Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
Erin returned home that night to what appeared to be an empty house. Sighing, she thought it would be yet another lonely dinner. Devin had cancelled plans with her and she didn’t feel like being teased by Chuck had she returned to join them for dinner. Suddenly, she heard a loud moan from upstairs. Turning her head up, she recognized it was Jenna.
She walked up the steps cautiously as the girl let out yet another moan “Harder! Come on Ryan, you act like you haven’t had lunch!” she cried.
Erin halted in her steps with a small smile. She decided to return to her room and act like she didn’t know anything. But when she heard Jenna’s voice again, she had to stop “Okay, that’s enough Ryan. You’re too weak, let’s give Luke a chance.”
“Okay, let me at her!” Luke laughed viciously.
She quickly rushed towards Jenna’s room and burst through the door “What is—” she stopped when she saw Jenna on the ground while Luke was stepping on her lower back and Ryan massaging her arms. The three looked up in unison at Erin “Oh…what’s going on?”
“She got hurt in Taekwondo training today.” Ryan explained “Her and her clumsiness. She was tripped and fell on her back.”
Luke laughed as he cupped his mouth “I think she tripped herself so she wouldn’t have to do that competition.”
“Shut up!” Jenna whacked her arm against his calves “I didn’t sabotage myself!”
Erin smiled, embarrassed at what she was thinking “Why don’t you guys try ben-gay medicine like normal people? It wouldn’t probably hurt as bad and you wouldn’t be crying for mercy.”
Luke moved his eyes strangely “Wait…” he stopped Erin before she had a chance to leave “Did you think…” he pointed to Jenna and Ryan.
“No!” Erin answered too quickly and knew from his smile that she was caught.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk…” Luke teased her.
“Shut up.” She pushed his head playfully “If you guys were on the outside and heard the whole thing, you would think that too.”
“Why Erin!” Jenna gasped “I can’t believe you would think that we…at this time of night? It’s too early.” She quickly laughed when Ryan turned away blushing “We’re all adults.” She teased her boyfriend.
Erin shook her head “But he’s still like a brother to me. It’s like imagining Uncle Chuck and Eve…” she didn’t finish as the four shuttered together “Anyways, what’s for dinner?” she sat on the bed while Luke continued cracking Jenna’s back.
“Dinner? Didn’t you have plans with you know who?” Jenna mocked.
“Who?” Luke asked suspiciously while the three talked in code.
Ryan nodded in agreement “Yeah, he told us in person this morning.”
“No, he canceled at the last minute.” Erin sighed.
“Who?!” Luke demanded but everyone ignored him.
Jenna sighed “Typical. Why do all men cancel at the last minute?”
“I don’t.” Ryan defended.
“Of course you don’t. You better not.” Jenna eyed him carefully “Do you know what he’s doing?” she asked Erin.
“No.” shaking her head “Something about an old friend.”
“Oh…I know who you’re talking about.” Luke grinned slyly.
“Genius here is going to be an agent next.” Erin flicked her thumb at him “I’d be worried if you didn’t know who we were talking about.”
He laughed “So…the sexual tension bubble finally burst huh? Did you two have mad sex on the floor of his apartment?”
“Ew!!” Jenna and Ryan groaned with disgust “That’s my Uncle!”
“And Ga Jei!” Ryan complained “She would have been yours too.” He pointed out.
Luke rolled his eyes “Please, if she was mine then she wouldn’t be doing it with Devin on the floor of his apartment. That would be cheating on my brother.” He said matter-of-factly.
“Boy, you’ve got problems.” Erin said as she returned downstairs “Luke get down here and cook something!!” She screamed.
“Well, don’t take it out on me.” Luke emerged from the room huffing with each stomp down the stairs.
****************
“You look good.” Devin smiled across the table.
Janine was busy fixing Ah Ming’s shirt “You don’t have to compliment me, Devin.” She returned to him with a smile “But thanks.”
He nodded “So, where’s John?”
“Business trip.” She replied shortly.
“Really? What kind of work does he do?” Devin asked nosily. It was out of nature for him and she knew it.
Sighing, she slumped in her seat “If you already know, why do you bother playing along?”
“How did he die?” Devin did research in China and realized that her husband had passed away a year before. The records were scarce and did not leave a reason for death.
She looked past his shoulder, a distant expression on her face “About a year an a half ago, he signed a contract with another business man. They had an idea to open a company manufacturing jewelry. He took a big chunk of loan from the ‘sharks’. Not knowing that the man was a big scam, he ran off with the money and left John in a huge debt.”
“How much?” Devin looked concern, he knew where the story would end.
“Ten mil.” She snickered “What a joke. I was broke enough as it is, how would I find the money to help him? He was devastated and drank until he couldn’t think anymore. The sharks wouldn’t let it go that easy. They trailed us everywhere and tried to kidnap Ah Ming a few times.” He nodded, finally understanding why she told him to let the guy go “We went into hiding but they continued to find us everywhere we went.”
“They killed him?” Devin assumed.
Janine smiled shortly “Pretty much. They forced him off a high rise making a suicide scene with drunken bottles and filled his lungs with alcohol before he was pushed off. The doctors and police closed the files and concluded the death as suicide but I knew better.”
“They are still harassing you?” Devin asked. Janine nodded “Why didn’t you contact the police?”
“And tell them what? That my dead husband was scammed from a ten million dollar debt that he signed for? They would laugh at my face.” She turned up at Devin, who continued to look worried “You haven’t changed a bit.”
“What?” he asked.
“You’re always thinking of ways to better the situation. Even when we dated, you always thought about what to do to make things better. The number one in the class, it’s a wonder Daniel is still so jealous of you.” She chuckled lightly.
“You saw him?” Devin crunched his brows together.
Janine leaned onto the top of the table “What happened to you guys? You were such good friends back in high school?”
Devin snickered “You said it. Back then…things change, people change. I won’t forget how he backstabbed me for that job at the Police Department in Beijing. He’s always wanted everything I have…even you.”
She understood his anger “But he’s not as bad as you think he is.”
“There’s nothing you could say to prove that.” Devin was firm.
Janine smiled “What if I told you, he’s been helping me with the debt for the past year?”
His expression quickly cooled “He what?”
Nodding, she confirmed “I ran into him at John’s funeral. Barely anyone showed up, afraid that they would be tangled with the loan sharks. But Daniel showed up and offered to help me. He had no interest of making me pay it back. I eventually sold everything John owed and covered the hole temporarily. But every time I didn’t come up with the deposit, they’d go after Ah Ming. Daniel felt bad for me and helped me each time they kidnapped Ah Ming and demanded another deposit. Honestly, I don’t know what would happen to us if Daniel wasn’t there.”
Devin had his own reasons but hearing it from Janine, he could not help but admitted “Maybe he has changed.”
“I don’t know what truly happened between you two. But I don’t want this misunderstanding to continue. Couldn’t you let the past be in the past and move on from here? He tells me you are head of security now. Congratulations.” She said sincerely.
“It’s just temporary, but my heart is with the P.R.A. I guess you know Daniel is the Commander in Chief for Hong Kong.” Devin’s tone was undeniably bitter.
Janine tilted her head “Yes. And apparently, you two have to work tight together.”
“I’m not happy about that.” He snorted.
“I hate to see you two like this. We were all such good friends back then. I know there are things that’s hard to forgive and forget but I’ve forgiven you, why can’t you do the same?” Janine smoothed Ah Ming’s hair “I’ve grown up a lot since we became a two people family.”
“I want to do my part.” Devin reached out and touched her hand, confirming that he was genuine.
“I hear your girlfriend is very pretty.” Her words made his hand slip away “And she’s an agent. Why didn’t you mention her before?”
Devin lowered his head “I didn’t get a chance to.”
“You didn’t want to hurt me.” Janine corrected. This time she reached her hand out to him “Hey, you don’t have to repay anything back to me. It was my choice to have Ah Ming and not tell you about it. I wasn’t upset, I just didn’t find it necessary. Maybe it was selfish of me to raise him on my own but I didn’t want to bother anyone.”
“Even his real father?” Devin whispered “You haven’t changed either. Still independent.” She smiled with a lowered head “Have they attempted to kidnap Ah Ming again?”
Janine looked him in the eye “No. Daniel has taken care of everything. Just a couple more deposits.”
“Can I help?” he offered willingly.
Shaking her head softly, she answered, “One person to repay is enough for me. I don’t want to drag you into the mess anymore. All I ask is that you come visit Ah Ming once in a while.” She pulled out a paper from her purse and scribbled words over it “This is my temporary home until Daniel finds me a new apartment.”
“I will.” He promised.
Sighing, she patted her son on the head “Let’s go home. You have school tomorrow.” She smiled motherly.
“Okay, mommy.” The kid collected his coloring book and crayons “Thank you Uncle for the gift.” He smiled politely.
“You didn’t need to get him coloring books. But it seems he likes it.” Janine smiled when Ah Ming handed her a colored picture. The faces were blue and body was green but it was the first picture he’s colored.
“Just a hunch.” Devin made a mental note to get Bonnie a gift for giving him such a broad outlook on children.
“Did you get that from Bonnie?” Janine teased.
“Yes, how did you know?” he laughed “I figured a five year old would know what another five year old likes.”
Ah Ming looked up at his mother with rounded eyes “Will I see Bonnie again? I didn’t get to talk to her long this morning.”
“This morning?” Devin questioned.
“It’s getting late, we have to go home.” Janine said hastily as she pulled him into her arms and walked out before Devin could get an answer out of her.