There Must Be Something More ( Bellroc x Jim Lake's older sister Iris Lake)

Betrayal's A Cruel Blade,Part 2

"Master Jim,you must listen to me very carefully. They've captured me and want you to come to the Bridge...alone."

Suddenly,Blinky went off-script.
"DON'T COME!IT'S A TRAP!"
"Give me that!" The script writer himself was heard growling in annoyance,followed by cries of resistance from Blinky.
Strickler took over.
"Drastic times,drastic measures,Jim.
Meet me in the alley beside the theater,and no harm will come to him."
"DON'T OPEN THE BRIDGE!Under no circumstan-"
There,the voice message abruptly ended.

"I don't know what to do," Jim said.
"We can help you. Whatever you decide. Aaarrrgghh,Draal,me,and Iris."
"They said I had to be alone. If I'm not,what do you think they'll do to Blinky?"
"Blinky made it clear. 'Under NO circumstances. ' "
"Enough friends have gotten hurt because of me. No more."
"Well,it's your call. You're the Trollhunter. Y'know,I thought since we found the amulet together,we'd always be in this together."

An uncomfortable silence ensued, broken by the doctor's soft greeting.
"Hello,Toby. Iris,would you please wait for me? I need to talk to you."
"Okay,Mom."
"Hey,Dr Lake. I was just leaving. He's all yours. "
Iris walked out with him.
She was left sitting alone in a waiting chair,watching him disappear around a corner. Her stomach twisting and tightening, like a washcloth being wrung out. Sickeningly,it felt like she'd drank some of the cloth's gross dirty water.
She'd chosen a seat far enough from the room,for her to not hear her mom and brother's conversation. It wasn't gonna be a happy,casual chat,not from how Mom had sounded last night when she'd spoken to her .

She startled,phone nearly slipping out of her hands. Mom was in front of her. The Serious Talk was over.
"Iris,what do you know,about the trouble Jim's been getting himself into? Has he made some "friends" who aren't a good influence? Is he doing dares to impress other kids at school? Is he somehow trying to impress Claire? What does that girl have to do with all this,or did she only recently-"

Jim's Serious Talk was over,but hers had just begun.
Sneakers thudded rapidly towards and past the two women,as said boy made his egress.
He had his head down,and she couldn't see his expression.

"Mom,I don't know what you're talking about. "
"You are lying. And I can't believe that you would maintain the lie,even after Jim got assaulted,when he was in an unsafe place,doing who-knows-what that he shouldn't be doing or sneaking out to do,at a dangerous time of night to be outside without company,and,on top of all of these unwise risks he's taking for reasons he refuses to give me...Claire Nuñez got dragged into it. What would her parents have said to me,Iris,if something like what happened to Jim,had happened to her because of Jim's actions?"
"HE WAS PROTECTING HER,MOM! "
She hadn't meant to shout,but she couldn't even get a word in edgewise.
And it angered her that he was being accused of having put the lovely girl he was so fond of-who was clearly quite interested in him- in danger himself,when in fact he'd saved her from it.
"Protecting her from what,Iris. Tell me the truth."
"Uh..."
"And don't you think for a second,that I'm buying that 'Coyotes ' baloney."
"An ...the...the attacker. I mean,obviously. They were both out in the woods,right,but only Jim got hurt. He must've defended her. Toby told me,that Claire told him,that some guy dressed in black wearing a mask jumped down from a tree,and then-"

"Iris. At least come up with a good lie ,if you're lying to my face. "
"We tried,all Toby said was coyotes-"
Oh no.
She'd spoken her thought out loud.
"All. Toby. Said? Before I came in,the three of you were spinning a story to fool me with?"
"Mom,just listen. It's not like that. It's not as bad as it sounds. "
She was desperate now,and out of lies.
"How long have you known?"

She couldn't hold her mother's gaze,eyes sliding away and lowering to the white tiles.
"Since whenever exactly This started?"
She couldn't answer.
"This whole time. You were well aware of the situation. You knew Jim was putting himself in danger,you knew the cause of all those bruises he's come home with several times.
You never thought to TELL me? His MOTHER? Your mother,Iris! Who you shouldn't keep things from! Not things like this. You can't cover for your brother this time,Blossom. Please give me answers. Please. If he's involved with some kind of wrong crowd,he's looking for their approval or chasing thrills with them,or he's trapped and too scared to talk to me because they've made threats.
I probably sound ridiculous to you. After all,you know the real story. "
"Mom,I can't tell you. It's Jim's secret to tell."
"He's a kid,and kids get up to mischief,they make mistakes,they do really stupid or careless things. They hide things from their parents,for fear of getting in trouble.
You're not,Iris.YOU don't have an excuse to not have told me by now. YOU should have been more responsible,more concerned for his wellbeing. YOU should have known better. What if he'd sustained far more serious injuries? What if ..."