Stories by Kiera Dellacroix

by Dellacroix, Kiera

"Good Lord," he chuckled shaking his head.

  "Sir," Andrew said from a distance as he approached and Jeremy waved him forward, taking the file from him and handing it to Bailey. "Thank you, Andrew," he said in dismissal and Andrew returned to his distant shadowing.

  "Shall we take a walk?" Jeremy said, gesturing outside and Bailey nodded.

  "How long ago was my paper picked up?" she asked thumbing through the file casually.

  "Less than a week," Jeremy said. "You said you've already met Mr. Nguyen?"

  "Yes," Bailey said. "He's dead."

  "I see," Jeremy said nodding. "Is there any other way I can be of assistance to you?"

  "Perhaps," Bailey said. "I'm expecting the best, but I need to prepare for the worst. Would it be possible to offer sanctuary to anyone I might need to send you?"

  "I can arrange that," Jeremy said. "Do you expect this to happen soon?"

  "If anything happens, it'll be in the next two weeks," Bailey said. "I'm hoping to end this quietly around that time, but I don't know how much longer they can be patient."

  "I'll be prepared," Jeremy said. "And I'll inform the Ambassador."

  "Much appreciated."

  "Is Piper with your mother?"

  "Yes, I rather cowardly left her in there to explain things," Bailey admitted.

  Jeremy chuckled. "Your mother is a formidable woman."

  "Yes, she is," Bailey agreed.

  "Any thoughts on the Italian?"

  "He won't risk getting close to me," Bailey said. "If they utilize him, he'll play the sniper. He shouldn't be a problem."

  "I'm glad to hear that," Jeremy said. "Would you like to head back inside?"

  "It'll be awhile," Bailey said, pulling her cigarettes from under her poncho. "It's a long story."

  "I see," Jeremy said reaching for his own cigarettes. "There's a bench around the corner, would like to swap lies to pass the time?"

  "Alright," she said with an amused smile. "But first, I think I'd like to hear how you managed to find me and how you knew who I was."

  "Ahh, that would be a pleasure," he said with a grin. "I seldom get to discuss my own ingenuity."

  ----------

  "My baby," Doreen said sadly. "She was Daddy's little girl you know, she adored him."

  "She still does," Piper said softly.

  "She had a dark spot even when she was a child," Doreen said. "Every once in a great while, she would retreat in there and not even her father could pull her out of it until she was ready."

  Piper said nothing and let Doreen work things out in her own way. She had watched Bailey's mother run a gambit of emotions in the last two hours; from all out grief, to a somewhat frightening bright anger.

  "She left you in here to tell me this didn't she?"

  "Yes," Piper admitted. "She was terrified to come here today."

  "Why?" Doreen asked a little hurt.

  "Mrs. Cameron, she may be thirty-one years old, but in a lot of ways she's still very insecure and emotionally inexperienced. She's isolated herself from the world for most of her life, she's never had friends, or relationships; in essence, she's had no one to guide her," Piper said softly. "She's incredibly intelligent and can deal with any situation, but she's almost completely at a loss on how to handle things on a personal or emotional level. And coming to see her mother, who has believed her dead for so long, was very difficult for her. She asked me before we arrived what would happen if you didn't care about her anymore."

  "God," Doreen said quietly, her eyes beginning to water again.

  "She's not pleased with how she's lived her life, in fact I know she's ashamed of what she's done and it hurts her," Piper continued. "She doesn't want you to be ashamed of her too."

  "How could I?" Doreen asked tearfully. "All these years and she was fighting to make sure her brother and myself got a chance at life. She would have never allowed any of this to happen if Ryan and I weren't in the picture, she would have killed herself first."

  "Maybe."

  "No maybe about it," Doreen said. "You couldn't cage her even as a child. She had a horrible temper and was very obstinate, no amount of threats or promises could get her to give in. If she was trapped and had no other concern but herself, she wouldn't have tolerated any of this. Even if that meant she had to die to escape."

  Piper considered her words thoughtfully.

  "What happens now?" Doreen asked after a moment, wiping at her eyes.

  "I guess we need to ask her that," Piper said. "Let me go find her, I'm sure she's close."

  Doreen nodded and Piper lifted herself off the sofa and made for the door. She entered the hall to see Bailey speaking with the Major a short distance away.

  "Bailey," Piper said and Bailey nodded to the Major before she approached and let Piper pull her into the room.

  "Come sit beside me," Doreen said and Bailey walked uncertainly over to the couch and sat next to her mother. "Piper told me everything," she said and Bailey's eyes immediately dropped to study the floor.

  "Wipe that look off your face," Doreen said sternly. "I know that everything you did, you did for Ryan and I, and I won't have you being ashamed for saving us and that's exactly what you've done. You've carried a weight on your back that I think few could've endured. So, I'll not hear of it anymore," Her hand came up to cup Bailey's cheek. "I'm proud and eternally grateful that I have my little girl back, and that you were strong enough to persevere and return to your family. I love you child, and nothing will ever take that away."

  Bailey let out a sob as she fell into her mother's waiting embrace. Doreen kissed her hair and rocked her silently until she regained some composure and sat up wiping at her eyes.

  "You're more beautiful than I could've hoped," Doreen said, brushing the hair out of her face tenderly before standing and walking over to enter the hallway. She saw who she was looking for and made tracks in his direction. He saw her approach and turned to her expectantly.

  "Mr. Watts, would you see that my son makes his way here, please?"

  "Of course," he said, a little surprised that she was speaking to him.

  Doreen spun on her heel and made her way back to the room. She had left the door open and she entered to see Piper sitting behind Bailey on the sofa and redoing the braid in her hair. She watched curiously for a moment as Piper whispered to her comfortingly and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, taking her hand and pulling her gently to her feet.

  "I want you to see Ryan," Doreen said as they turned to her. "Only for a moment, and I'll talk to him later about things. After I see him away, I'd like to find out what you've in mind for us."

  "Okay," Bailey said shakily.

  "How long can you stay?"

  "We have to leave tonight."

  "We?" Doreen asked, smiling at their joined hands.

  "Piper and I."

  "I see," Doreen said tonelessly. "Come give me a hug, Piper," she added with a smile and chuckled when Piper bounced away from Bailey, wrapping her arms around her as the door opened and Ryan entered, taking in the scene with a puzzled expression.

  "What's going on, Mum?" Ryan said hesitantly.

  "What's it look like?" Doreen asked.

  Ryan looked from person to person until his eyes came to rest on Bailey and he stared at her confusedly, cocking his head a little.

  "Don't be rude, Ryan," Doreen admonished. "Say hello to your sister."

  "Sister," Ryan said slowly. "But…oh my God." His eyes widened as it all crashed in on him.

  "Hello, Ryan," Bailey said quietly, trying not to shuffle her feet.

  "My God, Bailey?" he asked unbelievingly and she nodded her head. "I don't understand," he said rooted in place.

  "I'll explain later," Doreen said. "Give her a hug, you dolt," she added happily.

  He crossed the room and tentatively embraced her, backing away slowly and looking into her eyes. "Jesus please us, it really is you," he said and embraced her again, earnestly.

  "Ryan, this is Piper Tate," Bailey said unc
omfortably as he released her and began to study her at close range.

  "Hi, Ryan," Piper said cheerily, stepping forward and extending her hand to give Bailey a little space.

  "Hello," he said distantly, shaking her hand, slowly tearing his eyes away from Bailey and looking at her. "Uhm… Who are you?" he asked bluntly.

  "She's my girlfriend," Bailey said defensively, taking her hand when Ryan released it.

  Ryan shook his head and fell bonelessly into one of the chairs. "What the hell is going on?"

  "Your sister's alive and she has a girlfriend," Doreen said dryly. "I'll explain the rest to you later."

  Ryan spent a moment looking from person to person. "I think I need a drink," he said quietly.

  "Ryan, I wanted you to see her," Doreen said. "There's a lot you should know but I need to talk to her for a bit, she needs to leave soon."

  "Alright," he said slowly, rising from his seat and walking over to stand in front of Bailey again. "You're beautiful, sister," he said with a smile. "I'm not going to pretend I've a clue about what's going on, but it does my heart good to have you back," he said and tenderly embraced her. "Will we see you again soon?"

  "I hope so," Bailey said returning the embrace.

  "I hope so, too," Ryan said and released her.

  He turned to Piper. "It's very nice to meet you."

  "Thank you," Piper said brightly.

  "Be on your way, Ryan," Doreen said proudly. "I need to speak to your sister. I'll talk to you shortly."

  Ryan nodded and beamed a smile at Bailey as he left the room, throwing a parting glance over his shoulder.

  "He looks like Da," Bailey said quietly.

  "Yes, he does," Doreen said. "Doesn't have his smarts though, but he's a good man."

  "He has a fiance?"

  "Yes, Fiona. I would've sent for her too, but I didn't want to overwhelm you," Doreen said.

  "It's been a tough day," Bailey said tiredly. "Thank you."

  "Take a seat, child. And tell me what we should expect," Doreen said padding over and sitting down on the sofa.

  "I expect everything to be finalized in the next two weeks," Bailey began, seating herself on the sofa across from her mother with Piper. "Once it's done, you and Ryan are free to live anywhere you choose under the Cameron name."

  "Even America?" Doreen asked.

  "Yes, anywhere you'd like."

  "Where do you live?"

  "In Atlanta.

  "I'd like to be near my daughter," Doreen said. "But I'm afraid we've little money, no jobs, and aren't citizens."

  "You don't need jobs, you'll be citizens of this country if you like and I've more than enough money for you to live anyway or anywhere you want."

  "Then I want to live in Atlanta."

  "I'd like that, too," Bailey said quietly.

  "Both Mr. Watts and Piper say these people want to kill you," Doreen stated. "How do you plan to survive?"

  "I can't tell you that because too many things can change," Bailey said. "But I'll win and I'll get what I want."

  "What do you want?"

  "I want a normal life with Piper and my family," Bailey said honestly. "And I'll get it, one way or another."

  "Alright, when do we know it's over?"

  "I'll either come for you myself or I'll send word through Major Watts," Bailey said.

  "I hate to even ask this, but what happens if we never hear from you?" Doreen asked reluctantly.

  "I've made arrangements for everyone's welfare if I don't survive," Bailey said and Piper looked at her sharply. "The Major will be contacted by someone else in that case. But I don't expect that to happen."

  "These people are obviously very powerful," Doreen said sadly. "Can't we just run now that we're together?"

  "No," Bailey said pointedly.

  "Why?" Doreen said. "I don't want to chance losing you to these people again."

  "Because they've stolen too much from me and I've no intention of running. It wouldn't be fair to Piper, you and Ryan, or myself."

  "Is there no changing your mind?"

  "No," Bailey confirmed.

  "Alright," Doreen said. "I'd like to spend Christmas with my daughter."

  Bailey exchanged a quick look with Piper.

  "Mrs. Cameron, I believe my family would be delighted to have the Cameron family for Christmas at their home," Piper said. "If that's alright with you?"

  "Will you and Bailey be there?" Doreen asked.

  "Of course," Piper said.

  "I think that would be very nice."

  "Me too," Piper said, squeezing Bailey's hand.

  "We should go," Bailey said reluctantly and Doreen's eyes instantly filled.

  "You come back to me," Doreen said roughly.

  "I will," Bailey said. "I promise."

  Doreen stood up. "Give your Mum a hug."

  Bailey rose and embraced her tightly. "I'll see you again," she whispered in her mother's ear.

  "I love you, child," Doreen said, squeezing her tightly before letting go. "Give me a squeeze too, Piper."

  Piper smiled and embraced her. "Don't you ever let her go," Doreen said so softly in her ear that Piper barely heard it.

  Bailey took Piper's hand and leaned quickly over her mother, planting a kiss on her cheek. "Goodbye, Mum."

  "Bye, love," Doreen said wiping at her eyes as they walked to the door but Bailey turned as she crossed the threshold and beamed a winning smile in her direction.

  "Wait," Doreen said excitedly. "I've something for you," she said as she began frantically looking around for her purse, and finding it with a relieved sigh, she dug through it furiously, walking to the door to hand Bailey a picture.

  "What's this?" Bailey asked curiously.

  "Look at it."

  Her eyes fell to the photograph and grew moist as she viewed the features of her family in its entirety.

  "Thank you," Bailey said her voice cracking. "I've no pictures to remember them by."

  "I thought as much," Doreen said. "I look at that one everyday and ask God to watch over those no longer with us and tonight I'll not be grieving for you. Now be on your way so I can have another good cry," she said with a shooing gesture.

  Bailey could only nod and Piper shot her another smile in parting as they entered the hall. Jeremy saw them coming and signaled to Andrew.

  "Have them bring the car about," he said and Andrew instantly disappeared.

  He turned back to the women to see that Piper had brought them up short and was whispering to Bailey. He waited patiently until they arrived.

  "Would you like me to accompany you to the airfield or would you like some time alone before your flight?" Jeremy asked pleasantly.

  "Would you be offended if we left alone, Major?" Piper asked and he smiled.

  "Of course not," he said offering Piper his hand. "It was a pleasure, Miss Tate."

  "Yes, it was very nice to meet you," Piper said brightly.

  "Bailey, I hope to see you soon," he said, offering her his hand as well.

  "Thank you for everything, Jeremy," she said shakily as she shook his hand. "You've my number if you have any questions?"

  "I do," Jeremy said surprised at how soft her hands were.

  "Take care," Bailey said, releasing his hand and taking Piper's again.

  "You too," he said as the car pulled up and Bailey opened the door for Piper and got in behind her.

  "Sir?" Andrew said appearing at his side as the car pulled away.

  "Yes, Andrew?"

  "Who was that woman?"

  "Which one?"

  "The dark one," Andrew said cautiously. "She's dangerous."

  "Yes, she is," Jeremy admitted.

  "Who is she?"

  "The Wraith," Jeremy said honestly as he pulled his cigarettes from his pocket.

  VII

  She was a fast machine, She kept her motor clean,

  She was the best damn woman I had ever seen.

  - Young, Young, Johnson

  Piper rin
sed the shampoo out of her hair and stepped out of the shower, her thoughts centering on Bailey as she dried off. She had been extremely quiet since they had left the embassy and upon arriving home, she had declined an offer to join her in the shower and had immediately crawled into bed. Wrapping a towel around her, she left the bathroom and found her asleep fully clothed. She gently sat down beside her on the edge of the bed and carefully took the photograph from Bailey's fingers, knowing that she had fallen asleep while studying it.

  She looked at the photograph for the first time and saw a Bailey that made her breath hitch. She was smiling widely and her eyes sparkled in way that she had never seen. The Bailey that she knew had eyes that made her seem centuries older than her physical age and she wondered, not for the first time, what she would have been like with a different life. With a pained expression, she reverently put the photograph on the nightstand next to the bed and set the alarm. Shrugging out of her towel she crawled into bed beside her, snuggling up to her back and softly stroking the ebony hair until she fell asleep herself.

  ----------

  Piper slapped the alarm three times in irritation before she succeeded in turning it off and grudgingly opened her eyes. She rolled over onto her back and fanned her arms out on either side of her, scowling upon discovering she was alone. With a sigh, she got up and into a pair of sweats, grinning when she spotted Bailey's sleep shirt hanging from the bathroom doorknob. Pulling it over her head and practically swimming in the black shirt that was several sizes too big for Bailey, she inhaled deeply of the scent that still clung to the fabric.

  Smiling, she ventured out of the bedroom and, as she approached the kitchen, she found Martin sitting at the table poking at a bowl of cereal. She could hear the pounding bass of a song being played loudly down the hallway.

  "Morning," Martin said smiling at her.

  "Good morning," Piper said brightly.

  "That shirt is huge on you," he observed with an amused grin.

  "It's Bailey's," Piper said returning the grin. "What's she doing?"

  "I don't really know," Martin said with a shrug. "She came through here with her sword about half an hour ago and asked not to be disturbed."

  "Her sword?" Piper asked with a scowl.

  Martin shrugged. "Did everything go alright yesterday?"

  "Yeah," Piper said her scowl changing to a little grin. "Yeah, it did."