Apple Doesn't Fall Far (Duskwood Fanfiction)

Chapter 2

13 years later.

I'm in the kitchen preparing lunch for Grace's last day of school. I look up and see her walking through the door. Her jet black hair she gets from her father is pulled back in a French braid and her emerald green eyes that are identical to his sparkle in the light. I swear she looks more like Jake every day.

"Morning sunshine." I say to her
"Good morning mom." She says grabbing a banana and a pop tart before sitting down at the kitchen island.
"Are you excited about today being your last day before summer break?"
"Umm yeah so..." She says trailing off
"So?" I say turning to face her and leaning on the counter in front of her.
"Well, you know how East View University is one of the top-ranked schools in the county for computer science?" She asks and I nod my head. "And you know how it's my dream school right?"
"Yes and I also know that you're only 12 and still have several years to think about that." I say giving her a skeptical look.
"They have a summer program for computer science and normally you have to be 16 but this year they are doing one for 12 to 15 year olds. Please mom can I go? I swear I will never ask you for anything else. I want this more than anything. Please please please?" She begs
"Gracie, I'm sure something like that is really expensive. I'm not sure we can afford it." I say giving her an apologetic smile.
"Well, I figured you would say that so with the help of one of my teachers I applied for sponsorship for the program." She says with a bright smile on her face.
"You can't count on that and what if you don't get it then how much is it?"
"Well, you see thanks to my 4.0 GPA, my convincing essay, and a recommendation letter from my teacher I was already selected for it. They are paying for everything! I didn't want to tell you until I knew for sure it would be paid for. So you can't use the money as an excuse not to let me go." She says clapping her hands excitedly like a little kid.
"How long is the program? Where will you be staying during this time?" I say pushing myself off the counter and crossing my arms over my chest.
"It's only five weeks. We will be staying in the dorms and food is included, before you ask about that. They will have security and chaperones there to keep an eye on us. There's nothing you have to worry about." She says pleading with me to say yes.
"Gracie, it's three hours away. Even if they do have people there watching you accidents can still happen. What if something happens? It's not like you're just down the road where I can rush to you."
"Grandma lives in East View she will be right there if something happens. Please mom I'm begging you."
"I don't know Gracie." I sigh
"Oh come on Mara let the girl go." My sister says strolling into the kitchen and walking over to rummage through the fridge.
"Geez Anna, ever hear of knocking?" I say in a hateful but playful tone.
"Oh, I've heard of it." She turns around from the fridge popping a grape in her mouth. "I've just never understood the concept."
I start packing Grace's lunch into her lunch box. "Wait how did you even get in here? The door was locked." I ask
"The front door was locked but the back door was not. Besides if I started knocking I wouldn't get to hear these lovely conversations you guys have and you wouldn't get to hear my great advice." She says winking at Grace
"I don't see that as a bad thing." I mumble
"I like aunt Anna's advice." Grace chimes in
"Of course you do because she's almost always on your side!"
"Well somebody has to be." She says under her breath.
I pick up her lunch box holding it out for her. "Look I'm not saying no but I'm going to need all the details before I say yes. Ok?"
"Deal! If it makes you feel better my teacher is going to be one of the chaperones and they are going to have parent days every Saturday where you can come spend the day with me." She says taking the lunch box.
"Maybe next time lead with that. Anna is taking you to school go ahead and go to the car I need to talk to her for a minute." I kiss her on the forehead. "I love you have a good day at school." I tell her and she skips happily out of the room. I turn to Anna who is rummaging through the fridge again.
"You gotta let her live her own life, Mara." she says turning around from the fridge with a bowl in her hand.
"She's my baby. I am her mother and it is my job to protect her!" I say
"Look I know you don't like the idea of her pursuing this dream of hers but it's her life and her choice. I know I don't know anything about her father, mainly because you won't tell anyone who he is, but she's not him. Just because he's her father that doesn't mean she's going to make the same mistakes he did and go down that same path. You can't hold her back because of his mistakes."
"Why do you have to make so much damn sense?" I ask her
"Because that's what big sisters are for." She says popping the lid off the bowl in her hand.
"Seriously? No." I say pointing to the bowl.
"What? What happened to mi casa es su casa or whatever that saying is?" She asks.
"My house may be your house but my food is my food and I'm taking that for lunch." I say grabbing the bowl from her. "Here have a pop tart." I say tossing a pack of pop tarts at her.
"Fine, hateful." She mumbles walking towards the door. She turns around sticking her tongue out at me before leaving. 

I know Anna is right but it still scares me. I have only been back to East View twice since the night I found out I was pregnant and left my old life behind. The thought of returning and having my Gracie spend five weeks there is making my mind race with all these what-ifs. East View was the first and last place I met Jake. It's been 13 years I know there's no way he's still there but what if he is? What if I run into him? What if he finds out about Grace?
-------------------------------------------------------------

Jake's P.O.V.

Driving down the streets of East View brings back so many unwanted memories. A lot has happened since the last time I was here 13 years ago. After MC disappeared without a trace I spent three years trying to find her to no avail. I'm the one who taught her how to disappear and I have been kicking myself for it ever since. I imagined we would disappear together not that she would disappear to get away from me. So many emotions I've felt over the last 13 years. I no longer hate her as much as I used to although sometimes I just get in a mood and rage overcomes me. I just want to know why? Why did she disappear? We spent three years looking for her. It wasn't just me it was the whole gang from Duskwood they were just as devastated by her disappearance as I was. After three years I gave up. I had nothing left to fight for so I turned myself in. I didn't care whether I lived or died. I was already dead inside and I figured nothing they could do to me would be worse than the pain of losing the only woman I ever loved or at least thought I loved. I spent six years after that in prison which was hell at first but I adapted. I walked out of that place a completely different person than I walked in. I was released four years ago and I have dedicated every moment since to creating a better life for myself. I decided to go back to college for my master's degree and I do many different jobs across the country. I lead cyber security seminars for large corporations to help them prevent cyber attacks. I've also created software programs that are used by those same companies to protect them against attacks. I mentor young aspiring hackers and teach them how to stay out of trouble and to avoid accidentally crossing the line from white-hat hacker to black-hat hacker. I mentor troubled youth and try to help them get their lives together and stay out of trouble. For the most part, I'm pretty happy with my new life. I go by Jay now instead of Jake. It's not much of a change but it's a change. East View is my new home for the next six weeks at least. It's a temporary job but if I do well it may lead to a permanent position. I almost turned down the job because well it's MC's hometown what if I run into her? Then I decided to take the job for that very reason. I have no doubts if she stayed here we would have found her years ago but maybe she came back or maybe she's close. Maybe I will finally be able to get some answers as to what happened and why she left. A part of me still has feelings for her after all these years later and wonders what would have happened if she hadn't left, and another part of me hates her for breaking her promise to stay by my side. I'm not sure which part of me would take over if I were to see her again. I park my car and walk into the hotel I will call home for now. I let out a sigh I guess we will see what these next few weeks will bring.