Yupiiii !!!! I'm back with a new fresh long chapter, and I hope all of you will enjoy it. :)
Thanks to the lovely readers, friends, and friends of friends for your votes and comments. Love you guys. And I hope those who have voted and commented on the last chapter didn't get scared when I crept into your rooms and sang you lullabies. <3
Okay, now, dedicating this chapter to @Malibucruise
Everyone enjoy! And there's a treat for Sarah and Sammy lovers. :)
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"Elli's home, Emma?" Oliver asked as Emma exited through the main door.
She glanced at the children who were bickering about something while waiting for her in the car - not so patiently. "Yes, she is, but I'll advise you not to bother her that much..." Opening her purse for the keys, she gave Oliver a meaningful look. "...she's already in a bad mood."
"Yeah, yeah," Oliver just rolled his eyes. "I was just about to... forget it. I'll ask her myself."
Saying so, he moved forward.
Emma stared, puzzled, at Oliver limping towards her house. He was definitely hurt. "Oliver!"
With a questioning look, Oliver turned around.
"Are you hurt?" Emma asked with a hint of concern.
Oliver smiled half-heartedly. "It's better to be called an attempt to murder rather than - hurt."
"Huh?" Emma was confused.
"What can I say, Emma? I'm just so kind, and my heart is so big that I just have to help all my friends who're in any kind of trouble, especially love trouble." Oliver explained, which didn't help Emma's confusion to go away a bit. "It seems like I'm a hypocritical love guru after all," he said the last bit in a whisper.
"What's got love trouble to do with you limping around? And...," Emma asked and then frowned. "You're calling yourself a hypocritical love guru? What is that supposed to mean?"
Oliver made a horrified face as if reminiscing a traumatic memory. "A dog - the size of a ping pong ball bit and ripped almost half of my precious bum Emma. And it's all because I was just too determined to help one of my closest friends here, Sebastian, to find his Cinderella..." he then scratched the side of his brow with a distant look. "And about the hypocritical love-guru part, well, that's a really long story. Anyway, back to the topic at hand..."
Emma was gaping at Oliver while the sad man sighed and halted halfway with a shake of his head.
"I tell you, Emma, I'm going to seriously die one day helping these love-sick friends of mine. Thank the heavens that I'm not one of them and probably will never be." Oliver sighed dramatically, placing a hand over his heart.
Emma smirked. No matter how much annoying Oliver was, she had to admit that he had a great heart truly. "You know, Brandan's very lucky to have such a friend like you."
Oliver smiled softly.
Emma spun on her heels, ready to leave, the kids were screaming way too much in the car now, and when she looked at their way, she saw them trying to come out the window. It was about time Savanah came out of her house and started lecturing about morning peace and calm.
"Emma..."
Oliver calling out her name made her turn back.
"Hmmm?"
"There's this one thing I wanted to ask you," Oliver said, scratching the back of his neck. "And please keep it to us only." He added.
Emma just raised an eyebrow in silent question.
"Have you recently seen or found anything weird, I mean suspicious, and how do I name it - out of the place - with Jonathon?" Oliver asked with his eyebrows pulled together.
Like a lightning had struck her, Oliver's words hit Emma. She recalled Jonathon's weird - stressed behavior, those names in the files, and the nagging feeling that something was going behind the curtains. Something that is a vast secret.
"How do you know?" The question slipped out of her mouth.
She noticed Oliver looking taken aback, and then his expression went guarded. "I can't tell you everything now, Emma. But know that you should stay away from that man. He might not be actually what he shows himself to be and..."
"And?" Emma felt uneasiness creep up her spine.
"... and this business world is not an easy world Emma. There are sharks lurking around every corner who doesn't play fair. I've got some rumors coming in my ear Emma, rumors that involve HIM too."
For a brief moment, Emma and Oliver just stared at each other.
"You know it's against company rules to share information outside Oliver," Emma said as doubts laced her insides. She wanted to ask Oliver about those very familiar names but loyalty to her company and Jonathon - the man in question made her take that step back.
Oliver nodded in understanding.
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Sammy maintained his cool posture as he sat with a few kids around the round table. His lunch was still untouched in front of him.
"Why are you not eating, Sammy?" Rick asked him through his mouthful of food. The African-American boy, with strange line of thoughts but a very kind heart, was Sammy's new best friend in school.
"I'm waiting for Sarah." Gulping down the food in his mouth Rick nodded understandingly. Sammy and Sarah were inseparable and always joined at the hip. They would always stay glued to each other the whole day - everyone knew that in the whole school.
"But where is she? What is it that's taking sooo looong?"
Sammy grimaced, "She said that Isabella wanted to talk with her. She said it was a top-secret, and they can't tell this to the boys."
Now Rick stopped eating completely, his face serious. "You shouldn't have let Sarah go with Isabella alone. "
Sammy was getting nervous. "Why Rick?"
"She has girl germs," Rick explained with all seriousness.
"Girl germs !!??"
Rick nodded furiously and said like it was obvious, "Yeah... you know, girl cooties."
"Cooties !! But Sarah said that only boys have that germ." Sammy was scratching his little head by then.
Rick tsked and took another bite of his sandwich, then again began talking with his mouthful. "I don't know about others, but Isabella and all the girls in the group have that germ... yuckkk... blaaah..."
Sammy made a disgusted face. He didn't know what this germ was all about but by the sound of it. He was sure it must be something very disgusting. Now he had to warn Sarah to stay away from that Isabella and all those girls with her.
But that germ shouldn't be the cause of Sarah being late for the lunch break. What if Sarah was walking down the empty school corridor alone and Mr.Edward - their teacher who he and everyone knew was a Dracula -what if he kidnapped and ate Sarah? What if the boogeyman that no one saw but very well knew that had been living in the unused janitor's cabin - caught her and was now in the process of making Sarah... er... boogy-girl!! Or what if terrible things that always keep happening in The Hogwarts School of Magic and Witchcraft had happened to Sarah? Now that Sammy thought about all the Harry Potters movies, he felt his little heart sink in fear with the possibilities of dangerous things that could happen to Sarah.
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard sniffling sounds coming from beside him. He turned to the source of the sound to see Sarah rubbing her eyes and nose red, sitting beside him. Why was she crying? Rick was also looking at her curiously.
Sammy saw the tears rolling down her chubby chicks. Now who was that evil person that made Sarah cry?
"Why are you crying, Sarah?" Asked Sammy with deep worry. Silently he prayed that it wasn't Mr.Edward Dracula who was involved. If it was him, then God knows that Sammy wouldn't be able to handle it. You never mess with a Dracula, then maybe when he was a bigger boy - he was already a big boy considering that he was going to school now - but when he would be a bigger boy like daddy, he might come back for revenge. He hated to admit this, but it was a fact that Mr.Edward was way too much taller than him.
Sarah peeked up from under her wet lashes. "Steeve pour water on my andtt Isabella's head.. snatch our candy... tore our drawings!"
Now that Sammy looked at Sarah's hair, they were drenched. He looked at Sarah's hands to see the torn drawing that he knew Sarah had been drawing for the past three days. He looked at the table next to theirs to see Isabella crying, too. Her condition was the same as Sarah's.
Sammy scrunched her nose up and was getting angry now. Before coming to school, Sammy and Steeve used to always play together. They had been neighbors and buddies since they were in diapers. But when they came to school, Steeve changed big time. He now always beat other kids, stole candies and chocolates, tore their books and now their drawings too. Once again, Sammy was suspicious that it had something to do with Mr.Edward; otherwise, why would Steeve change so much? He might be the new disciple of Count Dracula.
Sammy started patting Sarah's head to try and stop her crying. Right then, the evil in question entered the lunch room. Sammy recalled those every time this fat boy had messed with his sister - back home and here in school too.
Rick was trying to hide under the table when Sammy stood up and glared at Steeve, who grinned back evilly.
"Let's go, man... run and hide..." Rick tugged at Sammy's shirt with urgency.
Sammy stood up as Steeve paced the distance between them leisurely and stood in front of him. Sarah had now stopped crying. She stared from one boy to another with wide eyes.
"You shouldn't have made Sarah cry."
Steeve laughed. "Oh, yeah? What are you going to do - call your mommy and that new daddy of yours who's gonna go away soon anyway. Who likes to be with such stinky children, huh?"
One moment Steeve was mocking Sammy, and the next moment, chocolate mousse was all over his face. All the kids gasped in horror. Sarah and Rick had their mouths hanging open while Sammy just smiled.
Steeve stood frozen in his place. Slowly he ran a hand down his face, then picked up a plate of pasta and threw aiming at Sammy, who ducked down at the right moment, and the pasta ended up on another kid's head, making Steeve stomp his feet.
A moment of absolute silence.
Then someone yelled. "FOOD FIGHT!" And then, all hell broke loose. Food was flying around. In a matter of minutes, all the kids were covered in various colors and tastes of various foods.
It was one of the best days of their lives.
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With a faint smile, Emma stared at the picture. Sammy, Sarah, Ross, and Meow stared back at her from the computer screen with wide grins on their faces - minus Ross and Meow in the grin department.
She recalled with a smile bigger than before how Brandan had this huge goofy smile wearing the whole time while snapping the photo. It was like he wasn't just snapping a simple photo - he was being given the whole world. And why wouldn't he feel like that? After all, just a minute before that out-of-the-blue photo shoot, Sammy had called him Daddy - Finally.
It was unexpected to Sammy even, and the little boy seemed more surprised than his father was. Sammy didn't repeat the endearment afterward, and Brandan knew better than to fuss over the boy. The overly joyed Daddy chose to stay silent about his happiness and give Sammy his own space.
And Emma couldn't help but feel respect for the man who was growing to be a great father to their children. He not only wanted to spend time with them - he bothered to understand them and respect them for who they were individually.
A chaste kiss right below one ear caused her to jump in sudden fright. She turned around at lightning speed to find Jonathon looking at the photo now from over her shoulder.
"Nice one. The children are looking cool, and that kitten - a new addition, huh?" He commented with a smirk and added, "Sarah - Sammy, they would be pleased to know how much I love kittens, Emma."
Surprised, Emma gawked at Jonathon, who was looking so much like the Jonathon she befriended all those years ago when she first stepped into the city. This reverse in his attitude should have put her to ease, but she felt the exact opposite.
Jonathon tilted his head and set his gaze on Emma now, who was still looking at him with shock. "What happened, darlin?"
Emma blinked when he leaned down and nuzzled her neck without waiting for her reply. He was so close to her - it was suffocating.
Her discomfort seemed to get unnoticed by Jonathon as he proceeded to kiss up the trail of her neck.
Emma put the palm of her hands flat on his chest over the crisp shirt, intending to create some distance between them, but the action was clearly misunderstood. Or not really caring to be understood, Jonathon nibbled on her lower lip.
In urgency, Emma pushed him away, which made his teeth bite her lip a little too harshly.
"JON!" Emma breathed heavily and couldn't help but compare his kiss to that of Brandan's. Jonathon didn't hold a candle to Brandan's kissing skills without a second thought.
Emma looked up at Jonathon to see him licking his lips lewdly, smirking down at her. She looked away. "We need to talk."
She said seriously and felt the body hovering over her step away finally.
"How about I take you out tonight, love?"
Emma snapped her head towards him. How he was ignoring her attempts to talk to him was quite unbelievable. "Look, Jon..."
Jonathon again interrupted. "Emma, let me apologize to you properly for being so rude to you for the last few days. Let me take you out tonight, baby."
"Seriously!" Emma snapped out through gritted teeth as she continued, "Now you got the time, Jon, after being such a jerk to me since last week?"
"I'm sorry about that, baby. I didn't mean to. I was just in too much stress." Jonathon pleaded, but Emma didn't know why she felt like his words lacked sincerity.
"Then share that stress with me, Jon." It didn't matter that she was about to break it up with him, he was her friend first, and for the sake of that friendship, she would always be happy to help him in any trouble of his.
"It's sorted out now, Emma, don't worry."
Emma stood up from her chair. Taking a hesitant step towards him, she studied his tensed features. "I don't think it is Jon."
His stiff posture told her that she was indeed right, so she took another step nearer him.
"Hyspienza, Marcio... Luciano." As she spoke out those names aloud, Jonathon's eyes widened - in definite shock. Nothing about this matter seemed right. Considering her position in the company, Emma was supposed to know all the new inputs and information in the business, but recently, she was witnessing some loopholes. She continued keeping her eyes trained on him. "Who are they, Jonathon?"
Hardly she ever called him by his full name, now that she did make Jonathon notice the way he was cornered. A dark cloud fell upon his face.
"So we're now spying, are we?" He sneered at Emma. The earlier polite mood vanished in a matter of seconds.
Emma narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you doing anything spy worthy, Jonathon?" She countered back wisely and immediately regretted it when his fist slammed on his desk right over her phone, which cracked audibly under the hit. Her computer, which was still displaying her children's photos, shook like an earthquake had occurred.
Emma stumbled back, engulfed with fear.
Both of them stood frozen in their spots for a long minute. It was Jonathon who broke the silence. "Sorry, Emma."
She watched him walk away briskly after yet another meaningless apology.
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Brandan had just exited the conference room after a tiring long three hours meeting and was heading towards his office when his phone rang. He furrowed, looking at Elli's name flashing on the screen. Why would she call at this time?
Before he couldn't even utter a word, Elli began speaking. So typical of Elli.
"Hey, Brandan. Can you head over to Sarah Sammy's school right now? Their teacher called and said that Emma isn't answering her phone. It's coming switched off."
"Emma never switches off her phone like that, Elli. You know that." With confusion, Brandan asked.
Elli huffed. "Yeah, I know that, alright! Maybe she's too much busy, or maybe... I don't know. okay!"
She might be busy in an office where that Jonathon was around her, too close to her. A voice sneered inside his head. Brandan could feel the ugly green monster of jealousy beginning to run in his veins in liquid form.
Gritting his teeth, Brandan spat out, "Yeah, right. She must be too much busy with her boss guy now." He knew he was acting like a child here, but he had no control whenever he remembered the fact that the woman he loved was with someone else. It was just too much.
"Oh, noooo, no, no.. lover boy! Now save those jealous thoughts of yours for later. Right now, the children in trouble need you in the school."
By now, Brandan had already picked up his suit jacket as he began sprinting out towards his car as he still talked to Elli. "Do you know what's wrong? Are they alright? They are not hurt or sick or something like that, are they?"
He asked, worried.
"Nada, nothing like that. They are just in their teenage mutant ninja turtle phase and in the process of getting grounded by their mother soon."
And that was that she disconnected the call without any notice.
Shaking his head in confusion, amusement, and worry, Brandan rushed towards his destination, having no idea of what exactly awaited him there. He just hoped his kids were unharmed.
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Sitting in front of Mr.Edward - the very popular teacher, Brandan looked to his right side where five kids were sat with their spines straight, eyes wide, and expressions something between fear and exhaustion.
Well, they were meant to be exhausted after having that full-blown food fight of the century, where they managed to cover almost every inch of their lunch room with various kinds of snacks and foods. All the kids were almost cleaned from the smashed food all over their bodies - almost. However, Brandan could still smell the remnants on their clothes and hair.
On Brandan's left side, Steeve and Isabella's parents were also present. They were also looking quite serious and worried and somewhat angry, just like him.
First, Mr.Edward made the accused five kids, Sammy, Sarah, Isabella, Rick, and Steeve ( who were pointed out to be the beginners of the whole thing ), spill out the whole story.
Sarah and Isabella seemed to be the innocent victims, and the little guy named Rick volunteered to be a witness to the innocence of his friends, and it was soon proved that Steeve was the criminal.
Mr.Edward glared at Steeve disappointedly.
Steeve seemed petrified and pleaded, "Please, Mr. Edward, don't eat me... please."
Now it was time for Mr.Edward to look at the kid, highly amused. Brandan also looked confused when he noticed Rick whispering with a hand covering half of his mouth. At least, it was supposed to be a whisper, but everyone in the room heard that anyway. "Don't be ridiculous, Steeve, Mr. Edward won't eat you. He would suck all your blood."
Brandan watched Mr.Edward's mouth gaping. The kids, on the other hand, looked quite serious about the matter.
The next half an hour passed with Brandan talking to the teacher about
the incident with Sarah. He exited the office after delivering a threat to the teacher with utmost politeness about what would happen if such an incident were to repeat with any of his kids.
Later outside in the school hallway, Brandan stood before the kids after a bit of talk to the other parents. His eyes fell on the little criminal Steeve, and he felt the urge to cause some pain to the person who had dared to mess with Sarah, who had made his princess cry. He secretly was very proud of how Sammy had stepped up to defend his sister.
Steeve was a child, and still in his early years, he could be brought back from the upcoming darkness - Brandan reminded himself over the instincts of his protectiveness.
There was another thing piercing his brain looking at Steeve. He could see his own reflection in that kid. Wasn't he the same way in the past? Hadn't he too bullied someone before? Someone named Emma.
Only if he could understand before it was too late. Only if someone would have done the miracle and the favor to him... by knocking some much-needed sense into his brain.
At that moment, Brandan repented that Robert had been a little too late to realize. By then, too much harm was already done.
He approached Steeve after exhaling a silent breath.
Steeve still had time. Steeve could be saved.
Slowly he knelt down in front of the squirming - uneasy boy.
"Steeve. Do you think what you did or what you had been doing was right?"
Steve bit his lip. "But I want to be cool, and this way, I can have my friends and everyone else listen to me," Steeve mumbled slowly.
Brandan shook his head. The base of the problem was clear. "Listen to me carefully steeve, this way - by bullying, by frightening others, you will make them only hate you. Soon, no one would want to be your friend anymore."
Steeve now looked shocked and a little disbelieving.
"It's because they are scared they listen to you. But you can see what happened today, right ?" Brandan said, holding the boy's shoulders lightly.
Steeve grumbled, "Yeah, everyone was aiming food at me. Those..."
Brandan glared, to which Steeve halted speaking. Softening his eyes, Brandan spoke again. "Just like this, everyone would team up and stand against you if you keep up like this. You will be all alone, and soon, no one will want to play with you."
He saw Steeve gulp as his words slowly sank into the kid's mind. " But what if you are just saying that because it was Sarah's head, I poured all the water..."
From behind, Brandan heard Sammy yell. "And tore her drawing and ate her candies..."
"Sammy's right, dadyyy." Sarah said with an accusing little pout while Rick nodded furiously.
Isabella hopped in. "Mine too... mine too."
Steeve now looked very uncomfortable. Brandan said in a calm tone. "No, Steeve, I am not just saying that for Sarah. It's for your own good too. Can't you see how disappointed and ashamed your dad was today?"
The little guy looked very much ashamed and worried now.
This was a good sign. Brandan couldn't help but faintly smile at that. In his peripheral vision, he saw another interesting scene unfold.
Isabella suddenly stood beside Sammy with a big grin on her face. With a little innocent voice full of adoration, she said. "You are a hero, Sammy, and your daddy is sooo cool."
Then she leaned closer and placed a chaste kiss on Sammy's cheek, making him gasp. Brandan watched Sammy's face going red in a matter of a moment as the flushed boy looked down very shyly.
Uh huh... childhood love!!
Brandan bit the inside of his cheek, trying to refrain himself from grinning. It looked like someone was going to be quite a very popular guy when grown up.
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Emma reached home right at the moment Brandan, with Sarah and Sammy, was going to knock at the door of her house.
The next half hour passed with Brandan describing the whole incident that happened in the school today - Sarah and Sammy obviously adding little details here and there.
"This is so not done, Sammy! You shouldn't have thrown food at Steeve."
Sammy tried protesting sulkily. "But mommy..."
Brandan stayed quiet as every man in such kind of situation should be, it was for their own safety purpose.
Emma's voice was firm and final. "No, Sammy. What's wrong is wrong. Promise me that it won't happen again." She demanded.
Sammy looked up at the ceiling as if thinking something and then, with a blank face, said. "Okay, Mommy. I promise I won't throw food at someone ever again."
Brandan tried very hard to control this strong urge to smile and pat Sammy's back for his smartness.
There are so many other things you could throw at your enemy which won't be food - like a punch, a kick, or other better - more effective things. It's not like he wanted Sammy to do so, but when Sarah was concerned, Brandan would always support it... in fact, he could also give a hand, and the proud pair of father and son could smash a low-class jerk face into a permanent ugly face.
The oblivious Emma seemed to relax at the promise, very much unknown to the secret little smile on Sammy's lips too, as his mind worked just like his daddy without even he himself knowing it.
That's when Sarah thought to fill in some important information. "Mommy, guess what happens?"
Emma looked highly concerned. Was there more that happened?
"What more happened, hon?" She asked cautiously.
Sarah excitedly bounced on the sofa next to Sammy. "Sammy, get a girlfriend. Do you know who is? Isabella, mommy."
Emma's eyes went wide while Sammy blushed furiously, casting his head down. "Nooo, Mommy, Isabella is not my girlfriend."
Emma folded her arms, smiling mischievously.
"Yes, she is. She kisses you and says you are a hero... remember, Sammyyy? So, Isabella, your girlfriend now." Sarah made sure to present all the necessary points there.
Brandan fought really - really hard not to laugh looking at his little man's face. He was embarrassed beyond imagination.
Emma beamed. "Ohh! My little Sammy has a girlfriend. you got your first kiss!" She teased.
Sammy covered his face with his hands, now making both Emma and Brandan laugh out loud.
But they didn't know that Sarah wasn't done with her little bombs yet.
"Yes, Mommy, just like daddy and you kissed that night at Oliver's uncle's birthday... remember?"
Well. Shit.
All the laughter died down, and Brandan and Emma stared at the children in shock. How the hell they saw them kissing? Those tiny - sneaky - things!
Emma suddenly stood up, flushed, announcing that she was going to start cooking dinner. Sarah bounced after her into the kitchen while Sammy ran up to his room to die in shame.
Brandan sat alone in the silent living room, a faint smile playing on his lips.
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When Jonathon Killed that poor kitten like the monster that he is - it was maybe Meow's cousin's brother. I'll start killing the main people and animals later. In fact, I've got a better plan brewing up in my mind. Will talk to you guys about those plans soon.
You're Still The One is coming to an end very soon. Dreading and anticipating it at the same time. Expression 1 :( . Expression 2 :) . But <3 tops them all.
Don't forget to vote, comment and follow me. (Singing lullaby in the background)
Love, hugs, kisses.
- Lara.
p.s. Hold your panties, everyone. The climax of the story at the door. What do you think - will it be a smooth walk till the end or a rough one as dramas keep barging in? But one thing's for sure, someone or some people are gonna get a bucket full of thrashing - literally and physically.