Crescendo

Prologue

"What happened?!" the staff of the cafe panicked as they tried to find the source of the gunshot that loudly sounded through the entire building, being heard over the piano being played so delicately by the 16 year old on it.

Sirena had been playing in her father's cafe since she was 10 years old. She wouldn't call herself a prodigy or anything of that nature, but she was pretty damn close to it. Along with playing at his cafe, she also played at the police galas that happened every year. Her father was the lead detective, his partner was his long time best friend, Michael Barn.

When Sirena was born, Michael was deemed the godfather, and he gladly took on that role. From the moment that Sirena grabbed hold of his one finger with her tiny hand, he knew he'd spoil the hell out of her. She immediately melted the hard exterior that he tried so hard to keep hold of when he was raised in a military home. 

Michael Barn was only a freshman in high school when him and Robert Lincoln met. Robert was 18, his girlfriend 19 and pregnant. Michael was only 17 when Sirena was born, and he melted whenever he held her. Michael didn't know that soon, after doing some military training, injuring himself, and getting discharged, he would be the partner of the most successful detective in town. 

However, good times rarely last. Michael had come to see his little songbird's performance at Impromptu, the name that Robert had given the cafe when he heard his daughter play the piano for the first time. Michael never focused on anything except Sirena and the piano. Tonight, however, was a different story. 

As soon as Michael heard the gunshot, he knew that something had happened to Robert. There were a lot of shady things going on at the station, and unfortunately, Robert was caught right in the middle of it. Of what, Michael didn't know, but the more Robert investigated on his own, it seemed that more and more things started to go wrong. Michael looked at Sirena, who seemed mortified.

Michael rushed over to her and saw that she was frozen in.... fear? Shock? Whatever it was held her full attention. She stopped playing Moonlight Sonata in the middle, her hands hovering over the keys to play the next part, but never landing. Michael stepped up behind her and looked straight ahead at whatever had Sirena's undivided attention. He saw it. Robert lying with his body on the ground, his head against the wall, slumped. Blood and brain matter littered the wall behind him, creating a gory red and pink halo around his head. A gun lay in his left hand, fingers curled around it, index finger still on the trigger, barrel slightly smoking.

Michael took all of two seconds to register the scene before grabbing Sirena by her shoulders and spinning her around. He looked into her eyes and saw they were glassy, hazed over. She was in shock. It seems like she actually witnessed the deed. Michael encased her in his arms as he felt her body go limp. He looked at her face and saw her eyes roll back in her head as her eyelids sank shut.

A funeral was arranged a week later. Everyone in the precinct came to the funeral. Michael cried for the first time in a long time that day. Sirena clung to Michael as she tried so hard not to cry in front of people. Only one person from her family came, her great aunt. Aunt Rosa never cared for Sirena, as she was a love child, not a wedlock child, so Sirena was surprised that she came at all. Sirena didn't dare go over to Aunt Rosa, however, as Rosa kept throwing glares her direction, warning her to stay in place.

After the funeral and the will was read, Michael signed the final sheet of paper needed to fulfill one of Roberts last wishes. "If in any case I shall die before Sirena has become of legal age, I would like Michael Trey Barn to be her legal guardian. Sirena has no other family members to take care of her, so he is the next deemed fit." Michael was happy to learn that fact, but he was sad that this was the surrounding circumstance.

Michael took Sirena back to her house to meet the movers that were moving her items into Michael's house. They all helped to load everything, then went to get everything inside the house. Michael put together the big furniture. "You can decorate your room any way that you want it, Songbird. We can also go and get some paint to paint it if you want. Maybe get a new bedspread, anything you want," Michael told the girl, softly.

Michael came close to Sirena and cupped her cheek in his right hand, searching her face. He tilted her head so she'd look him in the eye. "Thank you, Mike," was all she managed to choke out. Michael got up to leave and when his hand touched the door frame, he heard a broken sob behind him.

Michael turned around and saw Sirena looking at him, tears in her eyes, shoulders shaking from keeping her tears in her chest. Sirena didn't like people seeing her cry, she was always like that, but this time, Michael needed her to. He walked over to her and sat down beside her. He pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her, cradling the back of her head with one hand, the other resting on her mid-back. "Oh, Songbird," was all Michael said before Sirena let out everything she was holding back.

For a good thirty minutes, they stayed like that, both struggling to come to terms with losing a best friend, a mentor, a father, a brother figure. Sirena closed her fists around the fabric of Michaels shirt as her sobs finally died down. She was beyond tired, and Michael could tell. This little 16 year old pianist who knew nothing but music and her father, just lost half of her life. Michael understood that all too well. He heard her fall silent, then felt her go limp and lax. 

Sirena's breath became steady and deep, indicating sleep. Michael peeled his heavy arms off of her and unhinged her fist from his shirt. He knew that she'd sleep for a long time, so he didn't worry about making dinner. He tucked her in after taking her shoes and socks off. He placed a kiss on her forehead and whispered in her ear, "I'll protect you from everything, my Songbird. I'll protect you from the nightmares, from this evil world. I'll protect you from it all. I promise."