Chasing Fate (Sentinel & Guide)

Chapter 52

[[Unedited]]

Neha noticed something as they moved from store to store, trying on things and taking measurements, standing on pedestals and checking fit in the mirror for Fate. She was radiating nervousness, but not about her weight. 

Neha was a size four and had felt like a blimp when Martha had first dragged her down the concourse. Most of the shoppers were celebrities and trophy wives with infinite hours to spend maintaining a size zero waist. She'd made Martha promise to take her along so she could help support Fate in such a hostile environment. 

But as Fate was larger, they simply went into stores that catered to plus sizes. Fate herself seemed unperturbed when they brought out tapes and measures. She was tall and had an hourglass figure. Even in the department store dress she looked rather stunningly pretty, filling it out in the right ways. 

Instead, she felt the spike of nerves whenever Martha brought forward something for the upcoming spring to try on. Fate had been afraid to veto a few dresses, trying them on before giving them the no, yet she absolutely stood her ground when a short sleeved shirt came out. 

Neha noticed the pattern rather quickly. Fate was getting worn down, especially after Martha started hiding the price tags. They had a pile of shoes already, and enough bags that the valet service had been called to load them in the vehicle. 

Martha was proffering a bright yellow sundress with thin strapped sleeves and Fate was losing her will to reject it, but the fear was still there. She didn't want to show her arms. 

Neha realized that she'd absolutely never seen Fate's arms. In Bent Valley, the cold was much harsher, so it made sense for her to have a sweater or jacket in every picture. But the weather here in mid-winter ranged from a balmy 70 F to 50F. It was shorts and shirt weather year-round. 

There was something that Fate didn't want to disclose under her sleeves. Neha could respect that, so she stepped in before Martha went too far in her fashion fervor. 

"We haven't tried any jewelry for this stuff. Gemini will close soon, we'd better get going?" 

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Several hours later, Neha was resting in bed, her feet in Elliots lap as he dutifully rubbed them. She wasn't used to wearing heels and was paying for her hubris. Elliot was dressed down from his long day of training the younger sentinels in the small bit of forest that intersected the Hammond compound. 

She was feeling rather floaty, like she usually did when they were bonding. Elliot could definitely tell that something was bothering her, but he didn't press, just rubbed circles on her aching feet. 

After a few minutes she pressed her foot into him to make him stop and pay attention. 

"Do you think Jack knows?" she asked, her voice radiating sadness.

"Knows what?"

"Do you think he knows the burns on her arm. They're intentional." 

Neha had seen all kinds of burn victims working with Elliot in the ER. There was a true randomness to fire and grease or chemical burns that couldn't be replicated. In her home country she'd seen the faces of guides that had dared reject sentinels, clear line son their face where the acid had hit them, versus unlucky children who'd fallen into a grill.  

While at the jewelers, the flowing sleeve on Fate's left arm lifted just a few inches higher than she'd expected. No one else had quite caught it, because she had immediately tugged the sleeve back down, but Neha had seen it all. 

A keloid scar with perfect edges. Too uniform to have been done in any method other than placing her skin directly on a burning surface until the skin sizzled and cooked off. 

No wonder she had always covered her arms. Neha knew vaguely that Fate was apprehensive of sentinels. The way she tiptoed around Jack reminded her of so many of the abused partners that ended up in the hospital lobby from "stairs" and "doors".  

But Fate's file was sealed by the NOGS. It was more than a simple domestic violence situation if that sort of precaution was taken. It only added to the mystery.  One of the world's most powerful guides was clearly traumatized and abused. It was kept under tight wraps for years, annd not even the biggest clan in the region had enough knowledge about the issue to even try to help. 

Elliot shook his head, "I don't know. they seem to be on better terms now but he's been trying to respect her space. He hasn't requested the file from NOGS either. he says he thinks she'll tell him eventually."  

Neha sighed, making the conscious choice to let it go. She couldn't solve their problems by brute force. This was something they'd have to work out on their own. 

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For a little while, everything is quiet. Everyone falls into their daily routines, with Fate shadowing Martha and Jack continuing his work. The public eye has accepted that they won't be seeing Jack and Fate out and about as a couple. The papparazzi slowly dwindle from the Hammond estate and turn their vast energies to other morsels of gossip. 

After all, they could only milk the 'abandoned guide' story for so long. They instead kept their eyes on Kaylee Ann, as they had done before. Without any major cases to investigate, Jack was convinced to re-enter the entertainement world, albeit on a part-time basis. He found himself doing day-drives to recording studios for game shows, or skyping in to podcasts and interviews from his phone. He even made a visit to the local youth MMA tournament, signing a lot of posters and getting his name trending online.

It was on the day of one such even that Jack left his phone at home. Or rather, he'd taken Fate's.  He'd been running late as he'd been helping Elliot set up drills in the morning for the kids when they came up for weekend training. When Kaylee Ann texted him he'd rushed out of the door, grabbing a phone from the charging station near his door. 

By the time he noticed that the lock screen was of Beau in a bunny costume and not a stealth shot of Fate he was too far away to do anything about it. To his credit however, they had the exact same case. On a lark he'd bought a pair of realyl kitschy Velle cases for their phones. They were currently locked in an unspoken battle of who could stand the embarassment of having an emo looking boyband in bright colors on their phone for longer. 

And he couldn't unlock it either to text and let anyone know. Her passcode wasn't her birthday. 

Fate came out of the shower and went about most of the morning without really noticing that her phone was missing. She'd first gone downstairs to help Martha make a boatload of pancakes for the kids. After breakfast she'd showed the kid's some of Beau's training before heading back inside.

She found the phone buzzing away with a phone call. A police badge showed on screen as well as the name Anton Ricin. Fate didn't have much time to process as she immediately answered. 

"Detective Ricin?" 

"Fate? Where's Jack? Is this a bad time?"

Fate looked around and didn't see her phone, "It looks like our phones got switched. Is there an emergency? I can give you my phone's number..." 

Anton laughed on the other side of the line. This was too cute, "Look, it can wait till tomorrow. I'd like your help down at the precinct. We found something at the scene and well, it's got potential to heat up the trail."

"Yes of course. I'll get in touch with Jack and let him know." 

"Thanks. It shouldn't take long, just let me know when you're coming."

The call disconnected and Fate was left staring at herself on the lock screen. It was a stealth shot of her in the car the day they left the airport. It was pretty blurry and terribly shot, but she remembered the outfit at least. 

The phone of course had a lock and security passcode. She tried his birthday, then the date of his championship belt but both failed. She was about to poke her head out and ask Martha when she had an idea. 

She typed in four digits and to her surprise, the phone unlocked, revealing an uncluttered home screen with a far clearer picture of her sleeping in Jack's bed,  Beau snuggled up beside her as a pillow. 

His passcode was her birthday.