Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
The girls returned to Erin’s home after their early dinner with Luke. When they pulled up to the driveway, Erin noticed Ted was already home “He’s early today.” she commented as she got out of the car.
“Maybe he’s gonna surprise you with a proposal?” Mia wondered.
“Don’t scare me!” Erin hushed.
The girls entered to a cold house, Ted was not in the living room. It was too odd according to Erin and her stomach fell when she realized. At the same time Mia covered her mouth “I forgot!”
Together the girls raced up the stairs and found Ted in Erin’s room. He looked distraught and angry at the same time “Ted…” she began only to be glared at.
“How long has this been going on?” he waved the pictures in the air and threw them against the wall suddenly “How long?!”
Mia was startled, she wasn’t prepared for his reaction. Erin expected the worse “I’m sorry Ted.”
“Not as sorry as I am.” He said angrily “Who is he?”
“I don’t know yet.” Erin replied calmly.
Ted approached Erin, his eyes intensely red with fury. Mia quickly intervened “Hey Ted, don’t do anything drastic…nothing happened really.”
“You know?” he eyed her curiously.
Mia began to stutter and Erin knew she had to take over “Mia just found out this morning.” Erin pulled her friend to the side “I’m sorry Ted, maybe I should have told you three years ago when I first saw him. I didn’t know I would ever see him again.”
“You can’t forget him, can’t you?” he said sadly. The mixed feelings of anger diminished as he realized she would never get over Brad “Why keep me around?”
“I didn’t want to hurt you.” Erin replied sympathetically “I know it’s too late. But I promise you, my feelings are true. I care about you a great deal.”
Ted felt numb as he asked her “Do you love me?”
“Of course she does!!” Mia proclaimed.
“I want to hear it from Erin.” Ted replied, eyes saddened as they dug into her face. She didn’t know how to face him. A waiting tear trickled down his face as he nodded “I see.” Without saying goodbye, he slipped past the girls and rushed down the stairs as he collected his keys and took off.
Erin closed her eyes painfully, she didn’t want him to find out like that. Mia felt guilty and responsible “I’m sorry…”
She raised a hand “No, it’s not your fault. Fate. I knew he would find it sooner or later, but I didn’t expect this soon. I didn’t even know how to answer him.”
“What now?” Mia sighed.
She shook her head “I don’t know.”
“You look like you need a hug.” Mia observed as she reached out and gave her friend a tight bear hug making Erin smile, “You need to get away from all this.”
Tilting her head as she pulled away, a smile crossed her face “You’re right. And I know where to go.”
“I wanna go too!” Mia cried excitedly.
“You don’t even know where.” Erin smiled with a shaking head.
“I don’t care, I just want to go somewhere.” She begged with the famous puppy eyes.
Erin rolled her eyes “I’m going up north, to China.”
“What about Ted?” Mia knew what her friend was trying to do.
“He’s too upset right now. I’ll let him cool down first. It’ll be just a week.” Erin estimated “If it takes longer to investigate, I’ll send the detective up there.”
Mia nodded “Let me call Darren.”
“And I’ll call the travel agency and see if they can book our tickets tonight or tomorrow.” The girls split up to make their calls.
There was a flight open at midnight the same night, Erin booked two tickets. Scribbling down the registration number, she turned to Mia to see if she was finished reporting to her boss “What did he say?”
“He begged me not to go but I told him it was about time he took care of Bonnie, she’s beginning to forget what he looks like.” Mia grumbled “He needs a good spanking once in a while.”
“And you’re just the person to do it. There’s an open flight tonight. You should go home and pack.” Erin advised.
Mia nodded in agreement. On the way out of the house, the girls ran into Becca “Hey, what are you doing here?” Mia asked.
“Ted didn’t tell you about Reina? I saw him drive past me, but he didn’t see me.” Becca wondered out loud. Mia and Erin glanced at each other and she quickly caught on “What happened? Who dumped whom? Did he cheat or did you cheat?”
Erin shook her head “None of the above.”
“What does that mean?” Becca looked confused.
Mia sighed, “We’ll explain on the way. Come on.”
After they picked up Mia’s belongings and ordered yet another ticket for Becca, who insisted on coming along. They had to drop by her place to gather some clothes “Doug doesn’t mind?” Erin asked curiously.
“He considers it a vacation when I leave to see my family in the countryside for the weekend. He’d love me forever for this one week trip.” Becca scowled, but she was smiling.
“Poor guy.” Mia said sadly.
“Where are we going?” Becca asked.
Erin glanced at the rear view mirror “You’ll see.”
“Maybe we should keep her in the car?” Mia suggested “You know her fear of you know who.”
“Who?” Becca demanded and one smile from Mia, she knew as she let out a gasp “No! Why are we going there?”
Mia and Erin exchanged giggles as they pulled up to the guard and identified themselves with the legal tags that were made for them years before. The guard waved the girls in as they got out and entered the hospital building of the jail. Becca looked restless as she glanced behind her shoulders from time to time. Mia laughed “Don’t worry girl, I’ll protect you from the big bad Reina.”
“Don’t tease her, Mia.” Erin warned “She might pee in her pants.” The comment only made Mia crack up even louder.
When they reached the correct room, they punched in a special code to the automatically locked room and entered it. Reina was sitting up, looking pale but her eyes were alert. She was watching TV and trying to eat congee that Matt brought for her earlier in the day “Guess who?” Mia teased as she covered her own eyes.
Reina smiled “I wouldn’t miss that laugh. Even with the metal doors, I could hear you.”
Mia giggled as she reached out and hugged Reina tightly “I’m so glad you're okay.”
“Me too.” She nodded and tilted her head to catch Erin’s smile “Hey there.”
“Hey Reina.” Erin nodded.
Mia wrinkled her brows “Oh come on, don’t act like strangers. Give her a hug, Erin, you know you want to.”
Reina pointed a thumb at Mia “You better listen to her or she’ll-”
“Lecture until we go deaf?” Erin finished her sentence. Reina laughed with a nod as she reached out and gave Erin a short hug.
“Ha ha.” Mia rolled her head to the side “Oh, you know Becca.”
“Hi.” Becca greeted timidly.
Reina gave the girl a crooked smile “What’s with her?”
“Oh don’t mind Becca, she’s afraid of you.” Mia explained nonchalantly only to earn a punch from Becca’s fist “Ow! Gees, I should stand next to Reina. It’s dangerous over there.” She quickly pulled Erin behind her and stood next to Reina’s bed “How are you feeling?”
She shrugged her shoulders lightly “Like I just ate a horse. My throat still hurts and the doctor said I can’t talk just yet but you know me…can’t shut my mouth.”
Erin laughed, “For a minute, I thought you were talking about Mia.” Reina nodded with an ear to ear grin “So what did Matt say about your release?”
“He’s working on it. He wants to get me out by the end of next week. But because the Mayor was murdered, they want to check the signed forms and make sure it really was his signature. Anyways, it will take that long for me to heal.” She pointed to her neck.
“A week?” Mia smiled “Perfect, then we’ll be back in time to rejoin you. Crap!” she turned to Erin “We didn’t call Matt yet. We have to tell him. Afterall, he’s missing three great agents.” She said matter of factly.
“I called him when you were checking in with Darren.” Erin advised.
“Where are you guys going?” Reina was curious.
Mia turned to her “It’s a long story. Let me shorten the story for you. Three years ago, Erin ran into a guy that looked identical to Brad. She didn’t see him again until recently, it seems he was adopted and could be Brad’s twin brother. We are going to his home town where he was raised in Guang Chow and do some spy work. Maybe it could be a coincidence and maybe they are siblings.”
“Wow…” Reina breathed as she turned to Erin “I take it your cop boyfriend isn’t too happy?”
“Could you blame him?” Erin smiled sadly “I just need to find out.”
Becca nodded “If you weren’t feeling well, we’d invite you to go too.”
Mia snickered “You know the only time Becca is nice to anyone is because she’s in fear.”
“I’m harmless.” Reina assured the girl.
Becca laughed nervously “Don’t listen to Mia, she’s just all talk. I’m not afraid of you.” Reina raised her eyes and the girl quickly retrieved her words “I didn’t mean it like that! I just mean that I don’t fear you…I mean…there’s no reason for me to be afraid…”
“I mean, I mean…” Mia mocked her fearful voice “Give it a rest Becca, we all know you’re scared. Reina isn’t as scary as she looks…well, if you don’t piss her off or something. Remember that one time?” she gave Reina a wink to play along.
“Oh yeah, Mia was being a brat so I lit fire to her blanket when she fell asleep that night.” Reina nodded casually. Becca widened her eyes “Oh but it was all in good fun. The fireman got there in time and was able to save the apartment building, although it burned down half of the floors.”
Mia was busy stifling her laugh that she didn’t notice Becca’s face turning deathly pale “Oh stop, you two. You’re scaring her.” Erin scolded. Mia began laughing when she couldn’t hold it in while Erin glanced at the clock “We should leave.”
“Take care girls.” Reina nodded as she watched them leave.