Aria (a psych fanfiction)

Chapter 9

I'm back! Thank you, Summer Jackson, TheShulesLovinPsycho, and Broadwaygirl21 so, so much for the reviews! I heart all of you guys! So, the creepy guy calls Aria...but who exactly is "He?" To be honest, I'm not sure if Aria really knows herself. Enjoy!

Also, just a quick note: this story's going to get kind of dark. Nothing M rated, but...dark (Dark = whumpy). Just a heads up.

Chapter Nine: Cat and Mouse...I Mean, Bird

Previously on Songbird:

Aria swiped the screen to answer, lifting the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hello, little bird. Long time no talk," purred the voice on the other end.

Chills immediately spread across her body. Because she'd heard that voice before. Once two years ago, and again a year later.

And, as a result, Mom was now dead.

"I can see you, little bird. I know you're there. And believe me when I say it would be better for everyone - you, me, your little family - if you'd just answer, nice and calmly. No screams, no fainting, no calling the police."

Her stomach was already churning at the sound of His voice, but her blood turned to ice when He mentioned her family. Shawn and Gus, and Henry, and Juliet and Lassie. Oh, God, He knows. He'd been watching her, and He knew.

"What do you want?" she whispered, grabbing the arm of the sofa to steady herself as she sat down, shaking.

"Isn't it obvious, little bird? You and your adoptive family - you all are quite adorable, I must say - have been working on that case. Or, were, at least - once you made it clear that you were here to stay, I had no reason to continue."

"Continue? I don't - I don't understand - "

"Aria, Aria, Aria. Come, now, you used to be so bright. Surely you haven't been dumbed down by a few months of civilian life? What I'm saying, quite simply, is that I want to finish what we began in New York. You remember how I got your mother? Mama bird's flown from the nest, and now I want you."

Aria thought her heart had stopped beating when she heard that.

Now I want you.

"My mother didn't fly the nest, she didn't abandon me, you - but it doesn't matter now," she choked out, barely believing her own words.

"Tsk, tsk, my dear little songbird-"

"Don't call me that."

"Don't you like it? I thought it was fitting, since your name means song, and you love to sing. Just like your mother - do you still like opera?"

"Leave me alone." She added a bit of steely resolve to her tone, but she couldn't keep her voice from shaking.

"Ah, ah, ah, temper, temper. I don't like your tone, miss."

"I don't care."

"Well, perhaps you don't care for your own safety, but you seem to care a great deal for your new family. I've been bird watching for a while now, Aria. I've never been quite able to catch you, but now...well, now you've boxed yourself in rather nicely, haven't you?"

She sucked in a deep breath, trying to stop her head from spinning. "I-I don't understand."

"Your police connections don't mean anything to me, little bird. Tomorrow night, ten o'clock sharp, you will meet me on the corner Miller Road and Wilbert Avenure. I'll be driving a black car. You'll know it when you see it. You will make up some excuse that will allow to spend the weekend away without causing suspicion. I'll even let you go back on Monday, if you behave well. You won't tell anyone about this - you know I have my ways of finding out if you do, and then...well, let's just say your cousins won't enjoy the result."

"Wait, I-"

"No. No more waiting. I've waited long enough. Your mother can't make any deals for you this time. Next time I see you, little bird, you'll be walking into my cage. Au revoir." There was a click, and the line went dead.

"Hello?" Aria whispered. But there was no response. She held her phone to her chest, shaking. He found me. Of course, He'd found her. She'd fled New York, left behind everything she'd known to travel across the country, thinking she'd escaped. But no. He'd found her.

Has He been following me this whole time? Or did He just happen to be in Santa Barbara? And how had He managed to get her number?

"Next time I see you, little bird, you'll be walking into my cage."

She should tell someone. Shawn, Gus, Henry, any of them. Shouldn't she? He got Mom, and now He wants to finish the job. But He hadn't just threatened Aria, He'd threatened everyone she cared about. And the results of their last encounter proved just how dedicated He really was to getting His way.

She stood up, still trembling, with her mind firmly made up. She knew what she had to do. Her hands shook as she dialed Shawn's number.

"Aria? You okay?"

"What? Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Um, remember that girl I was telling you about that I met at school? Ashley? She's going away for the weekend for her birthday, to, uh, the beach upstate, and she invited a bunch of girls from our class to go with her, including me. Can I go? Please?"

"Wait, what? Why?"

"Come on, Shawn," she whined. "Pleeeease?"

"I..." He paused, and she heard him and Gus whisper-arguing vigorously with each other. "Can we talk about this later?"

"Fine." She realized how bratty that sounded, and tried again. "I mean, thank you. Oh, and I forgot to tell you, I found those papers you wanted! They were behind the sofa, I left them on the table, under your laptop, okay? I'm at the school now, gotta go." After hanging up, she hesitated before making one more call. If He was really watching her, although she didn't quite understand how that was possible with the blinds closed over the office window, He'd know she'd obeyed His orders, but she just wanted to make sure.

"Back so soon, little bird?"

"I just...I made up an excuse. I'll be there tomorrow, I promise, okay? Just...please. Don't hurt them."

He hung up on her.

Another cliffhanger! *le gasp* I know, I know, I'm a terrible person. On the bright side, I have the next couple of chapters already written, so the chaos that is my life will not be keeping me from updating on time. Love you guys, and thank you for sticking with this story! :)