
“Oh yeah? Well, try Scrabble” Larry suggested ignoring my and my grandfather’s banter. “He’s a horrible speller”
“Really?” Alan inquired.
“Oh, he’s horrible,” Larry insisted.
“I didn’t know that” Gramps sighed leaning back in his chair again. “You know quite a bit about my son.”
“I don’t know” Larry murmured “I know he’s been a delight. You know, observing him all these years. You know, a star pupil’s ascension to such extraordinary heights I mean, yeah, that’s perhaps the most rewarding aspect of being a teacher.”
“Come one, we both know you’ve been a lot more than just a teacher to Charlie” Alan pointed out.
I glanced up to see a small smile grace Larry’s features “well, thank you for saying that.”
I caught sight of the board and scoffed turning back to my book as Alan spoke again moving one of his bishop “oh, by the way, uh you’re now in check”
“Oh you distracted me” Larry exclaimed, sitting up as Alan chuckled to himself.
“Smooth Larry” I murmured.
___________
“Here I found a tarp” I called tossing the bundled fabric at my uncle.
“I just didn’t think that I was in immediate danger until I was” Uncle Charlie continued to explain the story I had coaxed out of him when he came back minorly distressed from the scene where the serial sniper was stopped.
“Well yeah no one expects to die when their life has never been threatened before. Unless they’re paranoid” I muttered.
“You seem far more calm with this then I would think” Charlie muttered as I climbed down the step ladder and we went to go outside.
“Well I have experience around guns” I mumbled as we stepped back into the yard and was grateful to see my father there to draw away Charlie’s attention.
“You told him?” Charlie asked.
“Yeah about the gun range” Don muttered with a pointed look “that you shot a rifle. He shot a rifle, did a great job” Don rambled slightly.
“I fired the rifle,” Charlie parroted.
“Yeah, see i’m perfectly fine” Alan pointed out, wiping his hands with a rag “I didn’t fall off the ladder, I didn’t collapse. I certainly hope you got that out of your system now.” he muttered the last line at his youngest.
“Definitely” Charlie agreed.
I scoffed slightly and struggled to suppress my laughter at knowing the full knowledge of what happened as Gramps went to talk to Don about the stain they were putting on the house. Uncle C gave me a slight shove at my poorly suppressed amusement and I bent to help him spread the tarps.
Chapter 10 ->
Chapter 1 <- Chapter 7
“Do I even need to ask?” David snapped. Uncle Charlie just smiled smugly turning his hand around. The entire table groaned in annoyance.
“It’s not what it looks like, promise” Don spoke up.
“You brother hustling us?” one of Don’s friends Mike muttered.
“I’ve only played once before” Charlie informed as they collected the cards to deal another round of poker. “I actually have a one in eight chance of hitting a set when I’m holding a pocket pair. I’m about 50/50 to draw a flush with suited cards in my hand, two off the draw. I also count my outs I- I multiply by two. I add one. That’s roughly my percentage of hitting.” he explained.
“Card math” I muttered over my father’s shoulder as I walked past the table. Leaning over to snag some chips out of the snack bowl.
“Mr. Eppes you need to take my seat, your son is killing us” David declared as Alan brought out more chips.
“No, not me” Gramps objected “the only other time Charlie played, I learned my lesson about gambling with a mathematician”
“Hey could I-”
“No” Don cut me off “Ms. I-can’t-help-but-card-count”
“Not my fault I was born with perfect visual memory” I muttered as my father got up and headed to the kitchen.
“Hey weren’t we playing with bottle caps?” Charlie pointed out to his father.
“Yeah or else you’d have walked away with the pink slip to my car” Alan informed.
“You know, there is some element of chance here” Charlie explained “you know I- I may just be getting lucky.”
“Or you're just unlucky,” David joked to Mike.
“That’s funny Sinclair keep that up. It comes back to me when baseball starts” Mike countered taking a swig of his beer as dad returned and handed me a Mountain Dew as he sat down with his glass of water.
“Baseball?” Charlie questioned “”the FBI have a team?”
“Yeah, we got a whole league.” David explained “there’s, uh, LAPD, Sheriffs’ department”
“D.A.’s got the killer squad” Mike commented “Now that Kraft’s in San Diego, you guys don’t have a power hitter.”
“What about Don?” Charlie suggested.
“It’s not my thing” Don objected
“Oh, you play?” Mike inquired.
“Don went to college on a baseball scholarship,” Charlie informed. “What are you talking about? You played pro second base.”
“Single A about a million years ago” Don muttered.
“That’s great. It means you’re this year’s ringer.” Mike grumbled.
“Nope. I’m sorry.” Don objected quickly “not interest buddy”
“Come on, you gotta do it” David asked hopefully as Don’s phone rang.
“Excuse me” he murmured to us answering it. “Eppes… we’ll be right there” he declared, getting to his feet.
I sighed and shuffled back toward the kitchen where Alan was. “Looks like I’m spending the night,” I informed.
He looked up at me confused “really? Why?”
Just then Don popped into the doorway pulling on a jacket “hey dad I just got called in can she stay here tonight?”
I gave my grandfather a look who sighed “yes of course”
“Thanks,” Don murmured heading out.
______________
3rd POV.
“I’ve never seen him before,” Mr. Bayle declared, handing Don back the photo of Salazar.
“Are you sure?” the agent asked.
“Yeah” the man confirmed.
“I mean, maybe he did some work for you guys around here.” Don persisted.
“Yeah, he could have. I wouldn’t know” Bayle explained “Lisa was in charge of all that.”
“I’m just trying to figure out if there’s any possibility that this man knew your wife.” Don insisted as they stepped from the other man’s kitchen into his living room.
“Why?” Bayle inquired with a shrug as he stopped to face Don.
“You’re not going to want to hear this” Don prefaced reluctantly “but there are some questions about Cliff Howard’s conviction”
“The bastard said he did it,” Bayle scoffed.
“I know,” Don nodded.
“I haven’t seen you in a year” Bayle continued “I haven’t seen you since you interrogated me for 48 hours.”
“Sir..” Don tried to speak up but the other man continued.
“I had to call the funeral home handcuffed to a table.”
“I was pursuing your wife’s murder wherever it took me” Don attempted to explain his actions. “So help me..” he paused shaking his head and biting his lip and Bayle took the moment to speak again.
“Now you want to tear these wounds open again.”
“I don’t want to do that,” Don objected adamantly.
Both men paused to breathe and Don’s eyes wandered over to the mantel where he spotted a picture he recognized he shuffled over to point at it “that’s your, uh, your daughter. What’s her name? Paula?” he asked, trying to remember.
“Yes” Jonas answered, his voice still tense with emotion.
“Right. May I?” Don gestured to the photo.
“Go ahead,” Bayle allowed. Don took the photo from the mantel and looked at the young girl. “She’s a sophomore now.”
“Yeah, so is my daughter,” Don admitted.
“You have a daughter?” Jonas asked, surprised.
Don nodded “her names Abby.” he chuckled slightly with a bittersweet spike in his gut “yeah she came to live with me not too long ago after her mother died, car crash”
“I’m sorry” Bayle murmured, shifting on his feet.
Don replaced the photo and turned to face the other man. “Jonas, don’t you want to know the truth about your wife’s death?”
“Cliff Howard is the truth,” Bayle insisted.
______________
Abby POV.
“Okay tell me I’m crazy” Larry declared, setting his pencil down and rubbing his face with his hands. “I think I’ve just found a way to express Calabi-Yau manifolds in a way that goes beyond the existence of a nonvanishing harmonic spinor.”
“You're crazy,” I muttered, taking another bite of my food.
“Ch- Charles” Larry whined when he received no response from his fellow mathematician.
“Has he been out there all night?” Uncle C questioned turning away from the window he had been gazing out of. Watching my father play basketball.
“Well, on the bright side it seems like Don’s taken up an interest in sports again.” Alan commented.
Charlie sighed taking the seat next to me “it’s like the evidence proves him right and wrong at the same time”
“Oh, yeah, the old paradox of Schroedinger’s cat.” Larry murmured.
“Is that that persian that keeps hiding out in our garage?” Alan inquired.
“No, that's the Myers down the street’s cat” I muttered, taking a sip of my drink.
“It’s an intellectual exercise,” Charlie explained.
“I knew that,” Alan lied.
“Okay this is vastly simplified” Larry prompted “there’s a cat in a box. 50/50 chance it’s been poisoned, but now here’s the paradox: until such time as we can open the box and observe the cat, for that time, that cat is both alive and dead.”
“Larry I-I fail to see the analogy, though.” Charlie objected “I mean, in reality Don can’t be both right and wrong at the same time.”
“Well, of course not.” Alan chimed in “I mean, if a man is both right and wrong, then something’s gotta be wrong.”
“Positive and a negative equal a negative?” I scoffed.
“No. the truth of Schroedinger’s cat is that the question itself is meaningless until we look inside the box.” Larry informed.
“So you could ask a whole different question” I voiced.
“For a whole different result” Larry finished. Uncle Charlie immediately straightened and turned to look at the window again. Before getting up and heading outside after his brother. “Well and off he goes again to help solve the unjust of the world”
“You can always tell when he gets an idea he spaces out then runs” I muttered.
Larry hummed in agreement “you know you are quite insightful young enigma quite like your uncle I’m surprised you’ve yet to push ahead of your peers in academia like he so did”
“Oh here we go” Alan muttered.
“Well I’ve tried they won’t put me in advanced classes because I wasn’t in school consistently as a kid.” I explained.
“Well that’s absurd a brilliant mind shouldn’t be held back by the amount of desks they haven’t sat at or lectures they’ve witnessed” Larry voiced in annoyance.
“Preaching to the choir,” I told him.
“Yes but do me a favor and don’t get on the soap box of yours again” Gramps asked me.
I nodded in agreement and picked at the last bits of food on my plate. “You know what?” Larry spoke up causing me and Alan to look at him but his eyes were trained on me “you should attend CalSci once you’ve escaped high school. We have no such requirements if you show the aptitude”
“I don’t know I’m still looking at quite a bit of time being forced to look at this stuff in school let alone do I want to keep having to do school work beyond it.” I pointed out.
“No no no” Larry objected waving his hands “it’s not like that at CalSci you can learn what you want and gain knowledge and work to gather more knowledge of the universe itself with a very hands on approach”
I sighed finishing off my dinner and gathered my dishes. “I’ll think about it”
“Very well” Larry accepted the answer as I stood up.
“You done?” Alan asked.
“Yeah” I murmured, taking my dishes into the kitchen. I glanced out the window and spotted my Uncle joining my father in his basketball playing. I loved basketball. The one sport I was decent at. As I watched my mind different back to just shortly before I went to live with my father here.
~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~
3rd POV.
“Yo Calvin” Abby looked up from where she was sitting with her back to a wall in the courtyard book in hand. A girl named Naomi was looking at her from the basketball court with the ball tucked under her arm. Other girls around her were glancing in Abby’s direction and muttering to each other. “We need a even number get over here”
Abby hesitated. Veronica was standing on the court eyeing her with the same hate in her eyes. However after one of her accomplices came over and whispered in her ear she nodded her agreement with the situation.
Abby sighed and closed her book getting up and heading to the court. “‘ight y’all line up me and V will choose the teams,” Naomi declared.
Abby stood in line with the seven other girls they had goated into playing with them. Veronica stuck to choosing her pals and Naomi was smart enough not to choose them but Veronica only had three friends and Abby ended up being the last one on the line as Naomi chose the girl next to her.
“Calvin and V on the same team” one of the girls on Naomi’s team voiced “this’ll be interesting.”
Abby scoffed and took her position on the court. “Hey bookworm don’t get in the way” Veronica snapped.
“Then stay out of mine” Abby shrugged. Veronica shot her a glare as the other girls jeered.
“Hey let’s play” Naomi called everyone’s attention.
The game started out easy. Naomi had the ball and was heading down the court. Abby intercepted her snagging the ball easily and heading down the court when she was slammed in the side hitting the ground. Veronica had the ball now and shot it into the hoop.
“Hey!” Abby yelled getting back to her feet “thought we were on the same team”
“Thought I said stay out of my way” Veronica retaliated coming up to get Abby’s face.
“Hey knock it off” Naomi pushed between the girls “either play or leave and sort your shit out the way you normally do and land in the infirmary”
“You telling me what to do, china?” Veronica snarled at Naomi.
Naomi shifted back a bit “I’m actually Korean not that it matters but what I’m trying to do is play some basketball. Now you two can go duke it out if you want at least it’ll keep the teams even”
Veronica scoffed “whatever” she stalked back onto the court.
Abby sighed and followed the game started up again and Abby barely touched the ball as it was passed from player to player. Until it got to a point where they had five minutes left of courtyard time and Naomi’s team was up by one.
“We need to score. You beat Naomi at ball, that's a serious brag even with dead weights like Harp and Richards on her team” Veronica’s lacky Fiona stated.
“Yeah well we aren’t going to if Veronica tries to score again” Abby muttered to the rest of the huddle.
“You saying I can’t shoot Calvin?” Veronica turned to her angry.
“No I’m saying our entire strategy has been geared to give you glory this entire time and they’ve figured that out” Abby explained “that’s why they’ve blocked our last five attempts.”
“What? You want us to pass it to you?” Veronica asked “that ain’t how that works Calvin”
“I don’t care who you pass it to” Abby shrugged “you just gotta pass it”
Veronica thought about it a moment “Alright Fi you take it” she declared. “Let’s go”
“Okay” Fiona muttered, sounding unsure.
The game started and Naomi’s team got the ball dribbling down the court. Veronica intercepted as Abby and Fiona headed down opposite sides of the court. Veronica looked to pass it and saw Naomi guarding Fiona who was looking less than confident. Then she saw Calvin raise her hand. She was completely open. No one expected Veronica to pass the ball to the one girl she beat up every other day.
Veronica passed the ball. Abby caught it easy and dribbled it a step before shooting it circled the hoop before dropping in to the cheers of the team.
“Alright ladies time to get inside” one of the matron’s called from the door the girls shuffled to the door Naomi scooping the ball.
“Nice shot Calvin” Naomi told her, shoving her shoulder as she passed.
Abby grabbed her book and headed inside. She was heading down the hall at a casual pace before she was pinned to the wall. Veronica had her collar. “That was a one time thing you got that?”
Abby blinked at the other girl “really? You're so insecure about your status you have to make that point?” she asked with every ounce of sass she could muster.
Veronica growled and threw her to the floor Abby got on her feet and shoved Veronica’s middle. The bigger girl pushed her away and soon they were grabbing at each other pulling hair and scratching. Soon someone was there to pull them apart.
“Why do any of us expect different of those two?” Abby heard Naomi mutter to Fiona as Abby and Veronica were led to the infirmary.
~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_
Abby POV.
“Bye Uncle Charlie” I called from the shade as the mathematician peeled off the fence of the batting cages and headed back to his car.
“Bye Abbs” Charlie replied with a wave. I glanced over at my father as another crack of baseball on bat sounded. He was really starting to get into a rhythm, a proud smile on his face. I smiled lightly and returned to my reading. However there was only a moment of peace before Don appeared grabbing his water bottle and taking a swig.
“You want to take a few whacks?” He asked, gesturing to the batting cage.
I shot another look over at the ball spitter. “Uh no thanks I’ve never really..” I trailed off gesturing at the cage with an implied statement and apathetic wave.
Don looked at the cage then back at me with a small amount of shock evident in his face. “You’ve never played baseball before?” He asked in disbelief.
“Maybe once in gym class” I shrugged answering honestly. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed Donald but I’m kinda on the nerd side of things”
Don scoffed. “Come on” he grabbed my book and much to my relief remembered to put the bookmark in its place before closing it. “No daughter of mine is going to go through life without playing baseball”
I scoffed as I was pulled to my feet and given a helmet. I would normally put up a bit more of a fight but I knew that this sport meant a lot to him. So I kept my remarks to myself and went along with it. We headed out to the cage. He showed me what position to take. How to hold the bat properly and watch the ball.
Even with his coaching it took a while before I actually hit the ball. When I did it was quite auspicious to us both. Despite it not going anywhere near where we wanted it to go. There was a lot of laughing and joking and we both left happy reliving the events in story with some subtle elaborations. Don excited to take me back some time.
Chapter 9 ->
Chapter 1 <- Chapter 2
I trudged into my grandfather's house and ungracefully collapsed on the sofa. Charlie who was doing work on the coffee table looked over at me with an amused expression. “Hello”
“Hello” I murmured, my arm draped over my face.
“School that bad huh?” Charlie asked.
“High school sucks when you’re a genius” I declared exasperatedly thinking back to the extensive argument I had with my english teacher over the wording of a phrase.
“High school sucks for almost everybody” Charlie sighed continuing to work.
Moments later I heard my grandfather enter the room so I sat up. “Hey” he greeted us both with a nod but gave me a confused look “I didn’t think you were coming here today. Not that I’m not glad to see you” he quickly added the last bit.
I shrugged and gave a small smile “got a text from Don while I was in class telling me to come here today and he cleared it with the school so I could get on the bus. Here I am”
“Guess that means he’ll be working late” Alan muttered then looked to Charlie again who was shifting papers trying to cover some of his work “no classes today?” he inquired of the mathematician.
“Nah” Charlie objected.
“You working on something for Don?” Alan asked, eyeing his son's work.
“It’s a um.. It’s a genetics project” Charlie answered “for a… for a friend in the bio department actually.”
“A he or a she?” Alan asked as he adjusted the jacket he’d just put on.
“Huh?” Uncle C looked to his father in confusion.
“Your friend. Male or female?” Alan clarified and I rolled my eyes.
“Does it matter?” Charlie scoffed with mild annoyance.
“No, of course not I was just curious.” Alan murmured “I just thought maybe, you know…” Alan trailed, finishing his thought with a pointed look rather than words.
“Well, listen. Dad, whenever I have a girlfriend, I will let you know by, um” Charlie paused a moment ”by putting a note on the refrigerator” I scoffed as Charlie chuckled.
“Good. Well, that’s nice.” Alan muttered then glanced up at me “what about you, any social progress?”
I rolled my eyes laying back down on the couch “I don’t have any friends let alone romantic entanglements”
“Touche” Alan scoffed “though you should try and work on that”
“I hear that a lot,” I grumbled.
Alan hummed in reply as he headed for the door. “Uh, where you going right now?” Charlie asked.
“My book club” Alan replied easily.
“Mm-hmm and where’s that?” Charlie asked. I rolled my head to look over at my uncle, curious as to why he was so curious.
“Phil’s house.” Gramps explained “Raymond Avenue. You keeping track of me?”
“No” Charlie chuckled “I’m just curious”
“Oh” Alan muttered and gave me a look I just shrugged.
Charlie reopened his laptop as Alan left. Though I notice him shifting his things slightly to block my view. I sat up slowly “genetics project right? About what?” I reached out to turn the laptop around.
“No!” the man quickly snapped smacking my hand lightly with his pencil to ward me off as he closed the device quickly. “Just don’t look at that,” he said quickly.
“Why not?” I questioned.
“It’s uh… it’s my friends research” he spoke frantically as he gathered up his things “and- and they don’t want anyone else really looking at it alright so I’ll just- I’ll just go work somewhere else” He’d gathered up all his things in a frantic cluster and scurried from the room.
“Okay then” I muttered looking after him. He was hiding something, that was obvious. However, I didn’t care that much to snoop around right now. So I laid back down on the couch for a well deserved after school nap.
____________
“So what? Traffic downtown’s always terrible.” Gramps defended as Don and Charlie attempted to deter him from going to volunteer.
“Well it’s worse than usual” Don explained, “There's a Sig Alert because of an accident on the 2, and you’ll blow your whole day in the car.”
“Well it’s not like I’ll be alone. I'll have Abby with me to chat” Alan said looking back at me from where I was reading on the floor.
“What?” I asked, perplexed.
“You’re coming to help me. We talked about it yesterday” Alan explained then sighed as I continued to give him a blank look “you know you may remember everything you read but speaking to you it’s in one ear and out the other” I just shrugged in response, taking a bite of my apple snack and looking back to the book I was reading.
“And also downtown there’s that, uh…? Charlie looked to his brother for help and they began to talk over each other.
“Yeah, there’s that protest march” Don explained.
“Over on uh…” Charlie again teetered off as Don spoke more.
“It’s a big deal they’re expecting thousands of people”
“It’s a big deal” Charlie reiterated “meanwhile you could be doing something fun. Hey, hey like I don’t know you could go bowling” everyone in the room turned to the youngest Eppes man in mild confusion.
“Bowling?” Alan questioned then sighed “Abby come on” he gestured and I rose from my place sitting reluctantly.
“Or golf” Don spoke quickly “you keep saying you’re going to play golf.” I slid past the brothers “it’s a beautiful day for a round or two”
“It’s been two years since I retired,” Gramps told them “and almost a year since your mother died. Now I’m finding there are certain things I would like to do with my life. And one of them is to volunteer where people need me and another to spend time with my lovely granddaughter” he rested a hand on my shoulder “I’ve made, and though she might not remember it, Abby made a commitment to be someplace today and if that means sitting in my car, fine. But I’m certainly not going to skip out to go golfing or bowling” Alan started to lead me toward the door.
“What if we told you…” Charlie began
“Charlie” Don interrupted his brother with a warning tone repeating his name multiple times as he continued to speak.
“There’s a really good reason you shouldn’t.” Charlie finished.
Don shot him a glare but his eyes flashed to meet mine before softening as he looked back to his brother.
“Well clearly there’s something you’re not telling us” Alan inferred.
“Does it have to do with the math Uncle C tried to hide from me?” I asked softly and the brother’s exchanged a look. Charlie’s looking rather apologetic.
“That you can’t tell us,” Gramps clarified. “But you don’t want us to go downtown?”
“Yeah” Don finally voiced “I think it’s a good idea not to go downtown. Okay? Can we leave it at that?”
Alan paused for a moment and I looked at each of the men “well I’ll take your concerns under consideration.” With that he turned and headed toward the kitchen.
There was a beat of silence and I let off a breath “you know I really hate secrets” I muttered, shooting a look at Don who opened his mouth to respond but before he could I had turned to leave the room I heard him sigh in defeat as I walked away.
_________
3rd POV.
Don sighed as Abby stormed off abandoning whatever feeble excuse he was about to make. “Wish we could tell dad and Abby not to leave the house for a couple weeks.” Charlie voiced.
“Right. Well, good luck with that.” Don muttered in annoyance “I may be new at this parenting thing but even I can guess that quarantining a sixteen year old girl isn’t going to work.”
“I’ve gone months without leaving the house in the past” Charlie explained “and it’s not like Abby has friends to visit”
Don scoffed “yeah guess her being antisocial does help with this” Don let off a breath trying to quell the balloon of anxiety that was his parental instincts before they exploded. Charlie shrugged slightly and Don found even the gesture annoying right now with his younger brother “bowling” he muttered turning to leave.
“Yeah bowling” Charlie called after him, agitation also apparent in his voice.
Don headed into the house after his daughter, he found her in his old room with her nose in a book. “Listen,” he began “I don’t want you going to the shelter with your grandfather alright and that’s the end of it”
“No it’s not” Abby objected, snapping her book closed and sitting up “if I want to go help people I can. Especially since Gramps already said I could and so did you before you started acting all weird and keeping stuff from me.”
“Abby it’s not my choice to keep things from you” Don explained carefully “but with my line of work there are certain things that I can’t talk about. Now I’m your father you have to do what I say and I say you’re not going to that shelter.”
“Bullshit” Abby spat angrily, getting to her feet. “You can’t expect me to just listen to you without an explanation. I’m not some mindless drone”
Don took a deep breath trying to keep his anger down “I know what’s best for you Abby so just shut up and listen to me alright? You’re not going and that is final”
“Yeah right” Abby practically snarled “and I suppose you’re going to be around to stop me? You’ll just be at work while I’m dumped here and you know it. Father my ass you’re barely a supervisor” with that she shoved past him and out of the room.
Don didn’t bother to stop her or go after her this time. They both needed time to cool down. He let off an aggravated growl and plopped onto the bed. She had a point he had been working a lot lately. Still, he knew going downtown was a bad idea. The last thing he wanted was for her to get sick. His stomach churned at the idea of her ending up like the victims he had seen in the hospital. Why couldn’t she just listen to him? He let off a breath as his phone beep. He was needed back at the office. So he rose and headed out he didn’t see Abby as he left but he knew they’d need to talk later.
______________
Abby POV.
“Have a good day” Alan murmured as he poured soup into a woman’s bowl.
“Thank you” she nodded and shuffled down the line where I handed her a pb&j with a gloved hand.
There was a bout of loud laughter and three kids of varying ages came darting past the table. A woman followed behind yelling at them to slow down and watch where they were going.
“I feel sorry for her” Alan voiced with a sigh “having to raise her kids in a place like this”
Abby shrugged “it’s not a horrible place. I’ve been in worse ones”
Alan gave her a side look “you were in a homeless shelter?”
Abby shrugged “sometimes when the weather was bad or we were having car trouble me and my mom would stay the night in one. Came for meals quite a bit when I was younger, less the older I got but I had a lot of soup and pb&j growing up. Or mcdonalds dollar menu”
Alan hummed and was quiet for a minute “you know your mother..” he paused seeming to collect his thoughts “and- and your father they might not always have seemed or seem like the best parents but I’m sure that Janice did the best she could for you and Don will as well”
“I know” I replied with a slight smile at his concern “my mom just didn’t have the life skills needed to make it in the world when I was born. We managed just fine even if it wasn’t perfect. She was actually taking online classes to try and get a degree before she died” I paused thinking back on the memories.
“Really? Well I bet with a kid like you your mother must have been a very bright woman” Alan decreed. They were quiet for a moment before Alan sighed “maybe you should have listened to your father and stayed I mean he is your father you need to listen to him”
I sighed leaning on the table “with me and my mom it was always more of a negotiation. I was smart enough to take care of myself most of the time and she was always distracted by something. I got used to not listening. No one who gave me orders ever really had my best interest at heart before”
“Well I can promise you that Donnie does” Gramps explained “both of you are still learning. Him how to guide a human being and you how to be guided. It’s a tricky process but I think once you both figure it out you’ll be better for it.”
I smiled lightly “thanks Grandpa I’ll keep that in mind.” Alan nodded and turned to the next person in line. As I dwelled in my thoughts a bit.
_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~
3rd POV.
Abby poked at a bug with a pencil. As the creature scurried along the floor of their motel room. The door opened and the girl looked up to see her mother stumbling in. The woman let off a breath and clasped on one of the beds.
Abby got to her feet and hurried over jumping up on the bed. “Mommy! Mommy!” The four year old exclaimed.
“Hey kid” Janice greeted her daughter with a tired smile. “How was your day?”
“That man came back again,” Abby informed. “He knocked on the door really loud this time”
“Did he come in?” Janice inquired. Abby shook her head ‘no’ in response. “Good” Janice sighed and laid there for a moment in thought. “Here I got you some food” she sat up and turned to face her daughter.
She pulled out a burger and small fry from the dollar menu of McDonalds. Abby smiled and began eating hungrily however she stopped when she saw her mother wasn’t eating. “What about you?”
Janice smiled at her daughter. “It’s alright Abbs” she reassured “I ate before I got here”
Abby wasn’t as convinced “here” she extended her mother a couple of her fries.
“No Abby, they're yours” Janice objected.
“I want you to have some” the four year old replied stubbornly.
Janice sighed and took the fries, kissing her daughter on the forehead “You’re a stubborn kid, you know that?”
Abby giggled at that and continued to eat her small dinner. The girl had just finished and Janice was brushing her hair in the bathroom when the door slammed open.
Abby jumped and rolled off the bed. Janice hurried out of the bathroom terrified. “That is it! You haven’t made your payments in a month! You are out of here!” The manager yelled.
Janice begged and pleaded Abby just stood there and watched. Before she realized what happened she was standing outside with her backpack. Her mother was carrying a duffel.
“Alright come on” Janice sighed as she took Abby’s hand and led her over to the car “we’re just going to have to find somewhere else.”
Finding somewhere else took less time than Abby expected. It had started to rain and it was getting cold. Janice pulled over and parked the car. She took Abby’s hand and locked their stuff in the vehicle leading her daughter quickly down the street and into a building.
They were walking in among a small amount of people but there were more inside. Most had an odd assortment of clothes and layers. A lot looked old and a good portion were missing teeth.
Janice talked to some people who were better dressed and didn’t smell as funky. Abby just clung to her mother’s leg and observed everything. Eventually they made it over to a small cot.
Janice laid down and took off her jacket. Abby laid down next to her and Janice tucked her in. Abbs snuggled up close to her mother who began to sing softly to her. Until she finally fell asleep.
_~_~_~_~_~_~_~
“Best peanut butter sandwich has bananas on it” I decreed as me and Gramps walked through the door of the house.
“Now that is normal,” Alan sighed.
“Yeah so is popcorn” I pointed out.
“Not-”
“Hey” Charlie cut Alan off with his greeting as he came walking into the room “where’ve you been?”
“Uh bowling” Alan replied sarcastically giving me a look.
“Really?” Charlie questioned with mild surprise.
“No, of course not.” Gramps objected with a chuckle “we were downtown at the shelter” Alan picked up the mail to go through it as Charlie’s face fell slightly. I meandered over to the living room to take a seat.
“Dad..” Charlie started.
“Well, no one else seems worried about being there,” Alan explained.
“Plus it was a good day” I commented looking over the back of the chair.
“That’s because they didn’t know,” Charlie voiced.
“Didn’t know what you wouldn’t tell me?” Alan pointed out to his son.
“He’s got you there” I decreed and my uncle gave me an exasperated look “what? You didn’t honestly think I’d take your side. Secrets suck”
“Look,” Gramps continued drawing back Charlie’s disappointed stare “if everybody can be down there, why can’t me and Abby? I got this fuzzy feeling you and your brother have been going downtown too. Huh, am I right?”
“Okay.” Charlie conceded following his father around the house. “But we were- we were worried about you two” the young man tried to explain. “Do you understand?”
“Look, Charlie, your brother puts himself on the line every day on that job of his.” Gramps spoke as they came toward where I was sitting “don’t you think I’m worried about him? Huh? But I know how vital that job is to him.” Alan sat down in the seat across from me. Continuing to talk to his son “you’ve been helping him out quite a bit lately haven’t you?”
Charlie nodded with a strained smile. “You know I could help too if he’d let me,” I muttered.
“We’ve talked about this Abby” Gramps told me with a look before turning to his son again “you know what I’m really proud of? I’m proud that I’ve raised two sons. Well, we’ve raised two sons who have a great sense of public service. And a granddaughter who’s joined us with, however misguided, a want to serve as well.” Charlie and I both smiled at the sentiment before Grandpa descended into a fit of coughs.
“You okay?” Charlie asked worry drenching his voice.
“Huh? Yeah sure it’s just a cough” Alan waved it away putting on his glasses to read.
“Be careful it’s, uh.. It’s flu season” Charlie advised.
“Yeah, well, don’t worry about me. I never get the flu” Gramps objected.
“I’ve never gotten it either” I voiced thinking back “had strep once that sucked, never the flu” Alan hummed in acknowledgement as Charlie shifted uncomfortably. “You good Uncle C?” I asked.
“Yeah, yeah” Charlie nodded, straightening slightly “I just got, uh, some, uh work to get back to” he murmured before leaving the room.
“He’s acting weirder than normal” I voiced.
“Ah it’ll blow over” Alan assured.
“I bet Don’s going to be pissed that I went to the shelter today,” I advised.
“Don’t worry about it” Alan told me “go get a book. I’ll take the heat on this one”
“Thanks gramps” I smiled at him slightly before rising from my seat and heading upstairs.
_________
3rd POV.
“Hey you good?” Terry asked, tapping her partner on the shoulder as he sat staring at the board.
“Yeah” Don muttered “just worried Abby and my dad went and volunteered downtown at some shelter and you know I just keep thinking..” he sighed “that first victim was a sixteen year old kid.”
“And now you have your own sixteen year old kid” Terry finished the man’s obvious thought. Don nodded “did you tell her not to go”
“Best I could with the reason being classified” the man explained “she just got mad I wasn’t giving her a reason, threw the fact that I work all the time in my face and stormed off”
“Well she is still a teenager. They’re like that sometimes” Terry explained with some levity in her features
“This was different though” Don explained “I mean I can gather enough to realize Abby hasn’t had a lot of great authority figures in her past I mean she didn’t even think we’d be worried when she disappeared on her birthday. Still..” Don trailed biting his lip slightly.
“You’re trying Don” Terry reassured “you’re still figuring out how to be a dad and she’s still figuring out how to be a daughter. It’s not something that’s just going to click overnight even father’s who raised their daughters have issues. But if anyone’s stubborn enough and strong enough to get through these issues it’s you and her.”
“Yeah” Don sighed “I’m just not used to feeling like this. I mean every moment of peace I have there’s this buzzing in the back of my head now of whether Abby’s alright or not. Been trying to keep myself from texting her or calling her, not that she’s in a great mood with me enough to answer”
“That’s okay Don” Terry advised him “well maybe not text and call her every five minutes but it’s okay to be worried. She’s your daughter your natural instincts are to protect her”
“Maybe” Don muttered “but how do I protect her from something I can’t even fight”
Terry gave him a sad look but held no answers when David suddenly popped his head into the room “they pulled some footage from the bus terminal that we’ve got to see” he told them urgently and the pair quickly got up to follow him. Don pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind.
_________
Abby POV.
“So how are you two guys doing?” Gramps asked as Don came out onto the back patio where we were eating. “Well, you seem so much more relaxed than the last couple of days”
“Probably closed the stupid case they couldn’t talk about” I muttered taking a bit of my chili. I could see Don giving me a look out of the corner of my eye.
“Yeah, I’d say, uh, we’re doing pretty okay now.” my father sighed sitting down next to his brother. “And we did finish our project” he gave me a nod. He paused, eyeing the beer in his hand “think I might get my first good night’s sleep in about a week.”
“I’m glad it’s over” Charlie sighed.
“You know, I thought I’d let you know that I’m gonna be working down at the shelter next week” Alan explained and turned to me “and if you would like to join me again you can. Though this time you might want to write it down so you’ll remember”
“Very funny” I muttered “and yes I’d like to.” I paused “if that’s okay with you Don” I felt weird asking permission but I knew it was a good idea.
“Yeah, I think it’s okay now.” Don agreed. Seeming just as hesitant to give a reply to the question.
Alan looked between us and sighed “you know one of the hardest parts about being a parent?” he looked between us all “finding balance” he declared. I looked over at Don and gave him a light smile and he returned it. “Well I’ll see you three later. I’m gonna be going with Art Stanley”
“Uh-oh. What are you two up to?” Charlie asked.
“Bowling” Alan declared. Charlie grinned as me and Don began to chuckle. “After the fuss you made, I thought I’d give it a try”
“Don’t throw out your back” I muttered.
“Ha ha very funny” Alan murmured. “And don’t you still have homework in the living room?” I groaned in annoyance “uh-huh come on” Alan gestured for me to follow him into the house.
I let off a breath and rose from my seat bowl in hand. “I hate homework”
“Necessary evil kid” Don advised “now go get it done and then maybe we can do something fun tomorrow”
“Fun?” I asked intrigued.
“Yeah you know the two of us” Don clarified “since I’ve been working a lot lately I thought maybe it’d help with the balance you know?”
I smiled “yeah okay”
“You know what you two should do?” Charlie voiced with a smirk.
“If you say bowling I’m going to deck you” Don muttered, taking a swig of his drink as I headed into the house laughing.
Chapter 4 ->
Chapter 1<-
I stared across the darkened classroom at my blinders. They were perched in captivity on my history teachers desk. Stolen away from me and promised release upon the end of class today. The teacher himself was blathering on about something that I didn’t find important about how history continues on today. It seemed rather a redundant point to make. Of course we were living history I mean at one point every person we learn about in history had been in their present time.
There was movement in the corner of my vision and I turned to see Mr. Hopkins had turned on the tv in the room. “...let’s see what’s on the news nowadays as an example.” after flipping past a couple static filled channels Hopkins finally found the news station he was looking for.
I was about to turn back to my thoughts when I caught what the reporter was saying “This is a live breaking report from the channel 8 news. Flying over Central Los Angeles Savings Bank. I can see multiple people lying on the ground. One appears to be a federal agent several bystanders also seemed to have been injured in the crossfire, where the shoot out between federal agents and suspected bank robbers is in progress...”
I felt like ice water had just been pumped through my veins. I froze completely in shock. I remembered back to just the other night when Don had asked Charlie for help tracking bank robbers. Could it be the same robbers? Could Don be in the shootout? Was he injured? The class continued to watch through a car explosion and more gun fire and more cops arriving. Even into the aftermath.
“I’m receiving confirmation that three people were killed in his tragic incident one of which being an FBI agent. ” The bell rang and Hopkins turned off the tv. Seeming only to have been half listening. Most of the students in the class only seemed to be half listening.
I however was shaking. I was terrified. What if it was Don? What if he was dead? Shot down in front of a bank. I swallowed the lump in my throat rising from my desk with the rest of my classmates. I sweeped by the teacher’s desk and rescued my blinders before heading into the hallway.
My next class didn’t seem at all important as I ducked into the bathroom and locked myself in a stall. I pulled out my phone and speed dialed my father’s number. He didn’t pick up. I tried again. More of the same. I tried Alan; he didn’t answer either nor did Charlie. I repeated Don, Alan, Charlie. No one would pick up their phone. After hearing my father’s voice mail for the fifth time. I pocketed my cell and grabbed my backpack.
The hallway was clear as the final class of the day had already started. I headed straight for the exit. I was going to catch a bus to Alan’s house and get some answers. I was stopped by a hand on my shoulder.
“Abby Calvin” the voice spoke. I turned to see none other than the school principal smiling down on me with a fake grin. “Skipping class are we?”
“Sir I was-”
He held up a hand “this is the third time in the last two weeks you’ve skipped a class. It’s not happening again, come on” he led me to the office.
The rest of my time at school was taken up by me being talked at by the principal. I tried to explain what was happening multiple times. He wouldn’t hear it and I was given a note for Don to read when I got home. My stomach churned as I imagined him shot to death in front of a bank. I quickly banned the image and beat my imagination into submission.
I tried each of the men I called family again twice on the bus before I was let off at the apartment building. I hurried up to my and Don’s apartment and let myself in. I threw my backpack on the couch and turned on the news grasping for any information that it might tell me.
As I sat watching the various unrelated news streams and casters talking about things I could care less about. I felt a sharp pain hit my head like a rock and with a blink I suddenly wasn’t sitting on the couch in Don’s living room.
I was crouched by a fire. I could hear the rain. People were talking all around me, there was music, laughing. Then there were shots. They echoed loudly in-
I stood and shook my head like it was wet. Pushing away the intrusive memory. I grabbed my binders out of my pocket putting them on and taking multiple deep breaths to try and calm down. I didn’t want to think about that. I didn’t want to think about her.
_________________ 3rd POV.
Don sighed sitting down on his desk and pinching the bridge of his nose. Tonight was not going well for him. His arm hurt and his head hurt. Worse he had just gotten back from talking to Agent McKnight's parents at their hotel. Nothing hurt worse than the look on McKnight’s mother's face when he told her what happened.
“I should be looking at mugshots, right?” Don voiced to Terry who was at her own desk nearby.
“Did you get a good look?” she inquired.
“Yeah, definitely” the man muttered in reply. Just then his phone rang. He pulled it out and glanced at the caller ID. It was Abby he was about to answer it.
“Agent Eppes.” Don turned to see the forensic scientist had appeared nearby. “That piece of evidence you found at the scene. We know what it is”
“Excellent” he told her and glanced back at his phone declining the call from his daughter and making a note to call her back once he got a chance. Then him and Terry followed the scientist down to her lab. ________________________ Don reached the door to his apartment and began digging for his keys with a sigh. This case had taken a major turn and it was really late. He wasn’t here to rest though he was here to pick up Abby and take her to his father’s house. Alan could watch over her while Don worked late at the office on this case. As he turned the knob of the door he grimaced at the shot of pain his arm gave him. Then he entered his apartment and heard the immediate stomping of feet running to the door.
“What the hell were you thinking!?”
It took the FBI agent a moment to register the unexpected outburst to be coming from his daughter. “What?” he asked, confused.
“You were getting shot at!” Abby yelled walking up to him. “It was all over the news! An agent was shot and another was dead and I didn’t know who was who because you wouldn’t pick up your goddamn cell phone!” she yelled.
Don thought back to all the times he had dismissed her calls that day. He hadn’t thought anything about it at the time. However now he realized how stupid it had been not to let her know he was alright. “I’m sorry Abby I-”
“You could have been dead for all I knew!” she cut him off “and where would that have left me? Huh?” Her voice broke.
“Abby I risk my life everyday” Don explained trying to keep his voice level and calming.
“I know but you can’t just act like I’m supposed to be okay with it or just leave me in the dark to suffer you unbelievable jerk” she shoved him harshly in her anger.
“Abby. Abby. Abby!” Don tried to get her attention to make her calm down as she whacked at his chest and struggled against him in anger.
“I already lost my mom, I can’t lose you to Dad!”
Both parties froze at her last outburst. The anger in Abby’s face faded as she realized what she had said. “You just called me Dad” Don muttered.
“No no I said Don” Abby objected.
“No you said Dad” Don countered a small smile threatening his face. Despite the circumstance it was the first time she had ever called him that.
“No I said Don” the girl muttered.
“You called me Dad” Don let off a light chuckle.
“Oh shut up you stupid sperm donor” Abby grumbled as he pulled her into a hug.
“Are you done yelling now?” he inquired. Abby nodded into his chest. “Then listen cause the truth is I’m sorry I should have told you I was alright rather than just leaving you in the dark. I just- I’m still figuring out this father thing alright. We both are and I’m sorry but risking my life and possibly getting shot at is my job” Abby squeezed him tighter “but I will make this promise to you though. For every moment I am alive I will be fighting to make it back here to you. Alright?”
“Alright” Abby nodded as they stepped apart. “Donald”
Don sighed “Dad things not staying huh?”
“I wouldn’t bet on it” Abby replied with a smirk that mirrored her fathers.
“And here I was actually liking the idea of being called Dad” Don murmured. They both chuckled lightly. _______________________ Abby POV.
Me and Don pulled up outside Gramp's house and loaded out of the truck. Alan came out to meet us near immediately with a look of concern clear on his face. “Donnie, you all right?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay. It’s fine- ow! Ow!” he exclaimed as his father touched his injured arm. “Look it’s just, my arm’s a little sore.” he addressed the blatant concern on Alan’s face. “I got a- a scrape during an incident.”
I rolled my eyes at the lame excuse coming over to their side of the driveway. “A scrape? From what?”
“Well, a bullet, if you have to know” Don muttered with a sarcasm very much like my own.
“A bullet oh my g-” Alan exclaimed immediately.
Don quickly spoke over him “but it’s not… dad, please listen to me, okay?Just relax. We had an arrest go bad, and we lost an agent, okay? And three people died”
“It was all over the news” I added “check your voicemail I left messages”
“My word” gramps breathed out in shock.
“Now I’m dropping this one off and looking for Charlie. Where is he?” Don questioned.
“He’s out in the garage with Larry.” the other man informed. “He’s upset. I can see why now.”
“What’s he doing in the garage?” Don asked, confused. I had to admit I was confused as well last I heard they only used the garage for storage and laundry.
“He’s just working on that problem. You know.” Alan spoke directly to Don. “the problem he can never solve.”
“The P vs. P thing?” Don inquired.
“Yeah, yeah, that’s the one.” gramps nodded.
“Aw man” Don groaned in aggravation. I got the sense there was more going on here than I was privy to.
“Wait do you mean P vs. NP?” I looked between the two men. “The millennium prize problem?”
Neither seemed to be listening to me as Don started trucking toward the house. “Where are you going?” Alan called after him.
“I got to talk to him.” the son replied “I need a new equation”
Alan seemed as though he wanted to say more but Don had already disappeared into the house. “What’s the problem with Charlie working on P vs. NP?” I asked.
Alan sighed and looked to the ground “It’s not Charlie working on the problem that’s well the problem Abby. It’s why” I thought on it for a moment but was still not sure what he was saying. “Come on” he finally spoke up. “I’m assuming you haven’t had any kind of dinner yet” I nodded and followed my grandfather inside. ________________ 3rd POV.
Don came storming into the kitchen from talking to Charlie. It was aggravating after everything that happened with McKnight and the shootings. Charlie should be motivated to stop these guys but instead he just such down. Don was a kind of frustrated that only his little brother could make him whether it was rational or not and he knew it.
“Are you okay?” Don turned to see Abby perched sitting cross legged on the kitchen island. She was eyeing him quizzically.
“Yeah” he answered immediately “no.” he answered honestly “been better” he finally decided to go with. Abby nodded and bit her lip in a way that for half second made Don feel like he was looking in a mirror before he brushed the thought away “what are you doing in here?”
“Thinking” the girl replied honestly holding up her blinders which the man could infer she had just removed. “Gramps and your partner Terry are in the living room. She’s nice. I thanked her for the books she got me for my birthday.”
Don nodded and let out a breath feeling his irritation slowly ebbing away “yeah I’ve known Terry for a long time”
“Really?” the girl inquired.
“Yeah about ten years. We met in the academy” he explained.
“FBI academy?” she quizzed further.
“Yeah” Don nodded and a small grin came to his face “what you think I learned all this on the streets. Trial by fire style?”
Abby laughed slightly. “Well I don’t know I’ve only known a real FBI agent for the upside of a month”
Don scoffed and looked to his shoes. “Yeah”
“Is Charlie helping with this bank robbing case still?” Abby inquired, glancing toward the backdoor through which Don supposed she must have been able to hear the shouting.
“Apparently not” Don grumbled. “All he wants to do is work on the stupid P vs. P thing he’s completely shut down.”
“I can’t really blame him for being worried” she stated “and neither can you Don. You could have died and Charlie’s the one who sent you to the bank where the shooting happened.”
Don sighed and looked at his daughter quizzically “yeah I know but like I told you it’s my job to get shot at and I can’t change that. The more he helps though the less likely it is for that to happen and he just doesn’t want to help”
Abby looked like she was about to respond when the door to the kitchen opened and Terry stepped in “hey Don sorry to interrupt but we have to get back to the office.”
“Yeah coming” the man replied to his partner. Then turned to his daughter “I’ll see you later kid”
“Bye Don” the girl replied.
Don nodded and followed Terry out of the kitchen. Thinking in the back of his mind that he really wished she would have said Dad. __________________ Abby POV.
I walked slowly down the stairs of the house heading for the living room. Two books in hand that I wanted to read. I was mildly preoccupied with my own thoughts to the point that I didn’t realize Charlie had returned from the garage until I was about to turn the corner. I paused out of sight of the two men in the living room as the younger spoke.
“Dad. I’ve been working on a problem.” he explained “P vs. NP, it can’t be solved.”
“I think you knew that when you started” Alan replied wisely flipping through his paper.
“I could work on it forever, constantly pushing forward, still never reaching an end.” Charlie admitted. I bit my lip realizing I shouldn’t be listening in on this conversation however my feet wouldn’t move from the place they had planted themselves.
“You know, sometimes you want to think that things don’t end.” gramps mused “but they do.”
“When mom was sick I couldn’t stop working on it.” Charlie’s voice was breaking and I felt something clench in my chest. I had gathered enough knowledge about Margaret Eppes, my grandmother, to know she had died of cancer about a year ago. None of them really talked about it in excess. It was still fresh in their minds. Like my mom’s death and the state of mourning it procured were still fresh in mine.
“Yeah. I know.” Alan spoke to Charlie gently. “I didn’t get it. Uh, not then. And your brother sure doesn’t understand why you spent the last three months of your mother’s life working on a math problem.” I shifted on my feet listening despite my growing urge to leave “But Charlie, you mother she understood why. Because she knew how your mind worked.”
I finally pried myself off the wall and left the house. I wandered through the yard to the garage. My mom knew how my mind worked to. Even though she couldn’t think like I did she always understood why I behaved like I did. She knew what was in my head. _~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_ 3rd POV.
Abby sat another book on her already read pile. Grabbing a new one from her, going to read pile. She had just opened the cover when there was a clearing of the throat from the entrance to the small nook she had claimed in the back of the library.
She looked up to see her mother standing there, arms crossed. “Busted huh?” The girl asked.
“Uh huh” the mom responded. Removing her purse from her shoulder she sat down across from her 14 year old on the floor. “I got another call from the school. You know most moms when their kid ditches don’t check the library first.”
“But you know better” Abby commented with a smirk.
“Yeah I do kid but you still have to stop skipping school even if it is to go read books” Janice stated.
“But the classes are pointless and boring” Abby objected. “They want to either put me in the need help classes because of my spotty elementary school education or in equally boring regular courses and then are shocked when I ace it all” Abby explained adamantly. “It’s patronizing”
Janice sighed “I know I asked again about the advanced courses but they are still sticking to their plan”
“If they’d just give me the chance I could show them” Abby muttered.
“You’re a brilliant girl Abbs one day people will see that” Janice reassured. “But you still have to go to school” Abby groaned “Hey, hey it’s not just about the school work maybe you could make some friends. You know you can’t hide in the library forever. Eventually you will run out of books. Especially at the rate you read”
Abby nodded “yeah I know. But people are well… people”
Janice smiled slightly “yeah they tend to be like that. What are you reading there?”
Abby glanced down at her book. “I don’t know haven’t started it yet”
Janice smiled “alright then you read I’m going to grab a computer and do some of my school work for my new online classes”
“Mrs. Wiat wasn’t kidding about homework never ending was she?” Abby commented as Janice got to her feet the woman chuckled lightly with her daughter. _~_~_~_~_~_~_~_ Abby POV.
I was sitting in the garage with my blinders on just absently thinking when I heard someone else walk in. I raised up the blinders to see it was Charlie. He plopped down in the chair nearby and grabbed his laptop.
After a moment he glanced up at me “Abby’s why are you sitting on the floor?”
I shrugged “it’s comfortable”
The man wasn't interested in discussing the topic. “So your millenium problem.” I gestured to all the boards around us. “Are you going to keep working on it?”
Charlie froze in the typing he had been doing. “I don’t know but, it can wait”
“And Don can’t” I finished his thought. Charlie nodded slightly and continued on his computer. I half wanted to talk to him about my mother for some reason. As I felt he might understand. I wanted to tell him that my mom got it too. However, I didn’t want to reveal that I had overheard him earlier, nor did I want to upset him. “The numbers are easy aren’t they?” I finally voiced after a moment “easier than people anyway. Answers to questions and a solid foundation. Easy to hide in.”
“Yeah” Charlie breathed in response and looked up at me “but we can’t hide in the numbers forever can we?”
“Nope” I muttered, popping the p. We were silent for a moment with the exception of Charlie’s mouse clicking.
Then Larry, Charlie’s friend and fellow CalSci professor, entered the garage. “Well,” he voiced upon his arrival, “I was heartened to hear that you’ve shifted your focus off P vs. NP.” he meandered further into the garage “So tell me what is it that I can help you with?”
“I failed” Charlie admitted and I snapped my attention back to him. “I failed to notice something significant. These robberies display certain highly eccentric characteristics.”
“Okay” Larry murmured, taking a seat on my other side a top some stuff “well how so?”
“Many were conducted in under two minutes, but in many cases,” Charlie explained “the perpetrators remained on the premises far longer despite having the money. Why would they wait around?”
“Don’t know.” the cosmologist replied “leaving quickly would seem to be the essential strategy when fleeing a felony.”
“Or any kind of crime” I added. “It’s risky cops could show up”
“You see this game, Larry? Abby?” Charlie pivoted his computer screen to show he had been playing Minesweeper. “You have to clear mines without blowing any up. Each time you’ve cleared a square, a numerical value is revealed. That number tells you exactly how many squares containing mines are directly adjacent to the square. This allows you to predict where the next mine will be located. And then the more boxes revealed, the more accurately one can predict the location of the mines.” he finished explaining the game and then continued with its relevance “the pattern used in these bank robberies is similar to this same type of problem-solving pattern. These robbers have used the banks they’ve been robbing to tell them which ones to rob next.”
“To what end would criminals be playing Minesweeper with banks?” Larry posed the same question rattling in my brain.
“I don’t know,” Charlie admitted.
“Are they using it to find high cash sums.” I suggested.
“No the takes varied, some as low as one hundred dollars.” Charlie objected thinking.
“Well then you’ll have to gather more information on your robbers” I pointed out “see what they’re after.”
“Information” Charlie murmured then quickly stood up closing his laptop with a snap. “I have to go.” with that he had dashed from the barn.
“It seems you’ve inspired him young Abigail,” Larry sighed.
“Don’t call me Abigail please” I asked the professor “and I don’t know what I did to inspire him”
Larry made a humming noise as I got up from my seat on the floor. “Well does it matter how in the grand scheme of things really?” he asked philosophically. “Whether you meant to inspire him or not it is still the outcome” I nodded lightly in agreement. “So if not Abigail what would you prefer to be called?”
“Abby” I stated thinking it was rather obvious considering everyone else just called me Abby.
Larry let out another humming noise. “You know you are quite a unique being”
“Thanks” I murmured not sure where he was going with this.
“You have a mind such as your uncles but your traits portray your father in quite a respect for you only having known both for a month. A true statement of nature versus nurture” Larry observed “you are an enigma”
“Okay” I sighed “then call me the enigma”
Larry nodded and stood up “very well then” and with that he left the garage. I hoped he realized I wasn’t being serious. _______________ “Here you go, Pop.” Charlie called walking out of the kitchen with a bowl in his hands. “I got it.” he sat it down “now you got it.”
“Thank you,” Alan replied.
“Spoon” Charlie stated holding up the utensil.
I scoffed “I think he knows what a spoon is Uncle C”
My uncle gave me a look and messed up my hair with a small shove like gesture as he went to sit down next to me. He didn’t sit however as just then the main door opened. “Hello” my father called.
“Donnie!” Alan greeted getting to his feet. “Wow, it’s good to see you.”
“Oh, you guys ate. I’m starving” Don voiced coming into the dining room.
“Ah there’s plenty come on” Alan objected quickly.
“Yeah?” the agent clarified “did Terry call, tell you guys what happened?”
“Yeah, she said you arrested every suspect.” Charlie informed shuffling back toward the kitchen. “Only one shot fired, huh?”
“That’s impressive.” I mused “snipers are cool.” Don gave me a look as he made his way to the seat at the head of the table “sniper math is cool” I emphasized pointedly.
“One? How’d you pull that off?” Alan inquired.
“We knew roughly where’d they’d try to hit the next shipment,” Don explained as Charlie disappeared to get him some food. While I turned back to consuming mine. “And I knew they’d have an escape plan.”
“That’s very clever.” Gramps declared digging into his dinner.
“Out thinking the bad guys” I voiced “that’s got to be fun”
“Keep talking like that and someone might think you want to join the FBI” Don muttered giving me a look.
I shrugged and held up my hands in a defensive gesture “hey I don’t even know what I’m doing once I escape high school” I explained “don’t go pegging me to early”
“And I don’t think I can take two members of the family dodging bullets for a career” Alan voiced.
“Yeah well, I guess I was inspired by Mr. Heisenberg” Don continued as he went to grab a beer in the kitchen. “Just like Charlie here suggested”
“Heisenberg?” Alan gave Charlie a perplexed look. “You mean, the physicist?”
“Yeah” Don called in reply.
I chuckled lightly as Charlie took the seat next to me “Don goes to confront a bunch of crazy and armed bank robbers and your pep talk is about the movement of subatomic particles?”
“Yep” Charlie replied simply. Me and Alan exchanged an amused look. “It worked, didn’t it?”
“Yes” Alan replied. “I guess it did.” There was a moment as Don joined us at the table and we all turned to our food but Alan “I’m telling you,” he began “if your mother could see you two guys now, she would be… so happy” he voiced and turned to me “and Abby. She would have loved to have known you”
I smiled lightly as the brothers exchanged a look themselves. “How are you doing on your P vs. P thing?” Don inquired after a moment.
“NP?” Charlie corrected with an amused breath.
“Sorry” Don murmured.
“I’m not pursuing it anymore.” the mathematician declared.
“No?” the agent questioned.
“I got plenty of problems to work on,” Charlie explained “ones that I think I can actually solve.”
Don nodded “Glad to hear it.” The two clinked their glasses and Alan raised his. I grabbed my glass of water as well and we all knocked glasses in the center taking a sip. As normal table conversation resumed. I found myself smiling. I was among family.
Chapter 3 ->
“Abbs come on time to leave” Janice called into the back room at the diner.
“Coming” the teenager replied and grabbed her backpack from the floor. Waving bye to the diner chef she followed her mother out the door.
Janice and Abby loaded into their small sedan. The vehicle was packed full of stuff from clothes to random bit and bobs. They practically lived out of their car for the last couple years until they settled down in the latest apartment and even then they had been hesitant to finally make the move.
“Okay so I was thinking” Janice began as she pulled out of the parking lot.
“Oh that’s dangerous” Abby murmured with a smirk as they drove.
Janice shot her daughter a look. “Well in a few months you’ll be turning the beautiful age of sixteen. And I was wondering what you wanted to do to celebrate? Cause if you want something big I’ll have to start saving now. But of course if you would rather run your mouth-”
“Hey hey hey I had to get this sarcasm somewhere” Abby pointed out.
“Yes your father” Janice replied.
“Yes blame it on the non-existent father in my life” Abby scoffed.
Janice sighed “alright anyway you want to have a celebration or what?”
“I don’t know” Abby shrugged. “It’s not like I want a party or anything maybe us just hanging out?”
“How about a picnic?” Janice suggested pulling up to a red light. Abby gave her a perplexed look. “Lay out a blanket on the floor in the apartment. Get some nice food it could be great”
“Yeah that sounds great Mom” Abby agreed “you’re the best”
“I try” Janice replied.
They both laughed as the light turned green. There was the sound of a blaring horn. The car filled with bright light Abby felt her mother’s hand collide with her chest. She heard the screech of brakes and the crunch of metal.
“Mom!”
~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~
“Abby!” Bang! Bang! Bang! “Come on get up! Your alarms been going for the last ten minutes!”
I groaned in exhausted annoyance and rolled over in my blankets swatting haphazardly at the alarm on my nightstand. There was another round of banging on my bedroom door “I’m up! I’m up!” I yawned sitting up in my bed.
“Listen I got to get to work and you have to get to school so start moving” the man on the other side of my door ordered.
“I am moving” I responded around a second yawn.
“Yeah you totally sound awake” I heard him mutter.
“Hey I heard that” I called and got a scoff in response as he headed on down the hallway.
With a deep breath I got up and started getting ready. My room was pretty plain with a dresser and bed and a couple knickknacks strewn about. I’d only been living in it for a little less than a month which was quite apparent. Though I didn’t have much stuff in the first place. I threw on a t-shirt, jeans, plaid button up, and my well loved and sharpied sneakers.
I headed downstairs with my backpack over my shoulder tossing it on the couch. My biological father was pouring himself some coffee in the kitchen. “Morning” He muttered as I began fixing myself some cereal.
“Morning Don” I replied.
“Listen with this case I’m working I’m probably going to be home late” he started.
“Am I staying at Grandpa’s then?” I inquired.
“Maybe not staying but you’ll be going there after school today” the FBI agent explained.
“Awesome” I responded sarcastically “maybe I’ll get some decent food then”
“Ouch” Don joked as his phone rang. He answered it and went into business mode “Eppes… yeah?” his face fell as he listened to the person on the other line “when? Where?” he checked his watch and I knowingly started eating faster. “Yeah alright I’ll be there as soon as I can… yeah” he hung up and started moving faster grabbing his things.
“Case?” I asked, finishing my cereal and sliding my bowl into the sink.
“Yup come on I have to get you to school and then go to a crime scene” he explained.
“But I haven’t brushed my hair or my teeth yet” I objected standing up as he walked past me to grab his jacket.
“Chew some gum and I don’t know, wear a hat” he offered.
“They don’t allow hats in school” I explained, not dropping the sarcastic edge from my voice.
Don seemed rather frazzled. “Well then I don’t know what to tell you. Now come on” I sighed and grabbed my backpack as we headed out the door. “Since when do you care about your hair anyway?”
I rolled my eyes running my fingers through my short brown hair “you’re the worst parental guardian ever”
_____________
3rd POV.
“Silber’s at work right now at the hospital” Terry informed as her and Don loaded into the truck.
“Alright let’s get heading that way then” the man muttered. Pulling out of the FBI car lot.
They drove for only a couple seconds before Terry spoke up again. “So you were late to the crime scene this morning” it was a cross between a statement and a question.
Don sighed “yeah Abby had a late start and I had to drop her at school”
“Right being a dad’s not that easy huh?” the woman voiced.
Don scoffed in response. “Well I don’t know if I even qualify as a dad yet.” he explained “she definitely doesn’t call me one. This morning I was dubbed the worst parental guardian ever”
“Well she called you her parent sorta” Terry offered.
Don chuckled lightly “yeah sorta”
“Relax Don, she's a moody fifteen year old girl who just came to live with her birth father. She needs some time to adjust” the profiler explained as they turned onto the street with the hospital.
“Sixteen this weekend actually” Don informed.
“Really?” Terry looked to the man in surprise. “You guys doing anything? Party? Something?”
Don shrugged “I got her a present. A ball cap.” Terry shot her partner a pointed look “what? I don’t know what teenage girls are into these days. And as for a party with what friends?” The two agents climbed out of the car in front of the large hospital. “She hates school, never really even talks to anybody.”
“She’s gifted right? Like your brother the mathematician?” the woman inquired.
“In a different way but yeah” Don nodded. “Took college algebra in fifth grade from what I understand and can remember anything she’s ever read. Actually she reads anything you put in her hand faster than the average person”
“Well then it makes sense she would hate school. She’s not learning anything” Terry voiced.
“Yeah well they won’t put her in an advanced program cuz she doesn’t have a solid school report history” Don explained “I don’t even think she was ever in the 1st or 2nd grade even”
Terry nodded as they entered the hospital elevator “you know it might help if you actually talk to her about it.”
“Yeah” Don sighed as the doors closed.
______________
Abby POV.
I sat in yet another class bored out of my mind. I was two chapters ahead of my teacher and classmates in all of my classes and most of the topics they discussed I had learned about already.
“Now the derivative is a way to show the rate of change. That is, the amount by which a function is changing at one given point. For functions that act on the real numbers, it is the slope of the tangent line at a point on a graph…”
I tuned out my teacher and rested my head on my desk. I had positioned myself in the very back corner of the classroom as to attract the least attention from my teacher and peers. Reaching into my backpack I pulled out my blinders. My medical grade sunglasses like eye cover that I put on to block out all visual stimuli. They were given to me by a doctor that examined me for my memory while I was in the foster system.
As I rested there isolating my mind from the world I began to dwell on the various things that rested in the back of my mind. However one topic I tended to shy away from. A topic that was getting harder to avoid. My birthday.
It was coming up and I wasn’t completely certain I wanted to do anything for it. Me and my mom had talked about how we were going to celebrate it. But she was gone now and Don. I doubted he even remembered it was coming.
The bell rang pulling me from my thoughts. I slipped my blinders to the top of my head and grabbed my stuff. Heading for the door. “Abby” I turned to the teacher who was sitting at her desk. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
I shifted in my path for the door and walked over to Mrs. Clive’s desk. “What do you need.”
She gave me a look and picked up a book from her desk handing it to me. “I saw your birthday was this weekend. Got you this”
I took the book from her and looked at it. The book was Grim Grotto by Lemony Snicket. A book I had been after since its release earlier this year. “Thank you” I murmured.
“Ms. Rampart from the library said that you had been pestering her about it since you joined us so I figured it must be something you’re interested in” Clive informed.
“Yeah I got hooked on it and read up to current last year,” I explained.
“You know with the monster stories you come in here with I wouldn’t have figured you for the series of unfortunate events” Clive voiced.
I scoffed “yeah and what would you figure I’d read?”
Clive grinned back “war and peace”
I shrugged “read that years ago”
The woman nodded “well go on or you’ll miss your bus”
“Thank you Mrs. Clive, for the book” I told her.
“You’re welcome Abby and happy birthday” she smiled.
“Thanks” I nodded heading out of her classroom. Mrs. Clive was probably my favorite teacher at this school though she was a little too observant on some things. She always took the time to ask me how I was and never got mad at me for not paying attention in class. Of course she did get annoyed when I didn’t turn in homework on time. She knew I could do it.
I had to jog to get to my bus on time and as I was one of the last ones on I had to sit next to some kid who was half standing on the seat turned around talking to his friend. I was thankful that my stop was quick on the route.
Hopping off I walked up to my grandfather’s house and let myself in the front door. “Abby! Is that you?” he called.
“Yeah gramps” I called back.
He appeared shortly after “ah hey how was your day?”
“Fine” I shrugged, tossing my backpack on the couch. “Is uncle Charlie here?”
“Uh yeah upstairs I think” he replied. “You want a snack?”
“No I'm good” I settled onto the couch and opened the book Clive had gotten me.
“The grim grotto” Alan read aloud. “Sounds interesting”
“Yeah it’s from Lemony Snicket's series of Unfortunate Events” I explained.
“Seems like a light read for you” the man commented sitting down in one of the chairs nearby and picking up the paper.
“Why does everyone keep saying that?” I exclaimed exasperatedly.
“Because you read twice as fast as the average person and have an Advanced Eiaditic memory” Alan explained.
“It’s Advanced Eidetic” I corrected “and just because I read faster doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a small book like this”
“If you say so” Alan sighed seemingly annoyed with me “so what’s so fascinating about this book series anyway”
“I don’t know” I replied honestly as I shifted on the couch pulling my feet up “I guess I can relate to being bounced around all the time from place to place under unfortunate circumstances” My grandfather made a humming noise and finally ended his questioning as I turned my attention back to my book. We both returned to our normal after school reading silence.
____________________________
“Donnie!” I heard my father’s announced arrival from gramps before I saw the man himself
“Brisket. Must be Friday.” Don murmured as I came wandering out of the kitchen to see him.
“What’s up?” Alan inquired of his eldest son.
“I didn’t have time to drive home. Can I catch a shower here, maybe borrow a clean shirt?” the man requested.
“Yeah, sure, be my guest.” Alan agreed easily.
“So much for 'not staying'” I commented knowingly.
Don sighed, turning to look at me. “Yeah sorry kid. Case took a turn”
“It’s fine” I muttered in reply. I knew Don’s work could be trying sometimes and keep him away from home for long periods of time. Which led to me spending half my time staying at my grandfather’s house.
“Yeah well it’s nice having you around the house anyway” Alan told me as Don turned to head upstairs. “And tell your brother to come down for dinner” Gramps called after his eldest son.
“If the food’s done he’s probably on his way already” I joked taking a seat at the table.
Alan scoffed and turned back to Don. “you want some there’s plenty”
“No, I can’t.” The FBI agent objected, removing his tie and tossing it on the table “I got to get back to work.”
As Don left to go upstairs Charlie appeared. “Abby? When did you get here?”
I exchanged a look with Alan who was pouring water into everyone’s glasses. “A couple weeks ago Uncle C” I called in a sarcastic reply. Which earned me a look from my uncle.
I saw the man’s attention shift to the maps my father had brought in with him. I got up to go look over his shoulder at them. “Hey you two that’s Don’s work. Probably be better if you not mess with it”
“We’re just looking at the map gramps” I responded over my shoulder as I took in the information surrounding the thirteen little red dots on this map. My brain kicked into autopilot as it began various calculations.
“Well then just the map then none of the files” Alan ordered “you hear me”
“Yeah dad we hear you” Charlie responded this time. However from his tone you could tell his mind was somewhere else.
“You think there’s something here?” I asked.
“Maybe” Charlie breathed out as we both continued to analyze the data. “We could help” Charlie was talking lightly both our minds processing the information on the maps with mathematical precision. “Crime scenes”
“Tracking, rating, origin point” I muttered looking at the scattered red dots. Me and Charlie looked at each other both realizing the same thing at the same time.
“Charlie, Abby, what do you think you’re doing?” I turned as Don’s voice came from behind. He was done with his shower.
“Crime scenes” Charlie replied seemingly unaware of Don’s obvious annoyance “what kind of crimes?”
“Get away from here” Don snapped folding up the map quickly “these are confidential case files”
“I already saw the map it’s imprinted on my memory” I replied pointedly. “It doesn’t really matter whether you put it up now or not and we didn’t get in the files.”
“She’s telling the truth.” Alan called from where he was feeding his pet bird. “They just looked at the map. I made sure they didn’t go through anything else.”
“Good,” Don grumbled, grabbing his tie.
“Thirteen crime scenes spread over a contained region. You guys are analyzing the significance of those locations?” Charlie inquired of Don as the older brother tied his tie in the mirror on the wall. I stayed over by the table Charlie followed him.
“Yeah, it’s called predictive analysis.” Don explained “the FBI pioneered it. I trained in it at Quantico, and it doesn’t work on sado-serial crimes. There’s no way to predict the location of the next attack.”
“You know, I helped you out on that stock fraud mess,” Charlie began and I rolled my eyes at his obvious bid. “And the IRS extortion case.”
“Yeah. This is different.” Don objected finishing his tie and turning away from his brother “it’s not about numbers”
“Everything is numbers” Charlie stated and looked to me as Don grabbed his jacket. I shrugged beyond a couple theories there was nothing that I could see us being able to help with or at least not that I could with my limited knowledge. Uncle Charlie sighed and turned to the backyard something caught his eye and I watched as the gears turned in his head. “Don. Hey.” he turned quickly and went after his brother. “Um, can I show you something really quick?”
“No, Charlie I got to get-” Don attempted to argue but his rebellion was futile. As Charlie continued to pester and managed to draw him over to the window facing the backyard. I followed behind them curious to what the mathematician had come up with.
“Check this out.” Charlie gestured outside “you see the sprinkler, yeah?”
“Yeah I see the sprinkler” Don muttered clearly uninterested.
“You see the drops?”
“Yep. See the drops”
Then it clicked in my mind what he was thinking “Even using math there’s no practical way to predict where the next water drop will land” Charlie began his explanation and I walked closer. “There’s too many variables. However, say I couldn’t see the sprinkler. From the pattern of the drops, I could calculate its precise location.”
“The origin point” I voiced.
Charlie flashed me a proud grin then turned back to Don who seemed to slowly be getting the idea “it’s not about predicting the next site. It’s finding what the sites have in common. The point of origin” he nodded to me.
“Charlie, you’re saying you can tell us where the killer lives?” Don inquired.
“Yeah” the mathematician nodded.
“And I can help,” I added.
____________________________
“The movements of a serial perpetrator are defined by his needs. He watches potential victims. Avoiding detection, he’ll frequent public areas, parks, streets that don’t get a lot of traffic, waiting for moments of isolations.” Don explained pacing back and forth in the dining room.
“Isolated areas, high probability of attacks.” Charlie murmured scribbling on the pad of paper in front of him.
“Tv distracting you?” Alan inquired as he passed by the table from the kitchen. “I could turn it off”
“No, it's fine, dad.” Don objected, he glanced over at me sitting in a chair in front of the tv and I quickly diverted my eyes as the brother’s continued to talk.
Moments later Alan came over and sat down in the seat next to mine. I sighed and turned to my grandfather “This is so unfair I can help”
“You’re a teenager Abby not an adult” Alan replied with his eyes on the tv. “Let them work”
“I'm a teenager with a near genius IQ living with an overprotective jerk” I muttered.
“I heard that” Don called from where he sat on the table.
“Yeah well it’s a fact” I called over to him.
“She is capable Don” Charlie agreed “and her help would be valuable”
“I said no I mean no. You’re just a kid. You don’t have clearance and I’m not letting you get involved in a criminal case” The agent put his foot down. “Now can you just listen to me for once?”
“I listen I just don’t follow” I muttered scooting down in my chair. Alan shot me a look out of the corner of his eye.
“I get the sense that this is about more than just you wanting to help on this case” the elder man inferred. I crossed my arms and tried to focus in on what Don and Charlie were saying. “This wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with your birthday being this weekend.”
“It’s not about that” I objected in a tone that was probably more snap than I intended. Sitting up I saw Don looking at me. I sighed, getting up and heading out to the backyard I couldn’t deal with this today.
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3rd POV.
Don left Charlie to do his equations and settled to watch the baseball game with his father. “You going to go talk to her?” Alan inquired after a moment.
Don sighed glancing over to the back door Abby had stormed out of. “No she needs to cool off”
“Still” the grandfather muttered.
“Still what? She’s a teenager, you really want me getting her involved in a criminal case?” Don voiced.
“No, no that’s not what I’m saying Don” Alan sighed “listen it’s her sixteenth birthday this weekend”
“Yeah” Don muttered “I know I got her a present”
Alan let off an annoyed breath “Donnie it’s her first birthday without her mother. It’s her first birthday with a father.” Don sighed and looked to the ground. “Have you even talked to her about Janice at all?”
Don shifted in his seat “I don’t know dad she doesn’t want to talk what am I supposed to do?”
“Donnie there’s a difference between not wanting to talk and not knowing how to,” Alan explained, “and unfortunately it’s a trait she seemed to have inherited from you.”
___________________________
“Let’s go” Don ordered the gathered group of agents. Heading for his desk as they dispersed to get everything done.
“Another day” Terry voiced over his shoulder he glanced back at her before refocusing on his files. “That means the case cuts into Abby’s birthday this weekend doesn’t it?”
“Yeah well she’s staying with my dad” Don muttered, closing the file and tossing it aside.
“Are you at least going to call her or something?” Terry inquired.
“It’s too late now I will in the morning” the man replied, rising from his desk and heading off.
Terry sighed watching him walk away. “Yeah if you remember”
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Abby POV.
White light filled my view, tires screeched, horns honked, a hand slammed into my chest, the crunch of metal, a scream. “Mom!”
I startled awake sitting up on the couch. Thunder crashed outside. I removed the blinders from my eyes. “Abby are you alright” I turned as Alan came into the living room. “I heard you yell.”
“Uh yeah” I replied as my heart rate slowed back down. “It was just a dream”
“Are you sure you’re alright?” the man inquired further. However just then the door opened and in came Charlie. He looked like a drowned rat. “Aw Charlie don’t tell me you went biking out in this weather”
“I had to go by my office” the man replied as he settled down at the table pulling the FBI case files out of his bag. He was obviously shaken by something.
The front door opened again and in came Don. “Hey guys, what's up?” he asked, seeming deflated. “Charlie you’re soaked”
“Yes I’m aware” the younger man replied.
Don removed his jacket and went for the coffee in the kitchen as I wandered over to the dining room. Which seemed to be the place everyone was congregating. Our reflections shown in the darkened rain streaked windows. Don reappeared shortly after with a mug of coffee. He placed it on the table and began pacing the room.
“I can’t get my head around it.” Charlie voiced after a moment.
“What are we missing?” Don ran along the same thought “where’s the problem? And how do we make it work? We need to make it work” he stated the last part more forcefully.
It was weird watching him work. The gears turning in his head. “We need to retest it. We need another run.” Charlie declared standing and going up to Don who was still pacing.
“Well that’s not going to happen” the agent objected, turning to his younger brother.
“Well, look I know that it’s gonna be hard for you to talk your boss into doing it again,” the mathematician tried “but we can’t stop after one attempt-”
“Charlie” Don tried to interrupt however the professor continued to truck on.
“New methods require repeated trials-”
“Charlie, I’m not on the case anymore.” Don explained finally. “Okay?”
“Why?” Charlie inquired.
I sighed and watched the look exchanged between Alan and Don. “because my supervisor wanted fresh eyes on it.” I could tell he was lying.
“Well, maybe the math is not the problem” Alan suggested suddenly.
“What do you mean?” Charlie questioned.
“Well, you just said that there was something you couldn’t get your head around,” Alan elaborated further “and I know for a fact that it can’t be the math.”
“What else is there?” Charlie sighed. Then it clicked like it was obvious.
“The people” I voiced causing all of them to look at me like they had just realized my existence. “The math can only predict what people will do acting within certain parameters what if this guy acts outside of your preconceived notions of human behavior?” I offered.
“Hey, maybe they’re right” Don nodded walking past me back to the window to point at the water spraying outside. “I mean, this sprinkler. That totally made sense. That you could track back from the location and find out where the guy lives. Right? Totally made sense.” he turned from his father and brother to look at me. “Maybe we’re thinking about this guy in too narrow a focus.”
“Are you saying I need to consider more than his criminal activities?” Charlie seemed confused.
“No not exactly” Don explained “I’m saying we maybe need to consider more than just where he lives. Like Abby said. You know look at me. If you designed an equation to find my origin, you wouldn’t get my apartment ‘cause I’m almost never there. My base would be my office.”
I looked to Charlie as he meandered over toward the window the gears in his head spinning. The math forming in his mind. “Which means we use his home and his work as points of origin.”
“Exactly” Don agreed.
“I can design an equation to identify two hot zones.” Charlie muttered eyes still transfixed on the window. “Why didn’t I think of that?” he questioned, turning back to us. “Don… Dad… Abby.” he looked to us each individually. “That’s brilliant”
It wasn’t long before the boys were packing it up and heading back to Don’s office. Both invigorated by the discovery. Once they were gone Alan turned to me. “You should get to bed, it’s late and tomorrow is a rather important day.”
I nodded slightly as he turned to head to the kitchen “Do you think he knows?” I voiced almost not meaning to. “Do you think Don remembers that it’s my birthday tomorrow?”
Alan sighed looking back at me. “Abby, Don can get wrapped up in his work but uh, he’s never been one to forget what’s important.” I bit my lip and looked to the floor thinking. “Alright now up to bed”
“Goodnight gramps”
“Goodnight Abby” the man smiled at me as I headed for the stairs.
I reached the room that had at one point been Don’s and collapsed on the bed. My world had been a lot smaller when it was just me and my mom. A lot scarier and a whole lot less normal but definitely smaller and less complicated.
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I was startled awake again from the same dream, the same memory. I slowed my breaths and got up from the bed. Dawn had barely set in and light wasn’t very prevalent outside. I paced back and forth in the room. Thinking over everything before finally making a decision.
I threw on some clothes, grabbed my backpack and headed out of the room. I crept through the house quietly as not to wake Gramps snoring down the hall. As I reached the front door I paused looking back at the house before ducking out and running.
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3rd POV.
Don sighed as he packed away the last couple files on his desk. The case was finally closed and he was exhausted. He glanced over and saw a small stack of books on his desk wrapped in a bow. He pulled it closer to him and looked at the card on them. To: Abby From: Terry.
“Figured you could give it to her for me” the female agent spoke up causing Don to turn to her.
“Yeah sure” he agreed.
Terry gave him a smile. “Go home Don and celebrate your daughter’s birthday” she instructed him.
Don nodded as she left. He sat there for a moment thinking about everything today meant. Sixteen years ago today he had become a father and he hadn’t even known it. Then a couple weeks ago he had been told and expected to start acting like a Dad. Don sure didn’t feel like a father. Anytime he talked to Abby it felt weird like he couldn’t find the words or she would just give him sarcasm. It was easier just not to talk at all. He had no idea what he was doing and she certainly didn’t seem to want him around.
Don let off a breath and rose from his seat gathering up his things. Then his phone rang glancing at his caller ID he was surprised to see it was his father “hey dad what’s-”
“Abby’s missing” Alan interrupted.
Don immediately felt like he couldn’t breath. His heart rate picked up and his lungs felt empty. “What?”
“She’s missing. Gone.” Alan repeated he sounded scared himself “I went to wake her up this morning and she just wasn’t there”
Every worse case scenario started shooting through Don’s mind. Where could she be? Could she be hurt? Kidnapped? Lost somewhere? Scared? He couldn’t think straight as fear coursed through his veins.
“Alright call the cops put out an Amber alert” Don suggested “see- see if she’s with Charlie or something. I’ll try her cell and go look at- ah the library, the apartment. Places she might go”
He was talking extremely fast he realized as the cop side of him battled with a side of him he’d never felt before. A kind of pure terror and concern that he couldn’t even begin to quantify as he grabbed his coat and bolted for the elevator hanging up on his father and speed dialing his daughter’s number. She didn’t answer. He tried again and again as he reached his car. This couldn’t be happening. Where was she?
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Don was driving away from the library as his phone rang. He answered it without even glancing at the caller ID hoping to hear his daughter’s voice on the other line. He was disappointed.
“Don”
“Charlie I can’t talk right now. Abby is-”
“I know Dad told me” Charlie informed “He also said she was upset-”
“She’s always moody Charlie what are you saying?” Don snapped probably a little more harshly than he meant to.
“I think I know where she is” Charlie spoke quickly as not to be cut off by his frantic older brother.
________________
Don cursed himself for not realizing it sooner. After all his worrying and frantic searching why hadn’t he looked here first? As he pulled to a stop and got out of his truck he felt himself slow as relief washed over him.
Sitting in the grass not too far off was Abby. She was staring at one of the various stones of the cemetery. Don sighed and walked over to her somberly.
Nothing was said as he sat down next to her. He didn’t need to read the name of the stone to guess whose it was. Janice Calvin. His ex-girlfriend and Abby’s mother.
“You know you scared everyone half to death” he finally stated after a moment.
“Sorry” the girl replied, looking to her feet. “I should have left a note or something. I just wanted to be alone here for awhile.”
“Yeah” Don let off a breath just relieved she was okay.
“It’s my sixteenth birthday” Abby muttered, turning back to the stone but still not looking at him.
“I know I got you a present,” Don replied softly.
“Mom and me had been planning my sweet sixteen before..” Abby trailed looking to the ground. “It was just going to be the two of us. We were going to cook and have a picnic in our apartment. We couldn't do much because you know we didn’t have a lot of money. But we were going to have each other.”
“I’m so sorry Abby” Don told her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders hesitantly. “Your mother loved you”
“I know she did I just- I just miss her” Abby sniffed and for the first time. Don saw his daughter cry. He felt a part of him inside falter. Like something had broken or shifted.
“I miss her too.” Don explained. “Your mother was an incredible person. And my biggest regret was letting her go”
“Do you think if she would have stayed- if she would have told you,” Abby questioned. “That things would have been different? That we would have..” The girl trailed but her question was clear.
“I don’t know Abbs but” Don sighed and finally he understood what his own father had been trying to tell him all this time. “Abby I have no idea what I’m doing here. I’ve missed so much of your life to the point I- I didn’t even know what to get you for your birthday. I just-” he paused biting his lip. “I just feel like we’ve both been living with each other these last few weeks and not actually trying to have a relationship because it’s scary and complicated but Abby.” he sighed “today when dad called and told me you were missing.. I’ve never been more scared in my entire life.” Abby looked up at him as tears streaked down her face. “Now I know your mom loved you and Abby so do I alright?”
“Alright” she managed but in the next second Abby wrapped her arms around Don’s middle as she broke into sobs. Don just held her in his arms holding back his own tears.
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Abby POV.
It was late. After the cemetery Don had called and told everyone that I was safe. I felt bad putting them through all of that. I just hadn’t realized how many people would freak out had I gone missing. I was sitting at my desk in my own room reading one of the books Terry had gotten me quietly.
There was a knock on my door. I paused in my reading and rose from my chair. Opening it I wasn’t exactly surprised to see my father standing outside. “What?” I inquired with minor annoyance at being disturbed. Though after everything that happened today I didn’t have much energy left to be annoyed.
“Come on I’ve got a surprise for you” Don replied ignoring my sarcasm.
“What?” I repeated exasperatedly curious for what this surprise could be.
“Come on” Don scoffed, ushering me out of my room and toward the living room. I dragged my feet and had to practically be shoved out by my determined father.
My irritated rebellion ended however as we exited the stairs. The coffee table had been moved and various colorful lights were hanging all around. In the center was a blanket laid out with something like a picnic setting. “Now I know it’s probably not exactly what you and your mom planned but..” Don sighed stepping around to look me in the face as I stared around in awe “Happy Birthday Abby”
“Thanks D- Don” I replied. Stumbling on the name as the word Dad nearly slipped from my mouth. He smiled and we settled down on the blanket to eat. Talking and laughing and joking. It was a fun night and after all of it I was really happy to have my dad in my life.
Chapter 2->