Forums
1
Chapter 9
Posted by
Crimegirl
,
17 September 2012
·
435 views
Eve and Roarke sat in her office, her cuddled into his lap as they read data on their respective links.
“Lieutenant, Roarke, detective Peabody is here.” Summersets voice buzzed through the intercom. They called David down as she entered, and Eve took her by surprise when she pulled her into a fierce hug without a word.
“Dallas?” Peabody said uncertainly, but caught sight of Roarke making frantic stop signs and shut up.
Eve walked over to the board, which she’d updated with Peabody’s latest information on Keely, helped along by David’s account. When her back was turned Peabody gave him a what the hell look, to which he shook his head.
“Did you get anything from David’s info last night?” asked Eve absently.
“Not yet, but we’re working on it.”
“Morning.” David came into the office, Joya perched on his hip. The three year old giggled, reaching out to Eve eagerly.
“Ah…” Eve glanced helplessly at Roarke as David pushed the child into her arms, and held her awkwardly.
“Like this.” David laughed and adjusted her grip until Eve was holding her without the fear of dropping her.
“Huh. You’re not nearly as squirmy as Belle.” Eve told her with a small smile.
“Who’s Belle?” David asked.
“Our goddaughter.” Replied Roarke, and again Eve caught that edge of anger to his voice.
“Where’s Evelyna?” asked Peabody.
“Walking around the house. She misses Keely.” David had to swallow past the lump in his throat as he replied. “Actually, I better go find her. Excuse me.” He walked out quickly, leaving Joya in Eve’s arms. She went to turn back to the board, only to find it blank.
“Ya really think it’s the best thing for her to see?” asked Peabody raising an eyebrow as she gestured towards Joya.
“Oh…” Eve looked at Joya blankly, causing her husband and partner to laugh. Roarke slipped an arm around her waist, and she leant into him, resting her head against his shoulder.
Peabody grinned at the vision before her- the pair standing framed at the window with a child in their arms and the storm raining down before them.
When Whitney finally arrived, Peabody sat at Eve’s computer running background on their old school mates while Eve and Roarke sat on the floor and played with Joya. The young girl had decided that the comfiest seat was on Eve’s lap, so she sat cross legged with the child as Roarke performed magic tricks that delighted them both.
“Good Morning Lieutenant, Roarke, Detective.” Whitney entered the room, and concealed a smile at the sight before him.
“Good morning Jack.” Greeted Roarke as he rose gracefully to his feet, sweeping Joya into the air and giving Eve a hand too.
“Morning Sir.”
“Morning Commander.”
“Who’s this?” smiled Whitney at Joya, who beamed and waved at him from Roarke’s hip.
“This is Joya. Joya, say hi.” Roarke smiled gently at her as she greeted Whitney between giggles.
“It’s nice to meet you, Joya. Detective Peabody?”
“Sure. Ah…Dallas could you-“she gestured towards Joya, but before she could move a voice came from the doorway.
“I’ll take her.” Evelyna entered, and swung the girl onto her hip with practised ease.
“Find daddy, please!” Joya grinned widely, reaching up to play with her sister’s long hair.
“Sure thing sunshine.” She swung Joya up to her shoulders, causing her to shriek with laughter. As they departed, Roarke saw Eve was watching them, sadness written on her face.
“Eve? Are you alright?” he asked gently.
“Hm? Oh, yeah. I just… do you ever remember being that happy?” she asked as he linked their hands.
“I don’t think it’s just happiness. I think it’s innocence.” Eve let out a humourless laugh.
“Well, neither of us ever had that, were we?” her arms wrapped around herself as if she were cold, she curled up on the window seat, ignoring the concerned stares of her partner and boss as she gazed blankly at the lighting streaking across the dark sky.
“Would you excuse us a second?” Roarke pulled Eve to her feet and into his adjoining office even as she protested.
“Roarke! What-” She was cut off by his lips pressing fiercely against hers.
“Goddamn it Eve, I love you but what the hell is going on?”
“I don’t-”
“The hell you don’t! You had the worst nightmare I’ve ever seen, you cringe away from me, then refuse to let go. You’re, well, for want of a better word, clingy and you just zoned out in front of your superior! So again, what’s going on?”
“I…” she began to pace agitatedly, “Please Roarke… don’t ask me. Don’t ask me to remember.” She turned tortured eyes to him, and the fear in them tore Roarke apart.
“Eve.” He traced a hand over her face, and put the question in his eyes instead. She closed her own, willing back the tears. She felt his hand ghost over her cheek and let the tears fall.
“I… was in this maze. I could hear Keely calling for help, but I couldn’t find her. David- he wouldn’t tell me, just left me behind. When I found her, she was dead, but alive. She told me it was my fault, and then there was everyone I care about standing around. And all of them hated me, told me I was worthless. Then… you, you didn’t want me. Told me everything was a lie, and that you really loved Magdalena. You all walked away when my father came for me. You left me, and I was all by myself again. Just like before.”
Her body shuddered even as Roarke enfolded her in his arms.
“I will never leave you Eve. I love you. And so does your family- you have so many people who care about you Eve… you just don’t realise it.” Eve finally let the tears come, and Roarke held her as she sobbed.
“Dammit, I hate doing that.” She scowled, wiping her face and didn’t catch sight of Roarke's smile.
“Welcome back Lieutenant.” He murmured as he caught sight of the determination in the cop eyes he hadn’t seen in far too long. Eve strode into her office; head held high and prepared to catch her sister’s killer.
“Lieutenant, Roarke, detective Peabody is here.” Summersets voice buzzed through the intercom. They called David down as she entered, and Eve took her by surprise when she pulled her into a fierce hug without a word.
“Dallas?” Peabody said uncertainly, but caught sight of Roarke making frantic stop signs and shut up.
Eve walked over to the board, which she’d updated with Peabody’s latest information on Keely, helped along by David’s account. When her back was turned Peabody gave him a what the hell look, to which he shook his head.
“Did you get anything from David’s info last night?” asked Eve absently.
“Not yet, but we’re working on it.”
“Morning.” David came into the office, Joya perched on his hip. The three year old giggled, reaching out to Eve eagerly.
“Ah…” Eve glanced helplessly at Roarke as David pushed the child into her arms, and held her awkwardly.
“Like this.” David laughed and adjusted her grip until Eve was holding her without the fear of dropping her.
“Huh. You’re not nearly as squirmy as Belle.” Eve told her with a small smile.
“Who’s Belle?” David asked.
“Our goddaughter.” Replied Roarke, and again Eve caught that edge of anger to his voice.
“Where’s Evelyna?” asked Peabody.
“Walking around the house. She misses Keely.” David had to swallow past the lump in his throat as he replied. “Actually, I better go find her. Excuse me.” He walked out quickly, leaving Joya in Eve’s arms. She went to turn back to the board, only to find it blank.
“Ya really think it’s the best thing for her to see?” asked Peabody raising an eyebrow as she gestured towards Joya.
“Oh…” Eve looked at Joya blankly, causing her husband and partner to laugh. Roarke slipped an arm around her waist, and she leant into him, resting her head against his shoulder.
Peabody grinned at the vision before her- the pair standing framed at the window with a child in their arms and the storm raining down before them.
When Whitney finally arrived, Peabody sat at Eve’s computer running background on their old school mates while Eve and Roarke sat on the floor and played with Joya. The young girl had decided that the comfiest seat was on Eve’s lap, so she sat cross legged with the child as Roarke performed magic tricks that delighted them both.
“Good Morning Lieutenant, Roarke, Detective.” Whitney entered the room, and concealed a smile at the sight before him.
“Good morning Jack.” Greeted Roarke as he rose gracefully to his feet, sweeping Joya into the air and giving Eve a hand too.
“Morning Sir.”
“Morning Commander.”
“Who’s this?” smiled Whitney at Joya, who beamed and waved at him from Roarke’s hip.
“This is Joya. Joya, say hi.” Roarke smiled gently at her as she greeted Whitney between giggles.
“It’s nice to meet you, Joya. Detective Peabody?”
“Sure. Ah…Dallas could you-“she gestured towards Joya, but before she could move a voice came from the doorway.
“I’ll take her.” Evelyna entered, and swung the girl onto her hip with practised ease.
“Find daddy, please!” Joya grinned widely, reaching up to play with her sister’s long hair.
“Sure thing sunshine.” She swung Joya up to her shoulders, causing her to shriek with laughter. As they departed, Roarke saw Eve was watching them, sadness written on her face.
“Eve? Are you alright?” he asked gently.
“Hm? Oh, yeah. I just… do you ever remember being that happy?” she asked as he linked their hands.
“I don’t think it’s just happiness. I think it’s innocence.” Eve let out a humourless laugh.
“Well, neither of us ever had that, were we?” her arms wrapped around herself as if she were cold, she curled up on the window seat, ignoring the concerned stares of her partner and boss as she gazed blankly at the lighting streaking across the dark sky.
“Would you excuse us a second?” Roarke pulled Eve to her feet and into his adjoining office even as she protested.
“Roarke! What-” She was cut off by his lips pressing fiercely against hers.
“Goddamn it Eve, I love you but what the hell is going on?”
“I don’t-”
“The hell you don’t! You had the worst nightmare I’ve ever seen, you cringe away from me, then refuse to let go. You’re, well, for want of a better word, clingy and you just zoned out in front of your superior! So again, what’s going on?”
“I…” she began to pace agitatedly, “Please Roarke… don’t ask me. Don’t ask me to remember.” She turned tortured eyes to him, and the fear in them tore Roarke apart.
“Eve.” He traced a hand over her face, and put the question in his eyes instead. She closed her own, willing back the tears. She felt his hand ghost over her cheek and let the tears fall.
“I… was in this maze. I could hear Keely calling for help, but I couldn’t find her. David- he wouldn’t tell me, just left me behind. When I found her, she was dead, but alive. She told me it was my fault, and then there was everyone I care about standing around. And all of them hated me, told me I was worthless. Then… you, you didn’t want me. Told me everything was a lie, and that you really loved Magdalena. You all walked away when my father came for me. You left me, and I was all by myself again. Just like before.”
Her body shuddered even as Roarke enfolded her in his arms.
“I will never leave you Eve. I love you. And so does your family- you have so many people who care about you Eve… you just don’t realise it.” Eve finally let the tears come, and Roarke held her as she sobbed.
“Dammit, I hate doing that.” She scowled, wiping her face and didn’t catch sight of Roarke's smile.
“Welcome back Lieutenant.” He murmured as he caught sight of the determination in the cop eyes he hadn’t seen in far too long. Eve strode into her office; head held high and prepared to catch her sister’s killer.
