Learning to Live, Again

Chapter Twelve

??? POV

"He was attacked?"

"Yes, sir. He was. By the girl's boyfriend, I think. He was quick to anger."

He sat back in his chair, rubbing his face. His beard had begun to get unusually long for him, and he had planned to cut it earlier, if it weren't for this.. unfortunate call.

"Sir?"

"What?" he snapped, angry that this man had the audacity to interrupt his thoughts.

The man cowered like a newborn deer might cower in the face of a mountain lion, and he grinned, loving the fear he created in this little man. "That's not all. The man, Caleb I think his name was, called him a murderer. He knows something, sir. I'm not sure what, but I know he knows something."

He stood up so he was standing over the little man. "Then we must shut him up, don't we?"

The little man's eyes widened with horror. "B-but, sir. They'll think-"

"That Jeremy was angry at his dead girlfriend for being so close to someone besides him, and he decided to do something about it." He turned to look out of the window, a dark smile spreading across his face. "I was Caleb dead, and I want Jeremy blamed for it. Do this for me, and we'll see about letting your little," he paused, giving the man a smile in the reflection of the mirror, "boy and girl go free."

The man's eyes lightened. "Oh, sir, really?"

He turned around. "Oh, but of course." The little man turned to run, but his voice stopped him. "Oh, but remember this: if you fail, your children will never see the light of day again. In fact, they may not see much of anything." He set the ice-cream scoop on the desk, and the man shivered. They both knew that the red on this scoop wasn't from strawberry ice-cream.

~~~~~

Caleb POV

Beth stood in front of me, her arms crossed over her chest, when I stepped out of the jail cell. She was unhappy for the way I reacted at the memorial, and I couldn't blame her. I had ruined that day because I had given in to my anger. 

I opened my mouth to apologize, but she held her hand up. "I don't want to hear it. I'm only bailing you out because if I let you rot here then Corbin has a good case in taking Heath."

I nodded, frowning. "So," I began as we walked out of the police station, "how are the boy. I hope we didn't scare them too much."

"Caleb, I am disappointed in you. You were drunk at my daughter's memorial, and because of that you let that horrible man rile you up. I bailed you out, but I have rules. You will not drink until my grand-babies are eighteen and out of the house, and you will start acting like a responsible father. Do you understand me?" She turned to me. "Look, I don't mean to treat you like a child, but Caleb, come on. You're not just some cop anymore. You're a father now. I know they're not your children. You may feel like my daughter dumped them on you, but-"

"No,-" She held up her hand.

"Caleb, let me talk. I know you may feel like she dumped them on you, but I promise you, they will be the best thing that has ever happened to you."

I grabbed her arm. "Hey, I love those boys. I promise, they already are the best thing thing that has happened to me. I may not have asked for them, but they mean a lot to me." 

She looked up at me, a small smile on her face. "I know; I know."

"Now, let's go pick up my boys." Her smile was sad, and I could tell it hurt her to hear me say that as much as it hurt me to say it. They weren't suppose to be my boys. They were Niamh's. They loved Niamh with everything, and the fact that some asshole took her from us hurt. 

It's going to hurt until it stops hurting; and then it's going to hurt some more.

~~~~~

A/N

I'm kind of irritated. You never realize how much you use the "o" key until it decides to not work unless you 

a) push really hard

or

b) push it correctly.

It's frustrating.

Anyway, hope you liked the chapter. It's kind of a filler chapter, if you hadn't noticed.

Oh, and I hope you all enjoy the new cover! I'm really proud of it, and I think it looks better than the last. (I hope so anyway; this is a new computer so I don't have the original cover.. oops.)

Sincerely,

Jax Nicoles