*unedited*
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Amber was silent as she watched Alfie and Camilla. They were all waiting for Jerome to come back from where ever he was. The news the boy had somehow gotten himself involved in the dangerous mystery wasn't new but the two hadn't known the extent to which he was involved. If he was stealing the dollhouse for whoever needed it, things couldn't be good.
Alfie had taken Amber's hand for comfort in his worry, at some point he had started to play with her rings and bracelets, normally Amber would have told him off for doing so but as they waited to confront Jerome the boy falling usually quiet and the blonde didn't have the heart to tell him to stop when she knew how worried he was about not only Jerome but the small girl who was sat on Jerome's bed, knees to her chin as she stared at the door.
Camilla had wandered over to Jerome's bed at some point during their wait and had sat herself down on it, pulling the boy's pillow to her and hugging it her eyes trained on the door as if the act would will the boy to appear sooner rather than later. Amber could only guess what was running through the girl's mind and she really hoped Jerome was on their side because she wasn't sure if Camilla could cope with mending her heart again so soon and she didn't have the right shoes on for killing Jerome for hurting Camilla that way – if it came out he was on team bad guy but she doubted it. She had to doubt it. Jerome wasn't bad, he lived in the grey a little too often but he wasn't bad.
She wasn't sure how long it had been but eventually, the door opened and a shaken looking Jerome wandered in. the boy clearly wasn't paying attention, as he closed the door and leaned his head against it letting a soft sigh out with his eyes close. This gave Alfie and Amber both time to cross their arms as their faces hardened – they needed to know the truth.
As he opened them again, he noticed Camilla sat on his bed instantly, he always noticed her, and for the smallest of seconds, a bubble of warmth flooded through him. despite everything he now knew, she was still safe. Rufus hadn't got her. "Milly – what?" he asked quietly as he took in how she was sat. Curled up into a small ball, hugging his pillow to her as if it was her lifeline, eyes full of worry as she made eye contact with him.
Camilla's eyes flickered from Jerome to Alfie's side of the room. Jerome followed the movement to finally see Amber and Alfie who where sat on the end of Alfie's bedpost with stern expressions that were rarely seen on either of them.
"Is this some sort of rade?" Jerome asked the pair.
Alfie looked up at Amber who nodded her head at him.
"I'd take a seat, Buddy," Alfie told the boy as he turned to pick up his laptop, "we've got something to talk to you about."
Perplexed, Jerome sat himself down next to Camilla on his bed, who reached out and took his hand instantly. Jerome needing the reassurance the girl was safe was more than happy to lace his fingers with hers and give the hand a squeeze. With that, Alfie opened his laptop and showed him the picture of Jerome and the dollhouse.
"tell us, this isn't as bad as it looks..." Alfie pleaded his best friend.
Jerome glanced to Camilla as he whitened at the picture showing he had been caught, as Jerome looked at the pair next to the laptop, he couldn't help himself as he whispered, "it's actually much worse..."
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Alfie and Amber led the race to the living room to tell the Sibuna's the news Jerome had just told them. Jerome following along with Camilla who hadn't said a word still since the boy entered the room, but from the grip on their entwined hands and the quiver of her bottom lip, the boy could tell she was petrified. She was Rufus's sole target and this time the man knew of her powers and could be prepared.
"there you are!"
Nina, Patricia and Fabian looked up as the four came into the room. Fabian's eyes instantly going to Camilla, taking one look at his sister and knowing something was wrong. Camilla was fearless and headstrong; it was one of the qualities that Fabian admired but also got rather irritated with his twin. She always ran straight into danger without thinking about it causing him to have to worry more so about her. Whatever she had been told had caused her to be scared, whatever it was it had to be big.
"Jerome's got something to tell you," Amber turned to look at the pair who stood a little way off, as she whipped at her face. It was clear Jerome was taking as much comfort from Camilla as the girl was taking from him. From beside her, she felt someone take her hand and glanced to see Alfie as he too looked at his friends. Unlike Amber, he didn't care who saw the tears run down his face as the news finally sunk in about the new danger threatening not only them but one of their owns life.
The group turned to Jerome who's focus was on Camilla, the girl's focus was only on Jerome as she put on a small tight forced smile.
"He took the dollhouse!" Amber spoke up realising that Jerome wasn't going to say anything, not with Camilla's focus on him.
"What?!" Nina demanded angrily.
"There is something else though..." Fabian's softness was a contrast to the girl's outbursts. This was what finally caused Camilla to look away from Jerome as she looked to her big brother, her lips pushed together as they trembled once again fighting the tears from falling.
"yes, I took the dollhouse..." Jerome whispered.
"It was for Jasper!" Amber shouted, before apologetically looking between the twins. She knew her shouting wasn't helping but if she didn't shout and get angry at the situation, she would be sobbing at the fact her best friends' life was on the line. With an evil spirit and Rufus after her, Camilla had an extremely low survival rate and from the way, Alfie was silently crying those who knew of the big picture knew it. "sorry..." she murmured as Jerome glanced at her with watery eyes that mirrored her own.
"I knew it," Fabian muttered more to himself but the room had gone that silent with the information that even the pin Victor dropped every evening could be heard. "why would he do that?" his chin trembled slightly as he looked at the group.
"because he was being blackmailed!"
"Amber!" Alfie interrupted with a slight sniff.
"Sorry..."
"Jasper is not the bad guy here!" Jerome's voice was thick but it was strong. He needed to make sure the twins knew that their uncle wasn't the bad guy, he just made a few wrong choices and found himself in a bad situation. He was still their Uncle who loved them and was doing everything he could to protect them. Fabian looked at the boy questioningly "he was being blackmailed, by the person who kidnapped Trudy."
"What?" Nina and Patricia spoke together in shock. This was news to them.
"Kidnapped?" Fabian's voice cracked slightly as he repeated the word.
"Vera is a secret agent."
"Who's agent?"
"Rufus is back," Jerome told them bluntly.
"Rufus?" Nina questioned disbelief webbing into her tone. "No! No! he's dead! We read his obituary."
Jerome let out a wild laugh at this and shook his head, "trust me, he is alive and well."
"How?"
"All I know is if he doesn't get what he wants, then Trudy and..." Jerome paused and closed his eyes pain flashing through his features, "they are dead." He whispered. "Trudy is in trouble." He spoke back up again after a moment to compose himself.
"What does he want?" Patricia asked knowing Rufus well enough to know he wanted something.
"something in the house," Jerome told her as his grip tightened on Camilla's hand. "he's been searching high and low for anything and everything Frobisher. That is why he wanted the dollhouse."
"not to play dolls." Amber couldn't help but add.
"Look I'm sorry, I didn't tell you but... there is so much at stake, okay? Trudy, You!" Jerome added pointing to Fabian.
Fabian pointed to himself in shock, "Me?" he repeated.
"He threatened Jasper, Fabian." Jerome spoke up, "Why do you think Jasper went along with it."
For the first time Camilla spoke up, a hot tear escaping as she did, "Rufus wants me, he wants my magic most probably. The only way I would ever agree to that is –"
"if he had me..." Fabian answered for his sister in a shaking voice as tears slid down his face too as he finally understood what caused Camilla's terrified look. Fear for herself, her magic but also him.
"Well that's not too bad," Patricia spoke up not understanding why the waterworks had turned on for the twins.
"you don't understand if he forces all the magic from her –"
"-I'll be forced to tap magic from my life force energy, thus killing me."
The tremble in Camilla's tone was enough for Patricia to put a hand over her mouth in shock. This wasn't some game anymore and they all finally understood that. Rufus wanted power, and that power would only come from Camilla's death.
"Jasper doesn't know that of course," Jerome spoke up, "he just didn't want to put you or Camilla in danger."
"This isn't fair..." That was the final straw for Fabian who felt his knees give way and he crumpled into the armchair. Nina reaching out and rubbing his shoulder's comfortingly.
"What now?" Patricia asked them all, trying not to sound as scared as she felt. Someone needed to be strong and normally it was the twins but right now, as Camilla was pulled into a hug from Jerome and Fabian sat with his head in his hands, she knew they couldn't be that for them.
Nina took a deep breath and looked to Camilla. She couldn't protect her protector but she knew someone who could. It pained her to say it but she knew it was the right choice, "we have to tell Victor."
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"Rufus Zeno is dead!" Victor spoke up not impressed by the group of teenagers who had all come barging into his office shouting nonsense at the top of their lungs.
"well, clearly he faked it because he's not now!" Fabian shouted, over the last few minutes in the man's office anger had taken over his body. His sister's life was in danger and they needed help so they turned to the one adult she trusted above all else and he was not cooperating.
"Victor," Jerome was having a similar brainwave to Fabian but unlike the male twin, he had some control over his anger still, though that was possible because he had Camilla next to him. On their way up to the man's office, he had finally let go of her hand – not because he wanted too, but because Camilla wanted to be there for Amber. The two girls clutching each other as they watch the conversation around them. "I saw him with my own eyes, and Vera is involved!"
"Now you have gone too far!" the man shouted pointing his pen at Jerome.
"It's true! She works for Rufus!" Nina tried to argue as Fabian looked to Camilla. There was only one person who could get through to the man.
"How else would she get the job?" Jerome asked, "Where there any other applicants?"
"No one could possibly have told-"
"Vera Devenish is the finest housemother this place has ever had!" he bellowed at them.
"Mara was right!" Patricia happily screamed back at the man.
"She's evil!" Amber added.
Camilla closed her eyes at Fabian's look. She knew she needed to talk to Victor, but they hadn't spoken since the whole amulet thing and she didn't know where she stood with the man.
"Victor, please," her voice cracked and the man looked from Nina to her finally taking her in with her red bloodshot eyes from crying and the grip she had on Amber's hand, "Rufus is threatening to kill me..." she added softly hoping this would be enough. The two shared a look and Camilla wasn't alone as her mind went back to the list she had found in Vera's handwriting as ways to get rid of Nina and herself.
He might not want what the children to be saying to be true, but Victor was a sensible enough man to know there were too many things stacking up against the woman. His hopes to protect his protégée from the things she had already told him about seemed to not be working, and if Vera was working with Rufus, he needed to keep the act up with the woman to make sure Camilla and her friends stayed safe.
The man glanced past the girl to see the woman they where all talking about coming up the stairs and bustling her way towards the office. "Begone!" Victor dismissed them all before the woman could enter the room.
"What's all the commotion?" Vera's voice caused them all to turn their heads to look at the door where she stood. Camilla felt someone grip her free hand and she turned to see Jerome's jaw clenched as he glared at the woman. "Victor?" Vera demanded looking at him.
"Nothing." Victor answered immediately looking around at the kids, "just the usual nonsense... now go!"
"Victor?!" Jerome sounded shocked as he glanced to Camilla. He had been sure the man would believe them for her sake. It wasn't like none of them had noticed his preferential treatment of her all year or anything.
"NOW!"
The Sibuna's didn't need to be told twice and they all rushed from the room apart from Camilla who turned to her Guardian. "You might not believe us, but at least think about it..." she told the man, before turning and leaving the room. Victor watched as Jerome met her at the top of the stairs where he had stayed back, putting an arm around her shoulders before the two rushed after their friends down the stairs.
Victor wished he could tell her he was on their side, but with Vera now so close there was no way of doing so. If she was working with Rufus it cause more trouble.
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Due to an early bedtime, the Sibuna's and their Temp Jerome didn't have time to discuss anything else that evening, though none of them really wanted to discuss anything more. They were all too in shock – Rufus was back.
Thankfully when the new day dawned Camilla was back to her normal self. After a night of thinking it over she had decided that if Rufus wanted her magic so badly, she would fight him for it because a man like that didn't deserve power and she was too stubborn to let him scare her anymore. She was Isis's Protector, a little man like him would need to bloody work hard to do so.
So their meeting took place after school the next day, Patricia and Amber sneaking up the stairs after Vera to see what they could overhear in Victor's office as Camilla went to collect Jerome for the meeting. Nina wanted Jerome to have nothing to do with Sibuna but after a heated argument with Camilla, she had to submit to the will of Camilla. Jerome could be involved in their plans to get Trudy back and everything Rufus related but that was all Nina would agree too. Camilla knew better than to push her luck – though an added body in the tunnels would be helpful she was sure – and raced off once Nina gave a dejected nod to get Jerome.
"Knock Knock," she spoke up, causing Jerome to instantly look round from his desk at her voice.
"Milly," Jerome breathed giving her a smile which she returned. The two had been rather close during school that day, causing whispers of them dating again to circulate the school. Neither of them correcting anyone on the whispers either.
"I've talked Nina into letting you become a 'Sibuna Temp'," Camilla used her fingers around the words the American girl had emphasized to her and rolled her eyes causing a chuckle from Jerome. "but before we go through, I wanted to thank you," Camilla looked down at her hands as she spoke.
"thank me?"
"for being there for me today, for being there for me with Jasper," she explained looking to the boy who had gotten to his feet, "this morning I said that I was fine, and you and Fabian were the only ones who knew I lied. We all know I'm not going to be fine until all this is over,"
Jerome could see the cracks in the tough exterior the girl had put up, she was flawed and broken but that didn't make her any less beautiful. He wandered over and gathered her in his arms, feeling her hid her head into the crook of his neck, arms reaching around to hug him back.
"thank you for protecting me," she whispered. The moment the truth came out about Rufus using the twins as blackmail Camilla had known Jerome had been working to save her. Fabian and him had too strained a relationship so it was the only logical explanation.
"I don't want to see a world without you in it Mills," Jerome whispered back, closing his eyes and for the first time just appreciating having the small girl in his arms. Despite everything they now where facing, they now were facing it together, and Jerome was of the belief there was nothing him and the girl in his arms couldn't do when they worked together.
By the time Amber and Patricia joined the Sibuna's who were trying to look like they were innocently doing homework in the living room, Camilla and Jerome had joined the group. Camilla sat sandwiched between Jerome and Fabian taking comfort from the pair as the girls explained what they had overheard.
"wait, he's got three reflectors?" Nina asked, taking a glance at Jerome before letting out a sigh. She guessed he was learning about the tunnels now. "that must mean he has the dolls eye and two others."
Thankfully Jerome knew to keep quiet and to not ask questions as he was there as a temp for the Trudy mission only. From next to him Camilla spoke up, "what are they?"
"search me," Patricia sighed, "but he is onto us. He's figured out the goblets missing and they know it was us. We heard him tell Vera."
"he's talked to Vera about it?" Fabian sounded alarmed.
"yep," Amber simply said, "and trust me there's a significant amount of romantic tension between those two, its almost as bad as our favourite ship." She added looking to Alfie and winking causing the boy to let out a laugh as he subtly looked over to Camilla and Jerome.
"but Vera is working for Rufus," Camilla spoke up her eyes wide with worry for Victor.
"she could be a double agent?"
"well whatever she is, you've got to hand it to her," Amber spoke up, "she is good."
"Yeah, she is!" Alfie agreed, "the lying, double-crossing mask hijacking bitch! Hoodwinking us with her cakey ways."
"Back in the room Alfie." Patricia laughed at her friend before looking to the group at large, "maybe Victor and Rufus have teamed up."
"No way," Camilla was quick to shake her head, "Victor and Rufus have too much of a history... trust me..."
"Why am I sensing an ugly subtext there?" Patricia retorted to Camilla's statement causing the small girl to smile.
"Whatever it is," Alfie sighed, "Vera's got Victor wrapped around her finger. Do you see the way she stuck up for him the other day?"
"yep, total puppy dog, so in love." Amber nodded.
"I don't know what is going on here," Fabian spoke up, "All I do know is that we can't trust anyone,"
"Can we recap on who we can trust? Because my head is literally about to explode!" Amber spoke up causing Alfie to take her hand and give it a small squeeze.
"it doesn't matter guys," Nina spoke up, "we've got the other three reflectors. Remember?"
"Now we have that and the Trudy thing to worry about." Camilla groaned as she leaned her head on Jerome's shoulder, taking Fabian's hand. "we are teenagers, how have we been roped into all this?"
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HAPPY MONDAY EVERYONE!
now this is gonna be a little not needed for most of you buttttt;
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Sarah xxx