Without A Trace

Fourty-Two.

Walking back inside Ivy and Michael take a seat at the table with the rest of us.

"Done?" I say swirling my drink looking over at Ivy. She responds by nodding her head. I turn my attention back to Ada. "The floors all yours," I say before taking a drink from my glass.

"I firstly would like to apologize for any riffs I may have caused in this family," she says glancing around the room. "But I am home to stay. Since my husband died theres nothing left for me in London. Everything I have left is here in this house," she says with a small smile.

"Welcome home Ada," Thomas says meeting his sisters eyes. "Im sorry to cut this short, but rumor has it we have a meeting, Ada you stay here with Pippin" he says standing up.

"That wasn't supposed to be until tomorrow-" Ivy starts.

"Well I say its right now," he says putting a cigarette in his mouth before lighting it and taking a puff off of it. "I've already had Changretta call the families as well. So lets get going."

Everyone gets up and heads towards the school. Walking towards the classroom, Lewis and Aurthur stand outside of the doorway along with Thomas who opens the door for the rest of us. As we file in the few parents that are there sit there like stones infront of Changrettas desk.

"Per your request Mrs. Changretta, the boys will be outside the room," I say before leaning against the wall next to the door with Anna. "And pretend we arent even here."

Michael and Ivy take a seat. Ivy looks from parent to parent before speaking, "I wanted to have a meeting with you to discuss your childrens behavior with my daughter."

"And how the fuck do you have proof it was our kids?" One of the dads asks.

Michael shoots his gaze towards him, "Because Pippin told us who the fuck it is. That's how." Causing the man to close his mouth abruptly.

"We just wanted to let everyone here know that despite what we do, theres no reason to drag my daughter through the mud. And mind you most of your fuckin income comes from my family," Ivy says crossing her leg over the other. "My daughter doesn't need to hear every day that her dad is a bad person-"

"So maybe we'll just tell her the truth that hes a stone cold fuckin killer eh? Him and the rest of the lot of you!" The other dad says becoming increasingly louder and angrier before slamming his hands on the desk and standing up. Casuing Ivy to jump slightly in fright.

His behavior causes Michael to shoot out of his chair, "You better sit the fuck down right now before you do something you'll regret," Michael says coldly.

The other parents start to chime in with the commotion before I raise my eyebrows yell over all of them, "OI," they all stop and look in my direction. "Who in the bloody hell do you think you are to be getting all riled up?" I ask crossing my arms.

"Cora-" Mrs. Changretta starts before I wave my hand up to her to stop talking.

One of the moms angrily shoves past her husband and walks over to me pressing her nose against mine, "Fuck you and your fuckin family. Its a pity my kids are stuck going to school with fuckin scum that comes out of your house."

I grab a fist full of her hair in the back of her head and yank her away from me before opening the door with my other hand, letting the boys come in. I drag the woman back to her husband and throw her into his chest.

Thomas calmly walks in with his hands in his pockets, "Mrs. Changretta, please have a seat." He says calmly. She slowly lowers herself down into her chair, swallowing the lump in her throat. Everyone else nervously follows suit and sits in their seats.

"Tom-" I start before he grabs my hand and kisses the top of it softly, shaking his head and setting my arm back down.

He walks towards the middle of the desk to get everyones attention, "I thought you people could be civilized enough to have a simple fuckin meeting. But I guess I was wrong."

A man starts to get back up but Lewis grabs ahold of his shoulder and slams him back down in his seat.

"If we are in this room, that means someone has disrespected my brother, or his wife. And thats not a good thing now is it?" He asks leaning against the wall. "I will say this one time and one time only, your kids will never utter a breath about us to my beautiful niece ever again," he says meeting their gazes. "She is brilliant and smart and can make her own views of us when shes older. I will not threaten your children, but I will threaten you." He says as his tone grows cold. "My niece comes home in tears again from something any of your kids have said, and you can best believe that same night I will be on your fuckin doorsteps." He says glancing at them around the room.

None of them utter a word as they sit there and stare at him anxiously. Thomas nods his head, "Right then. We'll be off now," he says tilting his head towards the door as all of us file out of the room with him behind us as he shuts the door after leaving the room.

Back at the house Ada meets Thomas outside, "Whats the next topic on the list Thomas?"

Thomas lights his cigarette and looks around at all of us before turning his gaze back to Ada, "The Derby. We're getting ready for the derby. I hear its going to be quite the night, Eh Lewis?" He says turning around to his brother.

A smile creeps up on Lewis's face, "Quite a doozy if I say so myself," he says before placing a kiss on the top of Annas head.

"Alright," Ada sighs before crossing her arms meeting her brothers gaze, "Who's fuckin dying?"

"Campbell," he says with a smirk before taking another drag off his cigarette. "Rightfully so anyways. He almost got your brother behind me there killed."

Ada looks over at Lewis before back at Thomas, "And nobody told me?"

"Well we're telling you now so. Better late than fuckin never eh?" I say sliding past my husband. "Get inside and we'll fill you in," I say motioning to the house.

Ada goes through the front door as the rest of us file in behind her. Pippin runs over to her parents and hugs them both around their legs.

"Nobody's gonna be mean now?" She asks looking up at them.

Michael brushes her brown hair out of her face and smiles down at his daughter, "No love. They'll be kind do you just as you are to be kind to them. Understand?"

She nods her head in understanding before giving them one big squeeze.

"Alright go on to your room," Michael says motioning down the hallway, "We're having a family meeting to bring Aunt Ada up to speed."