My name is Violet Enigma. You may know me as Detctive Enigma, but I was not always a detective. This is my story, from the ninth grade at least.
It was a normal Monday. School had started out boring, as usual, but as the day wound down it became slightly more interesting. During recess, I had broken up yet another schoolyard fight. It was between the school bully and my closest friend, Candy Rush. The bully was picking on her, and she had had enough.
"You really need to stop fighting, Candy. You'll end up being expelled." I told her while we were waiting for the principal.
"I know, Violet. I know. It's just hard to take it sometimes." Candy replied.
"At least try to, for my sake." I said. Just then, the principal walked out of his office.
"Candy Rush. This makes six times in a row that you are in my office. We'll skip the pleasantries and move straight to the punishment. Six weeks detention and one week in house suspension. Dismissed." He said. I was not going sit idly by and let my friend sit through it alone. As she turned to leave, her head hanging despondently, I piped up from next to her.
"Principal Neigh Say." I said. He wheeled around to face me, a look of utter disbelief on his face, as if I was not expected to talk to him. "I am just as much in the wrong as Candy is for not seeing the signs and stopping it sooner. I deserve to be punished as well."
"Very well, Miss Enigma. You have three weeks detention, seeing as you have made up your mind, and Gods above know i don't have the strength to argue right now. Dismissed." He said, turning toward his office again.
"Thank you, Principal Neigh Say." I said as I turned to walk away with Candy.
"That wasn't necessary." She said. "I could've taken the punishment. Now we're both stuck in detention."
"I know, Candy. I just don't want you to be alone for something I could've prevented." I replied. I was determined to go through with the punishment with her, even if it meant giving up my afternoons.
"How could you have prevented it." Candy asked.
"I know the signs of a pending fight." I replied, a dark look crossing my face.
"How do you-"
"Don't ask. All you need to know is that I don't have a happy home life." I interupted before she could fully voice her question. We returned to class to cheers of assent. Little did we know that by standing up to the bully, we had gained respect from basically the whole school. I saw Bright Mac clapping next to Pear Butter, and Shiffon Swirl cheering with Burnt Oak. My entire friend group was cheering for us.
The school day came to an end rather quickly after that. I had just said goodbye to her and was on my way to the little apartment that my family rented.
It was a long walk from the school, but it allowed me time to think. To think about what I wanted to do with my life. I got home some forty minutes later and walked in the door. I could hear yelling coming from the kitchen, but I ignored it and went to my room. The last time I tried to intervene in one of my parents' fights, my dad hit me over the head in a drunken haze, and I didn't wake up for three days.
I steer clear of my dad most days. Him being unemployed meant he was home most of the time while my mom worked her ass off to make a living so we can all eat. When she got home most days, my dad would already be drunk and screaming profanities at her.
I took a part time job at Sweet Apple Acres to get away from it all and to help my mom with buying us all food. Mrs. Smith was kind enough to let me work there, even though I was barely old enough to work legally. Bright Mac is nice though, him and Pear Butter, though they asked me not to tell Mrs. Smith about them.
I got changed to head out to Sweet Apple Acres to go work for the afternoon. As I left my bedroom, my dad was on his way out of the kitchen where I could hear my mother crying. I waited for him to disappear into the living room before I went to her.
"Are you okay, Mother?" I asked as I walked in.
"Oh. Yes, I am now, my darling Violet." she replied while wiping away tears. I fished around in my jacket pockets and pulled out my last couple of dollars for the month. Payday was still two weeks off, bit I didn't care about that. I had to get my mother out of the apartment.
"Here mother. I was planning on using this to buy some new clothing, but you need it more." I said.
"Oh. Oh no, dear. I can't. Its your last, and payday is still too far off." she replied
"I can manage, Mother. Just take it and treat yourself. You deserve it." I said, opening her hand and stuffing the bills in it. I then turned to the door that separated the kitchen from the hallway, and peeked out. "Now come on. Before father sees us leaving. I have an excuse for leaving now, but you don't" I grabbed her hand and led her out of the apartment. As soon as I shut the front door, I heard my father screaming from beyond it.
"WHEN YOU GET BACK, YOU'RE AS GOOD AS DEAD, YOU LITTLE SHIT. YOU TOO, YOU LAZY BITCH!"
"Don't come home until at least eight thirty, mother, please. I don't like this. That threat didn't seem empty." I said as we arrived at the bus stop.
"I won't, Vi. I think I'll go visit Mrs. Smith after I've been to the shop. Then we can come home together." She replied.
"Sounds like a plan." I said as the bus stopped to allow us on. We climbed on the bus together, and left the apartment block behind. The dirty, facebrick building shrinking in size the further away we got from it
I got off the bus at the last stop. My mother had gotten off at the stop closest to the central business district of Canterlot City. Unfortunately for me, my stop didn't come anywhere near Sweet Apple Acres, which meant I still had a six mile hike to get there. Usually one of the Apples would come to pick me up, but today was supposed to be my day off, so they had no idea I was coming. I started walking, the brisk fall wind cutting through my thin cardigan like knives, chilling me a bit. I couldn't help but shiver a little, but as I got further toward the farm, I started warming up a little.
By the time I got to the farm, I was sweating a little, but I got there and started smiling, because two of my closest friends were waving at me from the barn. Bright Mac and Burnt Oak.
"Uh, hey there, Violet. Ya know it's yer day off right?" Bright Mac said as I approached.
"Yeah, I know. I just wanted to get out of the apartment for a bit, and help Burnt Oak keep you out of trouble." I said with a laugh.
"Yea, Ah could certainly use the help with that." Burnt Oak said with a laugh. I couldn't help but laugh as well, which set Bright Mac frowning.
"Hey, that ain't fair. Ah don't always get into trouble." He said with a huff.
Suddenly, someone spoke from behind me.
"Ah seem ta recall a certain someone spending a lotta time over at mah family's farm fixin' a water silo because o' somethin silly." We all looked over to see Pear Butter standing with her arms crossed, but she had a twinkle of laughter in her eye.
"Hey, Pear Butter. Why're you here." Burnt Oak said, concern showing in his eyes.
"Ah'm here fer Bright Mac. Ain't it obvious." she said while nervously shuffling her foot.
"But why now. If ma catches ya, we'll both be grounded." Bright Mac said, nervously looking over to the front door of the Apple house.
"Don't worry about her. Burnt Oak and I will cover for you. Get out of here before she spots you." I said, pushing him toward Pear Butter.
"Are ya sure. Ah'd hate fer y'all ta get in trouble." he said.
"Like Vi said, don't y'all worry 'bout it none. We'll cover fer y'all." Burnt Oak said.
"Thanks y'all. If ma asks fer me, just tell her Ah'm in the South forty, tendin' ta mah chores." Bright Mac said.
"Will do Bright Mac," I said. "Are you going to be in the South forty though?"
"Sure am. That section of the orchard is furthest from the house." he said with a flourish. After that brief exchange, he left with Pear Butter.
"Well, since I'm here, why don't I go see if Mrs. Smith has any jobs for me." I said, turning to Burnt Oak.
"Yea. Ah'll go with ya." he said.
I got a little idea at that moment, and I turned to Burnt Oak and said,
"Hey Burnt Oak, race ya to the door." at that momemt, I pushed him and took off.
"Hey. That ain't fair, Vi. We both know yer the better athlete." he said in protest.
He did have a point. I am the captain of the girls athletics division of Canterlot High, and currently the front runner for an athletics scholarship to Canterlot University. I did also win junior victrix ledorum two years running. Burnt Oak did athletics as well, but he was more into the field events, whereas I am all track and field. I slowed down to let him catch up. I looked over to him and smiled, he smiled back, and I suddenly realised that I might have feelings for the guy. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, and tripped over a rake that was lying in the way. As I lurched forward, I felt someone grab me before I could hit the ground. Once the dust had settled, I looked up to see Burnt Oak looking into my eyes, concern subtly laced in his face, but I could discern it.
"Are ya okay, Vi. Ya ain't hurt, are ya?" he asked.
"I'm fine, thanks to you. Those were some damn good reflexes though." I said, heat crawling up my face. He started blushing at exactly the same time as the heat started crawling, so I knew I was blushing as well. I got up suddenly, and almost headbutted him in the process. I dusted myself off as a distraction from what had just occurred. "Well, let's head on inside. I wanna get some work done."
We got inside and saw Mrs. Smith bent over the stove, already working on dinner for the Apple family.
"Afternoon, Mrs. Smith. How are you." I said politely as I walked over to her.
"Ah'm fine, Violet. What're ya doin here, youngin." She asked. "It's yer day off."
"I know, ma'am. I just came over to visit and see if Bright Mac needed any help with his chores." I said.
"Well, y'all two can head over ta the South field and help him there. He's got a lotta weedin' ta do there, and if ah know that boy, he ain't gonna get it done today." she said.
"Well, we'll head on over there now." I said, turning to Burnt Oak. "Shall we?"
"Sure thing. After you." he said, holding the door open for me to go before him. I walked out into the brisk fall afternoon, feeling lighter than air.
After walking for a few minutes, Burnt Oak turned to me.
"Hey, Vi. What happened before we met up with Mrs. Smith, I wasn't expectin' it, but Ah barely thought about it before Ah moved. When Ah saw ya trip, it was as if the world slowed down around me. Ah just couldn't stand it if ya got hurt." he said with a blush.
"Well, it happened. Can we get on with the walk, I got a lot of stuff I wanna get my mind off of." I replied, sounding colder than I intended. I could see the hurt in his eyes. I felt confused because I had never had feelings for anyone before. "I'm sorry, Burnt Oak, I didn't mean it like that." He stopped dead in his tracks. I stopped too.
"Look, Vi, Ah'm gonna level with ya. Ah've had feelin's for ya ever since ya transferred here from Cloudsdale. And Ah didn't have the guts ta tell ya 'til now." he said, looking a little downtrodden.
"Ya know. I'm gonna be honest with you too. I like you, but I'm confused too, because I've never had feelings for anyone before now. I don't know what to think anymore." I said.
"Well, ya could start by givin' me a chance, if'n ya wanna." he said, blushing profusely. That comment set my cheeks ablaze as well.
"Well, I could, but I've never been in a relationship, so we're gonna have to take it slow." I said. He leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
"That's all Ah wanted. A chance." he said, grabbing my hand in his. We continued walking to the South forty, hand in hand all the way.
We got to the South forty in time to see Bright Mac and Pear Butter sitting under one of the trees, talking.
"Hey y'all, what're y'all talkin' 'bout?" Burnt Oak asked as we approached them. They looked over to us and smiled as they saw that we were still holding hands.
"Oh, nothin' much. Took y'all two long enough ta hook up." Bright Mac said with a smile, causing Pear Butter to laugh and us two to start blushing.
"Well, get used to it." I said, sticking my tongue out at them. "Don't we have work to do?"
"Shit, Ah forgot. We got some weedin' ta do." Bright Mac said.
"Bright Mac, watch yer language." Pear Butter scolded.
"Sorry, Buttercup." Bright Mac apologized with a blush. "Lets get ta work."
Several hours later, we were heading back to the house, Burnt Oak and I hand in hand the whole way. Pear Butter had left us by the main dirt road that separated the South forty from the rest of the farm. By the time we got there, night had begun to fall, but we weren't worried, because between the four of us, we managed to get all the work done.
"Well, it sure as shootin' got dark real quick." Bright Mac said as we approached the house.
"Yea, it did. Ah'm jes glad we got it all done before dusk." Burnt Oak said.
"Yeah." I agreed. "I wonder if my mother has arrived yet." While we were working, I told Burnt Oak about my home life, and Bright Mac and Pear Butter overheard. Burnt Oak leaned over and hugged me.
"Ah'm sure she has, Vi." he said.
"I know. I just worry sometimes, ya know." I said, my voice betraying how tired I felt of it all.
"Ah know, but ya don't hafta worry. Yer ma can take care of herself." Burnt Oak said comfortingly. We got to the door and Burnt Oak held it open for me. As I walked in, the smell of a home cooked meal and the sound of hearty laughter welcomed me.
"See, Ah told ya. Yer ma is safe and sound." he said. We got to the den and I ran to hug my mother. Suddenly, the phone in the den rang. Mrs. Smith went to answer it.
"Hello, Apple residence." she said into the receiver. I could just hear the words from the other side.
"Good evening ma'am. Is Mrs. Enigma there." the person on the other side replied.
"Jes hold on, she's here. It's fer you dear." she said as she handed the receiver to my mother.
"Hello." she said into the receiver as she put it to her ear.
"Mrs. Enigma." the man on the other side said.
"Speaking."
"My name is Detective Block. I'm sorry to trouble you, ma'am, but it's your husband. He was out driving and got into an accident. It looks like foul play, but we can't be too sure. He's in a critical condition at Canterlot General. Further investigation is still pending." they said. At that, both my mother and I broke down.
"Th-thank you Detective. E-enjoy your evening further." my mother said politely.
"Thank you, ma'am. And I'm sorry to deliver this horrible news to you over the phone." he replied.
"It's okay." my mother replied.
"Take care now, ma'am" he said before ending the call. My mother put the receiver back in its cradle. She turned around and I could see the tears falling down her cheeks. I ran to her and wrapped her in a tight embrace. I didn't feel sad, I just felt numb. Bright Mac spoke from where he was standing.
"Alright, gameplan. Oak, did ya come in the truck or the Firebird today?" he asked.
"The Firebird, why?" he replied.
"Vi, can ya drive?" he turned to me and asked. I nodded in response. Burnt Oak nodded and tossed me his keys.
"Good. Take yer ma and go see him. Oak and Ah will meet ya there. We'll get Candy as well." he said. I knew that he wasn't only going to get Candy, as Pear Butter was my friend as well. I nodded and guided my mother to the door.
"Ma, I'll call ya from the hospital when we get there. Ah know Vi doesn't have her license yet, but she is turning sixteen in two months, so there shouldn't be any problems. Vi, put on the hazard lights and put the pedal ta the metal." he said.
I nodded and Oak came over and gave me a kiss.
"Ah'll see ya there." he said.
"I love you, Oak." I said.
"I love you too, Vi." he replied. With that, I got my mother into the passenger seat and climbed in myself. I turned the key and the 6.6 litre V8 roared to life. I flicked on the hazard lights, put it in drive, and gunned the motor.
The ride to the hospital was passed in silence. I had driven before, but it was when my parents had gotten a little too drunk to drive. That particular tale happened about a year ago, and it was not one that I liked getting into. I had never sped in my life, but that night, I had to. I didn't really like my father much, especially after he lost his job at the factory where he had worked for almost twenty years, but he was still my father, and I did still love him. The building was condemned and all the workers retrenched. He tried for three years to find another job, but to no avail. After that, he pretty much became a drunken recluse, beating the shit out of my mother and I regularly, and only ever going out every once in a while to buy booze with my mother's hard earned money. When we moved here from Cloudsdale, I was twelve years old. I started working at the Apple Family farm to help us get by.
I hadn't realised how much time had passed until I pulled into the visitor's parking at Canterlot General. I found a parking space and pulled into it. I climbed out and went to the passenger side to help my mother out of the car. Once we were both out, I locked the car and we walked in. We went up to the receptionist, who looked up as we approached.
"Good evening, how may I help you?" she asked as we got to the desk. Seeing that my mother was unfit to speak, I spoke up.
"Good evening, ma'am. We're the family of one Mr. Dean Shadow. I'm his daughter. He was brought in earlier." I said as politely as I could.
"Okay, let me check the system quickly. Seeing as your mom isn't in the best shape right now, can I ask you to fill in this form?" she asked as she handed over the clipboard.
"Yes ma'am." I replied.
"Thank you. According to the system, he's just come out of surgery and is in ICU. Once you've filled in the form, you can go up to see him. Take the elevator, it's on the third floor" she said.
"Thank you. Four friends of mine will be arriving shortly, please make sure that they get up to us as well. One of them is called Bright Mac." I asked.
"Will do. My deepest sympathies to you and your mom." she said, all traces of the business tone she was using gone.
"Thanks." I said. I finished filling in the form and handed it to her, then got my mother and headed for the elevator.
We got to the ICU room that my father was in and my mother broke down for the second time that night. The sight of my father, lying on a bed with a breathing tube down his throat, most of his body covered in cast. The doctor walked in shortly after I got my mother seated.
"I take it you are the family?" he asked.
"Yes we are." I replied, seeing that my mother was still crying.
"I am doctor Task. Pleased to meet you, under the circumstances, of course." he said.
"It's a pleasure. How is he doctor?" I replied.
"Well, it's not good, but it's not bad either. He hit a curb and rolled the car, flinging him from his seat. He's suffered major damage to sixty percent of his body, including the femoral artery. He crashed twice during the emergency surgery, but we were able to bring him back. His spine didn't suffer any damage, though we don't know if he's going to make it through the night." he said.
At that moment, Burnt Oak walked into the room with the others not far behind.
"And who may you be?" the doctor asked.
"Well doc, my name is Burnt Oak, Violet's boyfriend, and these are our friends." Burnt Oak said respectfully.
"Very well, I trust that you all heard what I said, I don't want to have to repeat it and keep the family from paying respects." The doctor asked them.
"Yes sir. We heard. Thank you for what you have done." Bright Mac said.
"Well, I'd best be on my way. See you tomorrow." the doctor said as he turned and walked out. Suddenly, I heard a noise from the bed.
"Vio….let." it was my father, he had regained consciousness.
"Vio...let. Please." he struggled.
"I'm here, father. Save your strength, please." I said, feeling tears form in my eyes.
"Please… don't have…. time. Please… listen." he struggled.
"Okay, I'm listening." I said, tears now starting to fall. Burnt Oak came around the bed and wrapped me in a tight embrace.
"I… want to… apologize… for the way… I treated you… and your mother. Look… after her… she's all you've… got left." he said. After that exchange, he lost consciousness again. I hugged Burnt Oak tighter and cried for the first time that night.
"Come on Vi, let him rest. Ah'll take ya home. We can bring yer ma a travel bag with clothes in. Ya need rest for school tomorrow." Burnt Oak said gently.
"Okay. Pear Butter, do you think your dad will let me stay over, I don't think I can be alone now." I asked.
"Ah'm still grounded after being caught with Bright Mac the last time. Even with these circumstances, pa won't let ya stay over. I snuck out to come here." she replied.
"And I'm grounded for the fight that happened at school today." Candy said.
"Ah'll stay with ya." Burnt Oak said.
"Okay then," I said, trying to smile. I turned to my mother, "mother, we'll be by a little later with some clothes for you." My mother looked up and nodded. She looked over to Burnt Oak.
"You take care of her, okay." she said.
"Yes ma'am." he said. I grabbed his hand and led him out, Bright Mac and the others following.
We got to the parking lot and stopped together where I had parked Burnt Oak's Firebird.
"Well, this is where we leave y'all. See y'all tomorrow. I gotta get these two home."
"Yeah. We'll see ya tomorrow," I said to them, giving them each a hug in turn. "Come on, Oak, I'll drive."
"Alright then, Vi." he said as I unlocked the driver door. I unlocked his door. "Let's go."
I started the Firebird up and we pulled off into the night.
I approached the apartment block where my family stayed, and I didn't like the fact that I had brought my first boyfriend to such a drab place, but the circumstances called for it. I pulled into the ramshackle parking garage that accompanied the apartment building and into the space that used to be occupied by the beat up old wreck of a sedan my dad owned. We got out, I locked the car and we walked to my apartment. It was the first apartment on the third floor. I unlocked and opened the door.
"After you, Oak. Welcome to my humble abode. It's not much, but it has been home for the last four and a half years." I said as the door swung inward.
"Thank you, Vi. Ah know it ain't much, but as ya said, it's home." Burnt Oak replied.
"Would you like something to eat while we're here?" I asked him.
"Yea, sure. Ah'm starvin." he replied.
"I'll fix us a little something for dinner and then we can take a change of clothes to my mother." I said.
"Sounds like a plan," he said.
"Make yourself at home, I won't be long." I said. I then went to the kitchen and started to make some food. I decided to make us a bolognese with some grated parmesan on the top. I don't have extensive culinary expertise, but I do make a mean bolognaise. I set a pot of water on the stove to boil with a teaspoon of oil in. I then dabbed some oil on a frying pan and set it to heat up on the stove. I then went to take the minced meat and other ingredients I would need out of the fridge. I thanked the foresight to take the minced meat out of the freezer this morning before I left for school this morning.
I was planning on making this for my parents and I when mother and I returned from Sweet Apple Acres, but the thought of that made me lose what semblance of composure I had left. I felt the tears forming, but I willed through it, a single teardrop falling on my hand. The frying pan had heated up to an acceptable heat so I added the minced meat to start browning. Once it was sufficiently browned, I turned the heat down to let it simmer. I then moved to chopping the onion and tomato and added that to the pan. While that was simmering, I dropped some spaghetti into the pot of now rapidly boiling water, and left it to boil. I then peeked out of the kitchen to see Burnt Oak sitting on the living room sofa reading one of the books that mother read often, and that I would read when I got bored. I went over to him and gave him a peck on the cheek. He looked up and smiled, and it felt like my heart was about to explode.
"Dinner will be ready in five, so you better go wash up." I told him. He got up and kissed me, it wasn't a heated, passionate kiss, but a subdued and respectful one. He remembered that I wanted to take things slow.
"Alright. Can Ah use yer phone right quick. Just wanna phone home and tell I won't be comin' back tonight." he asked.
"Sure, but you better hurry. I'll set the table for us." I replied. With that, I returned to the kitchen and set to work setting the table. I grabbed a strainer and drained the spaghetti to put it in a bowl. I then set the pan and the bowl in the middle with a plate and a fork on each side for each of us. At that moment, Burnt Oak walked in. He sat down at one end.
"What would you like to drink? We have some non-alcoholic cider that I bought, normal cider, Sprite, Cola, still water and cranberry juice." I asked him.
"Jes some Sprite'll do." he replied.
"Okay. Don't tell my mother, but I'm having a cider. Gods know I need it right now." I said.
"Alright, but ya ain't drivin' then." he said with a smirk.
"Deal" I said as I poured him a glass of Sprite. I then grabbed a cider from the refrigerator and sat down.
"There is a stop I gotta make before we come back here later." he said after swallowing a mouthful of bolognaise.
"Mmm. And what's that?" I asked.
"I gotta go home to get a change of clothes. But yer gonna hafta stay in the car when we get there. Ma thinks Ah'm stayin' over at Mac's." he replied.
"Sure. We can do that." I said, looking deeply into his eyes. 'Gods, I could get lost in those eyes for eternity' I thought to myself as we sat there eating.
An hour later, we were back in the car and on our way to the hospital, an overnight bag prepared for my mother. We were going down the highway, light traffic most of the way. Suddenly, the flash of blue lights behind us signaled the arrival of the police. Burnt Oak pulled over and came to a stop. The officer climbed out of his vehicle and came to the driver window.
"Evening Officer. What seems ta be the problem." Oak asked after rolling down the window.
"Nothing much. Let me see your license and registration please." the officer asked.
"Sure thing." Oak replied. He fished around in his glove box for the necessary documents. "Here ya go."
"Burnt Oak, I take it you're Ms. Enigma. You better follow me. There has been a development at the hospital. We weren't sure what car you were in, so it was luck that you were in the first car I pulled over." the officer said.
"What development?" I asked.
"Your father came to while you were out. He asked for you specifically." the officer replied. "I'm going to give you a full escort."
"Yes sir. We'll be right behind you." Oak said. "Hold on tight, Vi." Oak turned the key, and the Pontiac roared to life with a throaty growl. The officer turned on his sirens and took off, Oak following as closely as possible.
Within a few minutes, we were at the hospital. We climbed out, me grabbing the overnight bag on the way, and ran over to the officer. Oak didn't even bother to lock.
"Thank you, officer." I said as we approached him.
"It's no problem. I'll watch your car. I saw you didn't lock it." he replied
"Thanks," Oak said as we turned and ran to the doors. We got to the lobby and headed straight for the elevators. Luckily, there was one already waiting on the ground floor. We took it all the way up to the third floor. We stopped at the charge station to announce our arrival.
"Violet Enigma here to see Dean Shadow." I said to the charge nurse.
"Violet. I've been told to tell you that we moved him to a private room. Fifth floor, room 5A." she replied
"Thank you." I said as I turned to run back to the elevator, Oak following me all the way.
"At least he's seemed to recover." Oak said as we got into the elevator. I hit the button for the fifth floor. The doors closed and we were on our way.
We got to the room my father was in and saw him lying on the bed, talking to my mother.
"Father!" I yelled as I ran up to him.
"Violet." he replied with a pained smile. He wrapped him in an embrace, not too tight because of his injuries.
"You're okay." I said with tears in my eyes
"Yes, I am now." He replied. He looked over to Burnt Oak and asked. "And who are you?"
"Uhh, howdy sir. Mah name is Burnt Oak, Violet's boyfriend." He replied nervously.
"Since when?" he asked me.
"Since today, actually. He was there when mother and I got the news that you were in hospital. He's been driving me around. He took me home to go get my mother an overnight bag. I think she wants to stay by you." I said. My mother nodded in response, her face looking the happiest since we got the news.
"Burnt Oak, huh. Your family owns that oak orchard out on the west freeway, right?" my father asked.
"Yes sir." Oak replied.
"When I get out of here, we're gonna have a chat. Guy to guy." my father said. I could visibly see Oak gulp.
"Father." I protested.
"Now now, dear. Leave the poor kid alone." my mother scolded.
"Well sir, I'm glad ta see yer on the up and up." Oak said, hoping to change the topic.
"Well, as am I." my father said.
"We best be heading off. Oak is gonna drop me off at Candy's and he's gotta get home." I said, hoping to get us out of the awkward situation. "See you tomorrow after school, father."
"Take care, Violet. And watch out. The people who did this to me are still out there." my father said.
"What do you mean, the people who did this to you. Who is it?" I asked.
"Nevermind that, dear. Your father will tell us all when he is a little more well rested." my mother said.
Oak grabbed my hand and led me off for the second time, both of us stepping into the brisk chill air of the autumn night.
We were in the car for the third time that evening, on our way to Burnt Oak's family home. I still don't know why he didn't tell his family the truth of where he was staying. I looked over to him, a slight look of confusion on my face. He looked over to me.
"Vi, yer starin' at me with that look again. What's eatin' at ya." he asked.
"Nothing much. Just wondering why you didn't tell your family the truth." I said nonchalantly
"No reason." he dodged the question.
"Pardon my language, but I'm gonna call bullshit on that one," I said, not believing him for a second. "Just tell me the truth, please." he was quiet for a few seconds. We had just gotten to the onramp for the western highway, a few miles from his farm, before he spoke again.
"Mah family is mighty old fashioned. They don't believe in a boy stayin' over at a girl's house and vice versa. I know they don't know we're datin', but I wanna be there for ya. They won't allow it if they knew the truth." he said dejectedly.
"That's all I wanted to know." I said. "I understand the situation, and I have faith that they'll come to accept me in due time, but I don't like the fact that you have to lie to your folks, even if it's for me."
"Thank ya fer understandin', Vi, and Ah'm sure they will. Yer a very likeable gal, darlin'." he said. He must have realized his slip of the tongue, because he started blushing. It caused me to laugh. "Why ya laughin'?"
"Nothing. You're just do cute when you blush." I said, which caused him to blush harder, and me to laugh harder. He reached over and squeezed my thigh, which caused me to squeal, and him to laugh. "Hey, no fair. I didn't have to touch you to fluster you."
"Ah know, darlin'. It was just easier for me." he said.
"Still. No fair." I said, crossing my arms and sticking my tongue out at him. He pulled off of the highway and on to a dirt road. I stared in awe at the towering, three storey mansion that loomed in the distance.
"Welcome, darlin', ta mah humble abode." Burnt Oak said as we pulled up to the house. I couldn't believe it.
"You're saying that you live here." I said, awestruck.
"Yep." he affirmed. "What do ya think?"
"It's… Amazing." I replied.
He turned off the car and climbed out.
"Ah won't be long, darlin'" he said, then turned and ran up the steps to the front door. A few minutes later, he came back out holding a duffel bag in his hand. He opened the trunk, deposited the bag in it and climbed back into the car. He started it up and we were on our way.
A couple hours later, we were back at my apartment. I turned to Burnt Oak and grabbed his hand. I led him over to the living room sofa and we sat down.
"Oak, I'm gonna go take a shower. Make yourself at home. You can watch a bit of TV if you wanna. My bedroom is down the hall and to the left if you wanna put your bag in there." I said.
"Sure thing, darlin'." he said.
"Okay. Won't be long." I said, giving him a kiss that was a little less subdued than the one he gave me earlier in the evening. I then got up and made my way over to my room to get my pajamas and made my way to the bathroom. I heard the TV click on as I turned on the hot water. I couldn't help but smile. A few minutes later, I was done in the shower. I got dressed and exited the bathroom.
"Hey, Oak, I'm done. Shower's all yours." I said as I approached him. He nodded and got up. I made my way to my bedroom, walking behind him until he disappeared into the bathroom. I made sure that he had started running the water before I reached into my nightstand and retrieved my diary. I opened it up to the next clean page and I started writing.
Dear Diary.
You're never gonna believe this, but I hooked up with Oak today. I never expected it either, but I'm happy it happened.
Father got into an accident today, but he's doing okay now. I don't think I would have coped tonight if Oak weren't there for me. Bright Mac and the others were also there. Mother took the news pretty hard, but she is also okay, now that father is awake and alert.
I've gotta go now, Oak is getting out of the shower. Talk tomorrow.
I closed my diary and stowed it away in its place. At that moment, Burnt Oak walked in. He looked around now that the light was on. He whistled.
"For a gal that grew up not havin' much, ya sure got a lotta stuff here." he said, picking up the old Gibson acoustic guitar that I got as a birthday present the year we transferred here. He started strumming a tune, and I instantly recognised it.
"I didn't know you played." I said, looking at him with interest.
"Yea. Ma and Pa forced me to take up an instrument. It was either guitar or piano, and ah wasn't interested in playin' piano." he replied. "Ah'm plum tuckered. See ya in the mornin', darlin'." he said, turning to leave.
"Where are you going?" I asked him.
"Ta sleep on the couch." he said.
"Please, don't go. I don't wanna be alone right now." I asked, my usual tone of confidence gone, replaced by one of vulnerability
"Sure. Ifn that's what ya want, darlin'." he replied. He climbed into the bed with me and I cuddled spoon wise to him. He kissed me on the forehead. "Goodnight, darlin'."
"Goodnight, babe. I love you." I said as I closed my eyes. He tensed at the pet name, but soon relaxed.
"Love you too, darlin'" he said as he turned off the bedside light.
I woke up the following morning to an empty bed. The side where Oak was sleeping was still warm, so he couldn't have been gone long. I looked at my nightstand clock and gasped. It was half past seven. I was running late. I got up and ran to my closet. I grabbed a clean shirt and a pair of jeans and threw them on. I didn't even bother with brushing out the bed head as I ran to the kitchen and was met with the smell of bacon and eggs frying. Oak looked up from where he was cooking and laughed.
"It's not funny, Oak. Why didn't you wake me up?" I asked. More than a little miffed.
"Well, fer starters, you were sleepin' so peacefully, I just couldn't wake ya. Secondly, Ah was up at six, so I cleaned up a bit and decided ta make breakfast." he said, matter of factly. "By the way, how do ya take yer coffee?"
"Black, strong as hell, with two sugars." I replied. "Listen, sorry I snapped at you."
"It's alright, darlin'. No harm no foul." he said. "Sorry Ah laughed at ya." He started pouring us each a cup of freshly percolated coffee, adding cream to his, and two sugars for each of us. He handed me one and set to work dishing out the bacon and eggs. He then laid out two pieces of toast each and we sat at the kitchen table. Breakfast was passed in silence.
A few minutes later, we were washing the dishes, making sure that the apartment stayed clean for when my parents eventually returned. We then got all our school stuff ready and headed to school.
__________________________________________
The ride to school was almost fun. Burnt Oak was pushing his Pontiac as far as it could go, within boundaries. As we approached the school, I thought of something.
"Hey, babe. What do we do when we get to school?" I asked, concern in my voice. "Don't you think people are gonna ask questions. I don't usually arrive at school with you. I don't know if I'm ready to tell everyone about us, or the accident my dad got into." Burnt Oak looked over to me and smiled.
"Then we deal with it, darlin'." he said, then he smirked. "'Sides, people are gonna hafta get used ta it, 'cause I'm gonna be pickin' ya up everyday ta get ta school, 'til ya get yer own car, of course."
"Yeah, you're right. And the secret will eventually get out." I agreed.
"Well, we're here." he said as he pulled into an empty space in the student parking lot. We climbed out of the Firebird and walked into the building, hand in hand. People were whispering, and I didn't like it. Then Oak did the unexpected. He stopped, pulled me closer, and kissed me. The whole hallway erupted with cheers, but I didn't hear it. All I heard was my heartbeat quickening as the world fell away around me, leaving just Oak and I in this moment, together. One of the students, Ace Sentry, came up to us as we took a break for air and patted Oak on the back.
"Took you guys long enough." he said and turned to walk away.
"What does he mean by that?" I asked.
"Well, it's no secret that ah had a major crush on ya since ya transferred. Ah actually got teased often about havin' a crush on the prettiest, smartest, most talented girl in school." he said. "People said Ah didn't stand a snowball's chance in hell with ya."
"Well, you have me now, so you proved them wrong. When I transferred, I had a lot of boys coming to me and asking me out. I turned them all down flat. I knew I saw something in you when we first became friends, but I didn't realise that I had feelings for you 'til yesterday." I said. It was the honest truth. The people could talk all they wanted. I love Burnt Oak, and nothing will change that.
I left Oak by his locker and headed to mine. It was time to get to class. I had Art first, which I shared with Candy, the only one in our friend group that didn't know about Oak and I, but news travels fast in this school. She was bound to know.
I got to the class to see that I was the first to arrive. 'Great. It always happens." I thought to myself. To my credit, the first bell hadn't even rung to signal the start of lessons yet. I went to my desk at the front of the class and sat down. As I sat down, the first bell rang, signifying that lessons were due to begin. The class started to fill up, but I couldn't see Candy anywhere. The late bell rang, and Candy came running in. The teacher had not arrived yet, so she was safe.
I waved her over to where I was seated. She always sat next to me in the lessons we shared. She came walking over, watching where she was walking, because she had been tripped repeatedly over the three years that I had been here.
"Hey Candy. Why are you late this morning." I asked as she approached.
"Got locked in a broom closet. Don't ask how." she replied. "What's this I hear about you and Oak kissing in the hallway?" she asked, causing me to blush.
"Oh. Oak and I are an item." I replied, not looking at her directly.
"When did that happen, not that I didn't see it coming?" she asked.
"Yesterday. Before I found out my father was in an accident." I replied. Just then, our art teacher, Mr. Card, walked in. "We'll talk later."
"Alright students. No more talking. Did you all practice the shading techniques we went over last week." he asked. I didn't listen to the rest of the lesson. I kept thinking about what my father said last night. The people who did it to him are still out there. I decided then, if the people who did it are still out there, I would find them. I decided to help the detectives in any way I could.
__________________________________________
The hospital room had just been cleared of detectives and officers. I felt dead tired, but I was glad to have my wife by my side. I may not have been the best person to be around over the last three months, but having her here to support me and knowing my daughter was okay was all I needed.
"We can't keep it from her forever, Dean. We need to come clean." My wife said. I looked out of the window at the bustling traffic of downtown Canterlot City.
"I know, dear, I know. But how do I tell her the reason why the factory was condemned and so many people retrenched was me." I replied.
"We'll figure it out. We always do." she said.
"Yes, we do. We'll tell her when she gets off school. We've already told the detectives, but it would be best to tell her ourselves before they let it slip to her. At least Oak will make sure she stays safe." I said. She leaned over and gave me a kiss.
The rest of the morning passed by quickly after that solemn vow. I walked to the cafeteria with Pear Butter, excited to see Oak again. I was excited to see the rest of the gang as well, but not as excited as I was to see Oak. We entered the cafeteria to see another fight had broken out. This time it was between one of the new girls and the bully. I could see that Candy was standing behind her, holding her nose. I could see the red flash of blood through her fingers. The other new girl was standing next to her, trying to calm her down. I ran up to them to hear the new girl in the fight start yelling.
"Bullying people is not the answer! You may be bigger than her, but that doesn't give you the right to take out your frustrations on her." she yelled.
"Oh, shut up, Celestia. You don't know anything." the bully said.
"I know enough. I was a bully too. Mostly toward my little sister. I know more than you think." the new girl, Celestia, said darkly. The bully turned and skulked away. Celestia turned to her sister. "How is she, Lulu?"
"She will be fine if we get her to the nurse's office, Tia." her sister replied.
"Violet Enigma, right. There will be time for niceties later. Get her to the nurse." Celestia said to me.
"Yes. Pear Butter, if Oak gets here before I'm back, tell him where I am." I said, taking Candy's arm and placing it around my shoulders. Pear Butter nodded.
__________________________________________
We had been in the nurse's office for five minutes when Principal Neigh Say walked in. I stood up and went over to Candy.
"Well, another fight." he said, lifting Candy's face to look at it. "Who started it this time?" he looked at me.
"I don't know, sir. I got to the cafeteria, and it was already underway, except Candy wasn't actually fighting Sapphire. It was the new girl, Celestia." I said.
"Yes, I am aware of that." he said looking at Candy.
"Actually, sir. It started this morning. I had arrived at school, and as I was getting my books for the first lesson, Sapphire cornered me. She said something about getting retribution for yesterday. So instead of defending myself, I ran. I hid in a broom closet until the late bell rang, but by then, Sapphire was long gone." she said. "I suppose this is what she meant by retribution. I didn't even see it coming. When I had gotten my lunch, I turned around to sit at the table our group usually sits at, and she swung before I could defend myself. Broke my nose in three places."
"Candy, I had no idea it would get this bad." I said, genuine concern for my best friend.
"It's okay, Violet." she said. She looked over at Principal Neigh Say, "sir, please don't punish Celestia too hard. She saved my life. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be talking right now."
"I wasn't planning on it. I've also decided to commute yours and Violet's punishment for yesterday. It is obvious that Sapphire is the problem." Principal Neigh Say said, turning to walk out. "She has already been given the rest of this semester as internal suspension. So you girls can rest easy now." he walked out of the nurse's office.
"So, what's gonna happen now?" I asked Candy.
"I'm being sent home. My dad is on his way." she told me. The nurse walked in at that.
"Candy, you're father is here." she said.
"Thank you." Candy replied.
"Call me later with what the doctor says, Candy. I'm sure the others would like to know how you're doing." I said as she walked out. She threw me a thumbs up in reply. I left the nurses office some five seconds later, and headed back to the cafeteria.
__________________________________________
I got to the cafeteria to see my friends all sitting at the usual table. There was a lunch tray sitting next to Oak's that I assumed was mine. The new girls were sitting at our table as well. I approached the table and hugged Oak from behind. He looked up at me and smiled, I then released him and took my seat.
"How is she doin'?" Pear Butter asked as I sat down.
"She's gonna be fine. Her father picked her up. Nose is broken in three places." I replied.
"Well, at least she's okay." Celestia said. "By the way, Violet. My name is Celestia. This is my sister, Luna." Luna looked up and nodded. I nodded back.
"Pleased to meet you both." I said.
"Pleasure is all mine." Luna said.
"So, you told Sapphire you were a bully. What happened?" I asked.
"It's a sore topic, and it's still a little raw. We'll tell you all in due time." Celestia said, not meeting my eyes.
"Alright. We can wait." I said, the others nodding in assent.
__________________________________________
The rest of the day passed quickly after lunch, and I found myself back in Oak's Firebird. He had allowed me to drive again, mostly because I asked him to let me. There was just something about the power of the 6.6 litre V8 that called to me. We were on our way to the hospital to visit my father.
Half an hour later, we got to the hospital. I found an open parking space and pulled into it. We climbed out and I chucked Oak the keys.
"Ya ready?" Oak asked as he took my hand. I hesitated, not really ready for what I felt coming. He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. I looked at him and smiled, grateful that he was here to help me through it all. I nodded, and we walked into the hospital together. We got to the elevator and started the ascent to the fifth floor. Oak turned to look at me, concern written all over his face.
"Are ya gonna be okay, darlin'?" he asked.
"Honestly, I don't know. I feel like something is gonna happen, and I'm not gonna like it." I replied. The elevator dinged, signaling our arrival on the fifth floor. We got to my father's room, and both my parents looked at me expectantly.
"Violet, Oak. Please, come in and take a seat. Close the door behind you." my mother said.
"Yes. We have something that we need to tell you, Violet. The only people who know what we are going to tell you are the detectives, and what family we have left in Cloudsdale. Oak can listen as well." my dad said. We did as we were told, taking a seat as Oak closed the door behind us.
__________________________________________
In the middle of bustling downtown Cloudsdale, was an ordinary looking office building. Inside, two men were busy talking, one of them holding a phone. There was a third man on the line.
"You have failed us, Scissor. You came highly recommended. You had not failed an assassination, until now. He's still breathing, and therefore, talking." the man seated behind the huge mahogany desk said.
"I'm sorry, sir, I had no idea that he would survive a direct hit from a big rig. You told me to make it look like an accident, so I did." the man on the phone said.
"Yeah, well, it failed. Now he's going to talk again. And this time, it will incur a federal indictment. They cannot make the connection between you and us." the other man in the office said.
"I know. I've been following his daughter for some time now. The only time she seems to be vulnerable is when her boyfriend isn't around. We'll get leverage on him then." Scissor said. This caused the man at the desk to gasp.
"Snatch her, but don't hurt her, do you understand?" he asked.
"Understood, sir." Scissor said and hung up.
"Are you sure this is the right way to do this, sir?" the second man said after putting down the phone.
"Yes, Smith. This is the only way to get Agent Dean Shadow to keep quiet." the man behind the desk said, pouring himself a whiskey from a crystal decanter.
Oak and I had just sat down and were waiting for my parents to tell us what they wanted to tell us. I couldn't help the feeling of unease I had, like nothing would ever be the same again.
"So, where do I begin?" my father said.
"Just start from the beginning, dear." my mother said.
"Alright. It started twenty three years ago. I was a junior agent with the Cloudsdale FBI. I had mostly done small cases. Kidnapping, extortion, all those small things. But one day, my superiors decided it was time for me to step up and take on a bigger case. I was assigned to a joint operation with the DEA into a drug cartel operating out of a candy factory in the industrial part of Cloudsdale.
My cover was simple. My name was Dean Shadow. An average twenty-four year old from Cloudsdale University with no aspirations and a degree in engineering. My real name is Grey Enigma. Your mother was the DEA agent that was assigned as my point. I got to the factory, and I could not see any evidence of foul play. So, I did what I was trained to do, I blended in with the rest of the workers, doing my best to get a promotion, and hopefully, to find out what was going on." my father said. He suddenly got a dark look in his eye.
"Fifteen years later, I was promoted to supervisor, and I had access to more of the factory. One night, I stuck around 'til late after work, and I saw my supervisor in the FBI and your mother's supervisor talking to the boss. It turned out they were on his payroll. I turned and ran, but I think they heard me. I was chased out of the factory. I thought for sure that a fifteen year operation would be burned because I would get caught, but I managed to evade them. I ran straight for the apartment that was listed as a safehouse, I'm sure you remember it, Violet, and I told your mother about what I had seen.
You were in bed at that time. Your mother phoned her department head to report it, but it was too late. I got back to the factory the next day to see that the Department of Health were swarming the place, along with the DEA and FBI. It would seem as though there was a pest problem or something. Somehow, someone released roaches into the factory. Four years later, the place was condemned, and all the workers retrenched. The operation got burned, and your mother, you and I were placed into witness protection. I kept the name of Dean Shadow, but when we named you, we decided to keep Enigma, as a symbol of what we used to be. The FBI and DEA essentially blacklisted and fired us, and we moved to Canterlot." he said.
"Canterlot was intended to be a chance for a fresh start, but I couldn't get a job as I had no references. I became a man I didn't like. All the booze to wash away my failures turned me into a rage monster, beating the two of you on a regular basis. I took that drive the other day to get some fresh air and clear my head. I was going clean for the two of you, but the shit hit the fan. As I was going over the East highway overpass, a big rig seemed to have lost control and ploughed right into the car. It hit the passenger side. Emergency services said that if it had hit the driver side, I wouldn't be alive. The driver of the rig was missing in action." he finished.
"So, the accident was intended as an assassination." I said, trying to wrap my head around what was being said.
"Yes. It was." my mother said. "And now they know that they have failed, so they're gonna try again. That's why we said to watch yourself. Especially with Winter Break around the corner."
"And it's also why you didn't protest when I said Oak is going to be staying with me." I said. I looked over at Oak. His face was contorted with confusion.
"Yes, Violet. That's right." my mother said.
"Hold up, just a second. Y'all said that beside the detectives, only the family knows. Why'd ya tell me then?" Oak asked, his confusion bubbling over.
"Look, we know you only started dating our daughter yesterday, and it's all a bit sudden, but we can tell that you're alright. We know you can keep her safe. You're part of the family now." my father said, to which my mother nodded in agreement.
"So, y'all approve of me then." he said in surprise.
"Yes. We see that you make our daughter happy, and that is all we want." my mother said.
"Yes ma'am. And ah swear that Ah'll keep her safe." Oak responded.
__________________________________________
A month and a half later, my father was back at home. Things were far from normal though. I spent most of that month and a half looking over my shoulder. The only times I felt safe were when I was at home and when with Oak and the others.
I walked into the kitchen one morning to find my father cleaning two old service revolvers. He looked up as I got to the refrigerator to get a glass of orange juice.
"Hey, Vi. How you holding up, sweetie." he asked.
"I don't know father. I'm scared. I don't know when they're gonna strike again." I said. Just then, the phone rang. I picked it up.
"Hello." I said as I put the receiver to my ear.
"Hey, Vi. Ah'm runnin' a bit late. Ah came out ta find that Ah got a puncture on the 'Bird. Ah'll see ya in a few, darlin'." Oak said. I was glad to hear his voice. With my mother and father back, he didn't need to stay with me anymore. The weekend was boring without him, or the others.
"Alright, babe. See you soon." I replied.
__________________________________________
I was sitting in the black surveillance van across the road from the apartment that Dean Shadow was staying in. I just heard the conversation his daughter had with her boyfriend through the bug that I had planted. I dialed the number of my employer.
"Hello." the man on the other side said.
"Good morning sir. Just calling to let you know that I'm moving on the girl as soon as she comes out. Her boyfriend is running late." I said.
"Very good, Scissor. Let me know when it is done." he replied and ended the call. Soon we would have the leverage to get Dean Shadow to shut up.
__________________________________________
I was running late. Violet and I would miss the first lesson at this rate. I had just finished changing the punctured tyre with the spare and was on my way to fetch her. I gunned the motor and shot off towards her apartment.
"Ah'm comin, Vi." I said to myself. Ten seconds later, I was on the western highway, doing a hundred and ten miles per hour, just to get us to school without tardiness.
Ten minutes later, I was approaching Violet's apartment building. As I got to the front entrance, I saw Violet being dragged into a black van, kicking and screaming. The man who was dragging her shut the van door and climbed into the driver's seat. He took off at a pace that was impossible. I looked up to see Mrs. Enigma screaming from the kitchen window. I gunned the motor, and took off after them.
I took out the cellphone that I had bought with my last lot of allowance and dialled 911.
"911, what's your emergency?" the operator answered the call.
"Yes, I'd like to report a kidnapping. The victim is Violet Enigma, my girlfriend. They are in a black 1970 Dodge Caravan. I'm in pursuit of them now. They were last seen heading toward the eastern highway." I said.
"Okay sir, and what car are you in?" the operator asked.
"I'm in a black 1970 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am." I replied.
"Very well sir. We have logged your call and units will respond." the operator said.
"Thank you." I replied and hung up. "Don't worry Vi, I'm right behind you." I said as I downshifted and mashed the pedal to the floor.
__________________________________________
I could not see anything through the bag that the man had put over my head. My hands were tied, so I couldn't move either. I could hear though, and he was on the phone.
"Yes sir, I have her," he said. "No sir, I didn't hurt her. Yes sir, I understand. Heading to that location now." I heard him throw his phone out the window. Suddenly, we swerved violently to the right. "Hey, Violet. Guess who's on our ass. It's that pretty boy of yours. I'm gonna shake him."
I could hear the van struggle for traction as we swerved violently to the left. I heard tires screeching from behind us. I decided to take action. I got to my knees and started scooching over to the back of the van.
If I could find the inner door handle, I could maybe hook the bag over my head off with it. It was a long shot, but I had no other choice. I got to the rear doors and felt something dig into my neck. 'Yes, this must be it.' I thought to myself as I hooked the bag on it. We veered to the left again, and I fell over, the bag being ripped off as I fell.
I recovered long enough to sit down on the floor of the van to survey the situation. There was one person in front, the man who had abducted me. There was also a switchblade lying on the floor next to me. I turned and grabbed it with my hands, which were tied behind my back. I turned it in my hand and flicked it open, and set to work freeing myself of the ropes. Once that was done, I grabbed the bag, and put it back over my head, my hands behind my back, just in time for him to turn around.
"Man, this boy doesn't give up, does he?" he said.
I waited five minutes to be sure that he wasn't paying attention to me before removing the bag again. I crept up behind him, switchblade at the ready. I leaped up and pressed it to his throat.
"Alright, dirtbag," I said to him with gritted teeth. "If you don't wanna end up as another crime statistic, I suggest you stop the van. Nod if you understand." he didn't nod, but I could see him falter. I pressed the blade harder.
"Nod!" I yelled into his ear. That seemed to frighten him, because I could feel the van slowing down. I could hear sirens wailing in the distance. "Head toward those sirens." I said.
"Are you crazy, I'd rather die." he said, venom dripping from his voice with every hissed word.
"Be careful, because that can be arranged." I said with unmasked hatred. He nodded and made a right, heading for the line of police cars that were coming down the road. I heard tires screeching behind us as we came to a stop just before the roadblock they had hastily set up. Oak came screeching to a halt behind us. I saw his gun protruding from his belt, I grabbed it, cocked it, and put it to his head. The police officers had all exited their vehicles.
"Step out of the vehicle with your hands up!" one of the officers said over a loudspeaker. I pushed the gun into his temple.
"Do it." I said. He nodded, put both his hands out the window, and opened the door from the outside. He then stepped out into the dull, cloud-covered morning, and was told to lie down face down on the sidewalk with his hands behind his head. I stepped out after him, made sure to unload the gun the way my father showed me, and went over to the officers. I handed them the gun, and went over to Oak. He hugged me as I approached, and I broke down and cried, for the first time since I was abducted. He held me tighter.
__________________________________________
I was sitting in the kitchen. I was worried. Violet had just been abducted, and I didn't know when the abductors would call. My wife said that Oak was in pursuit, as she saw him. She had taken it worse than me. I just sat there, cleaning my gun, while waiting for the bastards to call. Suddenly, the phone rang.
"Hello, Dean Shadow speaking." I said as I put the receiver to my ear.
"Howdy, Mr. Shadow. It's Oak. We got her. The police are sendin' a car fer y'all" he said.
"Can I speak to her, please." I asked Oak.
"Yes sir, here she is." Oak replied.
"Father." Violet said, unmasked emotion evident in her voice.
"Hey, Vi. How you holding up." I asked.
"I'm fine now. You should have seen it. I was brave." she said.
"I want to hear about it when we get there. I'll see you soon, sweetie." I said as I put the receiver back in it's cradle. I then went to the bedroom, where I found my wife going through old photo albums. "They've got her dear. Oak came through. PD is sending a vehicle to fetch us." I said, which caused her to jump up and hug me.
It was official. Oak and I had missed the last day of the fall semester. Winter break was officially upon us. It came at a price though. Me being abducted had changed me.
"Hey, Vi. Ya okay, darlin'." Oak asked me, concern in his voice.
"Yeah. I'm fine." I said, snapping me out of a daze.
"Yer not fine. Yer broodin'" he replied.
"Fine. I'm not fine. I don't know where I would be now if it weren't for you chasing us and me doing what I did. I threatened a man, Oak, and the funny thing is, I liked it. What have I become." I said, breaking down again.
"You did what you needed to in order to survive." the chief of police, Captain Tirek, said.
"But still. I've never threatened anyone, ever." I said, stubbornly refusing to accept that what I did was necessary.
"Come on, Vi. Chin up. You survived, and that is all Ah need." Oak said. Suddenly, his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket, and we saw that it was Bright Mac calling. He answered the call, putting it on speaker so that we could both hear him.
"Howdy, Mac. What's up?"
"Howdy, Oak. I'm worried about you an' Vi. Y'all weren't at school today." Bright Mac said.
"Were both fine. We had a bit of an issue, but we'll explain tomorrow. Make sure everyone is at your place tomorrow, Celestia and Luna included." I said, Oak nodding in agreement.
"Alright, see y'all tomorrow." Mac replied.
"Alright, see ya then." Oak said and ended the call. Just then, my parents walked into the police station. They saw me and ran over to me.
"Mother, father. I'm alright." I said when they approached me. They both wrapped me in a tight embrace, not wanting to let me go just yet.
"We know, dear. Tell us what happened." my mother said.
"I can tell you," Captain Tirek said. "This girl beat the odds and did the impossible. She made a man twice her size bend to her will, using only a knife originally. Then finding his gun and using it on him instead of the knife. He is in custody now, but he is wanted for multiple homicides as well as your daughter's abduction and your attempted homicide. We are questioning him now."
"That's my girl." my dad said. "I know I don't have jurisdiction over this case, but would it be okay for me to question the guy?"
"About that. I called the department heads for the Cloudsdale and Canterlot offices of the FBI and DEA. As of today, the two of you have full reinstatement as senior agents, for the Canterlot departments." Captain Tirek said. "They are on their way here now."
"Do you hear that, you have your job back, father." I said with glee. Finally things were turning around for us.
"Yes, Vi. I hear it." my father said in disbelief.
"So mother. Are you gonna go back to the DEA or are you gonna join father in the FBI?" I asked.
"I think I'm gonna join the FBI. Try to keep your father out of trouble." my mother said with a wink. She looked up in time to see the head of the Canterlot FBI walk in. He summoned my mother and father to the chief's office. They asked if I could join them. He first shook his head, then my parents told him about what had transpired today. The agent looked at me skeptically, but then nodded. I got up and joined them.
__________________________________________
We were in the chief's office, the chief accompanying us. The agent nodded at the chief, signalling that this was sensitive information. The chief took the hint and left us.
"Right. First things first. Introductions. My name is Agent Shadow Strike." the agent said. "When the operation was blown three years ago, the cartel moved here. We've been monitoring the properties bought by the cartel boss ever since." he said, taking out a manilla folder from his briefcase. He took out a stack of photographs. He pointed to one specific photograph, an aerial shot of a factory in the industrial area on the west end of town.
"We believe that this is where they moved their operation too. We have been casing the place since it was first opened. Note the name printed on the roof." Agent Strike said.
"Yes. Solomon and Co." my father said. "The exact same name used on the other factory. So their cover is still a candy factory."
"Yes." Agent Strike said. "Though they have many around the country now. We believe the man who abducted your daughter and tried to put you out of commission was hired by Solomon himself. He is a cheap rent-a-hood playing assassin, but he may be our ticket into the place. We may need your daughter as well."
"Hell no." I said. "I am not playing the kidnap victim. No way in hell." I looked to my father. He had a thoughtful look on his face.
"You're not seriously considering this, are you?" I asked him.
"It's the only way, Vi." my father said.
"Don't worry, Violet. We will have the place surrounded, and your father will be the driver. We just have to count on the fact that maybe Scissor and Solomon haven't met in person. We'll question him soon." Agent Strike said, trying to comfort me.
"Mother. You can't let them." I plead.
"I'm sorry, Vi. My hands are tied." she replied.
"Right. If there are no other protests, we have a scumbag to interrogate." Agent Strike said. We all nodded, there was no use arguing. We all got up and exited the office, my parents leaving me with Oak.
__________________________________________
I was sitting with Oak, barely able to keep it together. Oak must have noticed, because he hugged me tighter.
"Hey, ya good?" he asked softly.
"No, I'm not. My parents get their jobs back, and the first thing they do is put me back in a situation I don't want to be in again for as long as I live." I replied.
"What? They're makin' ya play victim." he asked, utterly dumbfounded at the idea.
"Yep. Don't know how it's gonna play out though." I replied. Just then, my parents and Agent Strike rejoined us.
"Right. Violet, they haven't met in person, but today is the only day we can get to Solomon and his partner Smith. They are supposed to be in the factory today to await your arrival. We leave in five minutes. You pull through for us, and I'll personally make sure your license, university and any other application for the next twenty years gets fast tracked." Agent Strike said.
"Vi, don't do it." Oak said.
"I got to, Oak. It's the only way." I replied.
"Please. It feels like Ah'm never gonna see you again." Oak said. I kissed him deeply and passionately, and took off the pearl necklace he bought me a few weeks back. I put it in his hand.
"I'll be back for that." I said, looking him deeply in the eyes. "I love you, Burnt Oak."
"Ah love ya too, Violet Enigma. You make sure to come back to me." he said. I nodded and joined my father and Agent Strike heading to the equipment room.
We got to the equipment room, and I was surprised. They had a vast array of weapons, from 9mm pistols to Desert Eagles to Semi-Automatic micro Uzis to Ak-47s. I could not believe it.
"Right." Agent Strike said as we all settled down. "Everybody suit up. Agent Grey, you are the driver, you will be playing the kidnapper. Violet, you're with him. The rest of you will be on comms and perimeter watch. We mobilise on the word Settle. Agent Grey will say it once he has a positive ID on Solomon. Take what you think you'll need. That goes for Violet as well. Put a Kevlar vest on underneath your jacket."
I nodded and headed straight for a 9mm Parabellum. My father nodded and tossed me a shoulder holster for it. I put it on after putting on a Kevlar vest as I was told and slipped the weapon into it. I took a switchblade as well and tucked it into the outer right pocket of my jacket. It would come in handy once we were inside.
Once again, my hands were tied , though they were in front this time, and I was back in the back of the black van. We were on the move toward the factory now, where we would either succeed or all hell would break loose.
__________________________________________
Ten minutes later, my father turned to me.
"Alright Vi, we're ten minutes out. You ready?" he asked.
"Ready as I'll ever be. Are you?" I replied.
"I'm ready. Let me call it in." my father said. "Victim to Bounty Hunter, come in, over."
"We read you, Victim. What's your status, over?" Agent Strike replied on the earpieces my father and I had.
"We're ten minutes out, permission to proceed, over." my dad said.
"Ten-four. Proceed with caution. Once inside, we will have to maintain radio silence. You're on your own, over." Agent Strike replied. My father looked in the rear view mirror and I nodded.
"Roger that. Over and out." my father replied and took out his earpiece, leaving the microphone hidden in his jacket sleeve. I took mine out as well and reached into my jacket pocket and retrieved the switchblade, ready to cut the rope around my wrists.
We pulled up to the gate and were let through without any commotion.
'So far so good.' i thought to myself as we pulled up to the delivery entrance for the factory. My father pulled to a stop and climbed out. He came to the back doors of the van and opened them.
"Sorry for this, Vi, but I'm going to have to be a bit rough." my father said as he yanked me out of the van and put me over his shoulder. I pretended to kick and scream. "That's it, Vi. Make it seem like the real thing." My father walked into the factory, hoping to not be identified, but he looked completely different to how he was back then. We were directed to one of the offices in the back, where two men were waiting with about a hundred armed men and women. I didn't like our chances.
"I've got a delivery for you, sir." my father said with the same megalomanic tone that Scissor used. It made me downright shiver to hear it again.
"You're late, Scissor. What happened?" one of the men asked.
"We ran into some cop trouble. Had to wait them out." my father replied.
"Oh, keep quiet, Smith." the other man said. I would assume that he was the boss, Mr. Solomon. My dad made the connection as well. "The job was done."
My father put me down on a chair that was waiting and tied my hands behind it.
"Wait for the signal, then start cutting." my father whispered into my ear. I nodded slightly, so only he would see it. He then turned to the men and pointed at the man we thought was Solomon. "I take it from the sound of your voice that you are Mr. Solomon?" he asked.
"That is correct." he replied.
"So. How about we get rid of the welcoming party. We have nothing to do with them." my father said, not merely suggesting. Mr. Solomon nodded and the armed men and women left. My father waited a few minutes before he spoke again. "Now. We have a money issue to settle." he said, subtly using the call to action.
"Yes. I believe we do." Mr. Solomon said. Just as he said that, the factory was shaken by a number of explosions and the entry of more than a hundred FBI and DEA agents as well as members of the Canterlot Police Department, including Captain Tirek. I had expertly cut my bonds already and joined my father in aiming a weapon at Solomon and Smith. They both had their hands in the air. There were gunshots all around us as the men and women made their rounds of arrests. Agent Strike joined us, as well as my mother and Oak, Oak holding a shotgun.
"Robert Solomon, Gerald Smith. You are under arrest for drug possession, drug distribution, the abduction of the daughter of Agent Grey Enigma and conspiracy to commit murder." Agent Strike said, handing me a pair of handcuffs and going to cuff Mr. Smith. I followed him and made to cuff Mr. Solomon, but he grabbed me at the last minute, taking my gun and pointing it to my head.
"Don't come any closer." Solomon said. Everyone backed off, including Oak. I winked at him and slowly reached into my jacket pocket for the switchblade from earlier. I flicked it open and jammed it in his leg. He howled with pain and threw me. His howl of pain caused Oak to chuckle. "Is something funny, you little bastard?" Solomon asked as he pointed my gun at Oak. I saw it coming and ran to Oak, covering him as Solomon shot at him. The bullet missed the Kevlar and ended up in my side.
"Violet, no!" Oak said as he caught me in mid air. "What did ya do that fer?"
"I couldn't let you die. Not while I could protect you. You didn't have a vest. I thought his shot would hit where the Kevlar is the thickest, but I was wrong." I said. I lost consciousness as Agent Strike called for medical assistance, Oak screaming my name the whole time. I saw my father football tackle Solomon from the side as I lost consciousness.
__________________________________________
It was the day following the operation that brought down one of the biggest cartels in the country. We made it happen, but at a price. Violet had been shot, and it was my fault.
"Some boyfriend I am." I said to myself, not thinking that Violet's parents could hear me.
"Hey. Don't think like that, kiddo. It wasn't your fault." Mr. Enigma said.
"But it is. Ah was dumb enough ta go in without a vest. Ah might never see her again because of a stupid error on mah part." I said, breaking down for the second time since the incident. Just then, doctor Task walked in.
"I've done what I could. The bullet missed most of her vital organs. She's stable and in a sedated sleep. You can go see her now." doctor Task said.
"Thank you Doctor." Mr. Enigma said. I just nodded, not trusting my voice right now. Doctor Task led us to where Violet was laying on a bed. As the doctor had said, she was asleep. I went to take a seat next to her bed and held one of her hands in mine. Just then, my cell phone rang. I took it out of my pocket to see that it was a Bright Mac again. I passed the phone to Mrs. Enigma, a silent question in my eyes, one that she happily obliged.
"Hello, Bright Mac. Yes, it's Mrs. Enigma. I know they were supposed to be there today, but there has been an altercation. Violet is in the hospital. She's still unconscious. I don't think it's a good idea for you to come now, she needs her rest. I'll get Oak to call you when she's out. Okay. Bye now.'' She ended the call and handed me my phone.
"Thank you." I said, my voice cracking.
"No problem, Oak." Mrs. Enigma said
"Hey Oak. You know it's Vi's birthday in a few days, right?" Mr. Enigma asked.
"Yes sir. We had plans for then." I replied.
"Well, so did we. We need to go and set a few things up. Will you stay here with her?" Mrs. Enigma asked.
"Sure. It will be mah pleasure." I replied.
"Great. Agent Strike will be over here in a bit to drop off her license. She passed without even going for the test." Mr. Enigma said with a wink. It caused me to chuckle. They left and I spent the time looking over the sleeping form of my girlfriend. Seeing her laid up like this, brought fresh tears to my eyes.
"I hope those aren't for me?" she suddenly asked, causing me to gasp in surprise.
"Violet. You scared the crap outta me, but at least yer okay." I said, giving her hand a squeeze. She squeezed in return.
"Yeah. I'm in pain, but I've had worse." she replied. I leaned over and gave her a kiss, and she kissed me back with ferocious passion. We've come a long way since we started dating two months ago.
Oak and I had just kissed for the first time since the operation that led to the arrest of one of the biggest cartel bosses in the country, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I suddenly remembered something.
"Where are my parents?" I asked him. "I'm sure I heard them here with you."
"They had to go. Big important business to settle before your return home." he replied.
"Okay." I said in confusion.
"By the way, Vi. Ah'm sorry mah recklessness resulted in you bein' hospitalised. It should be me in that bed, not you." Oak said, a somber tone in his voice.
"Oak, babe. Look at me. I don't care that it was me instead of you. This was a far better outcome than me having to attend the funeral of my first boyfriend." I said, grabbing his hand in mine.
"Ah know. Ah shouldn't have been so reckless though." he replied.
"I know, but I still love you." I said, reaching over to kiss him.
"Ah love ya too, darlin'." he said in reply after the kiss. Suddenly, his phone rang.
"Hello. Yes Mrs. Enigma. Ya need a bigger venue than the apartment. Sure. Ah'll phone Mac and ask if we can use his barn. Alright. She's awake. Yeah. See ya soon." he ended the call. He turned to me. "Darlin'. Imma step out fer a bit. Ah'll be back soon." he said, gave me a kiss and headed out the room. I grabbed the remote control for the TV and started channel surfing. I eventually stopped on a movie channel that played the classics. The movie that was playing, resonated with what I had recently been through. I decided to rest my eyes for a bit and ended up falling asleep.
Half an hour later, I was woken up by Oak. He was carrrying two take-out coffee mugs. He handed me one, and I gratefully accepted it. It was starting to get dark out, and I was worried that my parents would not make it back today. There was a stiff knock at the door, one that reminded me of a movie I once saw, so I knew it was someone that worked in law enforcement.
"Come in, Agent Strike." I said. Agent Strike walked in after that and Oak looked at me in confusion. "I'll tell you later." I said to him
"Well, I'm glad to see you're awake, Ms. Enigma." Agent Strike said.
"Yeah. In pain, but awake. What can I do for you, Agent Strike." I asked.
"Oh nothing much. Just here to give you some good news. Our insurance covered your surgery, and the lawyers for Mr. Solomon decided to rather settle instead of having your attempted murder on record. You now have half a million dollars in a savings account, waiting for your release from hospital. Her is the card and pin number. We have also fast tracked your license as far as it will go." he said, anding me two seperate envelopes. The first one contained a bank card with a pin, the other contained a motor vehicle license, with a paper that needed my signature.
"Thank you." I said, tearing up a little.
"I'm not finished. We have also applied for you to go for a firearm competency course. If you succeed, you will be licensed to carry a firearm. And you will also be going for an advanced driving course, courtesy of the FBI and DEA." he finished.
"I don't know what to say." I said.
"How about thanking the man." a voice said from the door. It was Doctor Task.
"Thank you, Agent Strike." I said, wiping a tear from my eye.
"It's my pleasure. You'll also be pleased to know that you have an even more guaranteed spot at Canterlot University in two years time. The DEA and FBI thank you for the support you gave yesterday." he said, handing me a pen to sign some forms. I signed the forms and handed them over to him. "Get well soon, Violet." he said as he turned to walk out. The doctor had finished examining me and turned to Oak and I.
"You'll be pleased to know that you will be discharged this afternoon." Doctor Task said with a smile.
"Thanks Doctor, for this and for helping my father." I said.
"You are most welcome. Yours was only life threatening when you got here. You had stopped breathing twice in the ambulance on the way here, and twice more on the operating table. Once we got you breathingbat a steady pace, and the bullet hole stitched up, you were fine." Doctor Task said.
"Still. Thank you. Can you let my parents know that I am fit to leave this afternoon and that Oak will be bringing me home?" I asked.
"I will." Doctor Task said as he left.
"Wow. Ya sure know how ta make light of a serious situation, don't ya." Oak said after the doctor had left.
"You heard the doctor. Besides, I wanted to be alone with the cowboy I fell in love with, at least for a little while." I said, drawing him closer for another kiss.
"Right, we're alone now, so tell me. How did ya know that it was Agent Strike?" he asked.
"It's simple, really. It all depends on the strength of the knock, the speed and how many times they knock. If it's four times, fast, with a little too much strength, it usually means that a lawman is at the door." I said. Oak looked at me in confusion, then realisation hit him.
"You can tell all that, jes from a knock?" he asked.
"Yeah, pretty much." I said.
__________________________________________
That afternoon, I was back in Oak's Firebird, heading home again. The doctor said I wasn't allowed to drive for at least another day or two, so I was stuck in the passenger seat. We took a slow drive, admiring the scenery on the way there. I told Oak to stop at a local restaurant, where we had some lunch, paid for by me.
A few hours later, we were back on the road. Oak decided to take me to the mall. I didn't ask to go, but I enjoyed it. He took me to Stinky Bottom's Discount Hat Emporium, where I bought a genuine Stetson and some other items. When we got out the door of Stinky Bottom's, I put the Stetson on.
"Ya really like that, don't ya." he asked as we got to the exit of the mall.
"Yep. Sure do. Reminds me of a certain someone." I said, smiling at him.
"Violet. Is that you?" a voice said from behind me. I turned to see Candy, Pear Butter, Bright Mac, Shiffon Swirl, Celestia and Luna. They came rushing over to us. I hugged them each in turn.
"Cool hat, Vi." Bright Mac said.
"Can it Mac. I bought it because I like it." I said, blushing.
"Cool off, Vi. Ah'm not on yer case. It suits you." he replied with a chuckle.
"You two owe us an explanation for missing school on Friday and not showing this morning, and why Violet was in the hospital." Luna said, her terse tone hiding the concern we all knew she felt.
"Alright. How 'bout Blue Wendall's, my treat." I said, taking out my card.
"Okay." Mac said, the others nodding in agreement. And we all set off for Blue Wendall's.
__________________________________________
We got to Blue Wendall's and chose to sit at a booth near the back.
"Let's order, and I'll explain everything." I said. The waiter came up to us. We looked up to see that it was none other than Sapphire.
"Hey guys. What'll it be." she asked us.
"We'll take three specials, two Blueberry Swirls, four Chocolate 'Shakes and two Cherry Apricot 'Shakes." I said.
"Will that be all?" Sapphire asked.
"Yes. That's it." I said, thw others nodding in agreement. She nodded and headed off.
"Right. Let's start. I found out a month and a half ago that my parents were actually Federal agents. They were assigned to a case involving a major drug lord based in Cloudsdale. It's how the two of them met. The accident my father was in was actually a hit ordered by said drug lord. When we went to visit my father the day after the accident, they told us everything, even accepted Oak as part of the family, even though we had only been dating for a day." I said, starting to choke up with emotion for what I knew was coming. Oak held my hand comfortingly. He gave it a squeeze and I nodded.
"Ah'll take it from here. Everything was fine for the month and a half, until yesterday. Ah was runnin' late 'cause I picked up a puncture the previous day. When Ah got ta her apartment building, she was bein' abducted. I gave chase, knowin' she was in danger." he said, not releasing my hand through the entire retelling.
"Eventually, Vi managed ta break free from her bonds and got the madman who abducted her ta stop the van they were in. The cops got there just as they stopped and the man arrested. Later, we found out that the abduction was planned by the same people who ordered the hit on her father. She was used as a quote unquote victim in order to bust a drug lord that was operatin' out of a Candy factory here in Canterlot. The operation was a success, but came at a price. Vi was taken hostage as a means for the drug lord ta escape, but she used her head and got out of it. When she dug the switchblade into his leg, the howl of pain was anything but manly, and ah chuckled. He pointed a gun at me and asked ifn anything was funny. Ah froze and the shot was fired. When Ah looked again, Vi was hit." he finished the story.
"So that's what happened." Candy said, to which Oak and I nodded. "Right. Let's change the subject. You ready for your sweet sixteen tomorrow?" Candy asked.
"Yeah. Of course. I'm a liitle nervous, but mostly excited. Mother and father say that family from Cloudsdale are coming." I said.
"I know, right. You only turn sixteen once." Candy said.
"Just to be clear, Luna and I are invited, right?" Celestia asked.
"Hell yeah. Wouldn't be the same without all my friends." I said. Sapphire came with our drinks, and we all paused to thank her and take a sip from our drinks.
"While we're sharing grim pasts, I think it's about time we shared ours, right Tia." Luna said.
"I suppose so. Right. Luna and I transferred from Crystal Prep. Our father was a wealthy owner of a major food conglomerate, but it all went to shit. He was indicted under charges of embezzlement. When I found that out, I basically disowned most of my family, including Luna. She took the news harder than I did though. She eventually became a total recluse. Only coming out at night, skipping school, and eventually…" she looked at Luna. Luna nodded for her to continue, reaching for her sleeve. "And eventually cutting and other self-destructive behaviours. When I found out, it was like a slap to the face. Here I was, ignoring my family, being a bitch towards my only sibling, and all the while, she was the most depressed. My mother divorced my father and we moved here. Luna and I have been in therapy ever since." Celestia told us.
I had no idea that their past was so bad. I felt what they felt before. Having a father that lost his job and blamed himself for it, beating my mother and I on a regular basis.
"I know how you guys feel. My father lost his job, blamed himself for it, got drunk regularly and beat my mother and I senseless on a regular basis." I lifted my sleeve, revealing multiple scars, some still angry and red. "I've been there. I felt useless, knowing that my mother was being beaten, and I was powerless to stop it." I said, causing everyone to gasp. Nobody knew about the cutting, not even my best friend, Candy.
"Why'd ya never tell us, Vi." Pear Butter asked me, still shocked at the idea that I was so far down the road of depression.
"I never saw reason to worry the only people who ever cared besides my mother." I said. "But I haven't done it since the accident. What my father said when he came to was the wake up call I needed."
"What did he say?" Celestia asked
"He said he was trying to go clean for my mother and I, and that if he didn't make it, I must take care of my mother." I said, trying to maintain my composure. Oak gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. He was there that night, so he knew what I was going through. Sapphire arrived at that moment with our food, and we all stopped talking to eat.
__________________________________________
A couple hours later, I started feeling tired. Oak noticed and gave my hand a squeeze. I nodded.
"Alright guys. It was nice catchin' up, but Vi is gettin' tired. I gotta get her home so she can rest fer tommorrow." Oak said. The others nodded in agreement. We called for the bill and Sapphire brought it.
"Thanks, Sapphire." I said, pulling out the money I drawn from my account. I paid the bill and left a healthy tip for Sapphire. Oak grabbed my hand. I looked at him and smiled.
"Are ya sure ya wanna tip a hundred?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm sure." I said, closing the bill. I picked it up and we all walked to the front of the restaurant. I handed the bill to the cashier. She took out the hundred that I put in for Sapphire and put it in a tip jar with her name on it.
"Thank you, for leaving her such a generous tip. She doesn't get a lot of customers, so anything helps." the manager said from behind us.
"It's my pleasure." I said as we walked out. Oak's phone rang again, so he excused himself. A couple of minutes later, he was back. "We'll see you at the party tomorrow."
"You bet." Celestia said, and everyone nodded in agreement. We said goodbye and Oak and I headed for the exit once more. We climbed into his Firebird and hit the road again.
__________________________________________
We were sitting in the apartment, having an argument over what to buy Violet for her birthday. I wanted to buy her a car, and a fast one at that. My wife wanted to buy her jewellery.
"Why don't we get both." I said, trying to end the argument.
"Okay. I can live with that." my wife replied.
"There's one problem. I don't know what kind of car she would like." I said.
"Well, you could call Oak and see if he knows." my wife said.
"Good idea." i replied and gave her a kiss. I then picked up the receiver and dialled his number. I had learned it quick over the last month and a half.
"Hello." came the voice from the other side.
"Hello, Oak." I said.
"Howdy Mr. Enigma. What can Ah do fer ya?" Oak asked.
"Well, I was wondering if you could help me. I'm gonna be buying Violet a car for her birthday, but have no idea what she would like." I said.
"Well, that's easy. She loves high powered V8. She's madly in love with mah Firebird, but the retail on one of those is quite steep. Ah would suggest buyin' her somethin' like a 1967 Pontiac GTO or a 1969 Mustang Fastback." Oak replied.
"Would it be possible to steal you for a few hours when you get here?" I asked him.
"Sure thing. Vi needs rest now. We met up with some friends, but it may have been a little much fer her." he replied.
"Okay. See you in a few." I said, ending the call. I turned to my wife. "We have a gameplan."
We arrived at my apartment just as dusk was setting in. Oak got me out of the car and helped me carry the stuff I bought up to my bedroom. My parents weren't home, so it was just us two.
"You want something to drink?" I asked.
"Sure. I'll take a Pepsi." Oak replied. I went to the kitchen to grab two Pepsi's from the refrigerator and joined Oak in the living room.
"So. What's the plan of action for tomorrow?" I asked.
"Tomorrow mornin', yer pa is gonna bring ya up ta Mac's. We're gonna have a party. Yer gonna enjoy yerself, and then ya come home." he replied. There was a rustling of keys at the door, it was unlocked, and my parents stepped in. From the light dusting of white flakes on their coats, it must have started snowing since we've been back.
"Violet. We're home." my mother called from the door.
"In the living room, mother." I called back.
"Hey, sweetie. How was the afternoon?" my father asked.
"It was good. Met up with some friends, we talked, I treated them to lunch." I said.
"Where did you get the money?" my mother asked.
"Lawyers decided to rather settle than have another attempted murder on record for trial. I have just under half a million in a savings account set up by the bureau." I replied.
"Damn, that's a lot." my father replied. "What about your college? Don't you need it for then?"
"I have a full sports scholarship to Canterlot University, father." I replied. "And I've changed my mind as to what I'm gonna do. It changes from a four year course, to about two to three years, and the scholarship covers it."
"Okay. Seems like you have a plan of action then. Are you still gonna work at Sweet Apple Acres?" my mother asked.
"Of course. Just because I have a half a million, doesn't entitle me to sit on my backside all day." I said, causing everyone to start laughing.
"Alright. Imma head out." Oak said after he stopped laughing. He kissed me deeply. "See ya tomorrow, darlin'."
"See you tomorrow." I replied. He turned and walked to the door. I saw him out and closed the door. I turned to see my parents staring at me, amused looks on their faces. "What?"
"Oh, nothing. Just admiring the cuteness of it all." my mother said, causing me to blush.
"We've been dating for a month and a half now. How is it still cute?" I huffed, causing my parents to laugh again. I just stomped back to the living room.
"Vi. What would you like for dinner?" my mother asked once she regained her composure.
"About that. I ordered us a pizza." I replied. My father came into the living room and turned on the T.V. He put it on a sports channel, and there was a baseball game on. We had missed the first innings, but we continued watching anyway.. It was a game between the Cloudsdale Jets and the Canterlot Buffalos. Coming from Cloudsdale, I was still a major Jets fan, as were my parents. Cloudsdale were ahead by four runs, with Canterlot now stepping out to bat.
Five minutes later, the pizza had arrived. My mother brought us each a couple slices on a plate, and sat down to eat with us. It was the bottom of the Eighth inning, and Canterlot were ahead by one run. They had one more runner on third, and a batter stepping up to the plate. The pitcher threw a fastball, hoping to get a strike, but the ball connected and went out of the park for a home run. Now we were down three.
I finished my pizza and my Pepsi, got up and took my plate to the kitchen. I then returned to the living room.
"I'm gonna turn in." I said, giving my parents each a hug. "Please tell me how it ends up tomorrow."
"Will do sweetie. Good night." my father said.
"Goodnight." I replied and went to my bedroom. I climbed beneath the covers, not even bothering to change into my pajamas and flicked off the bedside light.
__________________________________________
The following morning, I woke up to almost complete silence. I could hear my father showering just down the hall. I turned over and shut my eyes for a few more minutes. My father finished his shower a few minutes later, and I decided to go and take a shower. I got up, walked over to the bags that Oak had brought up for me, and took out my brand new jeans and boots. I went to my closet and got out the nicest shirt I could find, as well as clean underwear, and made my way to the bathroom to shower.
I finished my shower and got dressed. On my way out, my father appeared suddenly, causing me to react. I punched him in the face, not really meaning to.
"Father. Don't scare me like that. You know what I've been through over the last few days." I said, then noticed that he was on the floor. "Are you okay?" I bent down to check.
"I'm fine, sweetie. Raucous punch though. I was not expecting it." he replied.
"Oh Gods. I'm so sorry father." I said, holding my hand out for him to grab so I could help pull him up. "I didn't break anything, did I."
"Nope. Just my pride. Getting sucker punched to the floor by a sixteen year old." my father said with a chuckle. He then reached into one of the pockets of his jeans. "Speaking of which, Happy Birthday, sweetie. Just a small thing for now. The rest is coming." he said, handing me a box the size of a golf ball. I opened it to find a gorgeous diamond, bezel cut and fitted to an 18 gold hanger. I took it out to see that it was fixed to an 18 carat gold chain. I was speechless.
"How much did this cost?" I asked my father.
"It doesn't matter how much it cost. It's not everyday that you turn sixteen." my father said. I wrapped him in a tight embrace.
"Thank you. It's beautiful." I didn't have much jewellery, because I was a tomboy, but I loved this.
"Now. Are you ready?" my father asked. "We have a party to get to."
"Just a second." I said, running to my bedroom. I grabbed the necklace that Oak had gotten me and my Stetson, and put them on. I then ran to where my father was waiting and we left the apartment and headed to the car together.
__________________________________________
Half an hour later, we arrived at Sweet Apple Acres. Most of my friends had arrived already. The only people who had not arrived were Candy, Celestia and Luna. I went up to Oak and gave him a hug.
"Happy Birthday, darlin'." he said.
"Thanks, babe. Any word on when the others are arriving?" I asked.
"Celestia and Luna are on their way. No word on Candy yet." Oak replied
"I'm sure she'll arrive soon." my mother said, coming over to us.
"I know." I said, giving my mother a hug. We went into the barn to start the party. I could not believe my eyes. The normally dull and boring barn was full of decorations, making the place look like a regular party venue.
"Are you sure we're in the right place?" I said, turning to face Oak.
"We sure are darlin'." he replied with a chuckle
"The place wasn't this decorated for Mac's sixteenth." I said, genuinely impressed by what I saw. I went over to the 'bar', which was made from an old apple cart. I grabbed Oak and I each a cider, the Sweet Apple Acres brand, and we joined the rest of the group. Celestia and Luna had arrived sometime between my arrival and me getting Oak and I drinks.
"Hey, girls. Welcome." I said, hugging them each in turn.
"Thanks, Vi." Celestia said, handing me a gift bag. "It's not much, but at least we managed to get you something."
"Hey. You guys being here would have been enough, but thanks nonetheless." I said.
"Hey, no problem, Vi. It's the least we could do after you guys invited us into your group like you did." Luna said. Just then, Oak tapped me on the shoulder. I looked at him and he pointed to the door. I was a little confused, but I looked, and there Candy was, standing by my parents. I looked at Oak and nodded in thanks. Then the whole group went over to meet her.
__________________________________________
A few hours later, after making sure that all the guests had arrived, we were all having lunch. My parents hired caterers for the event, so the Apple's were all exempt from catering and cleaning. They joined us for the celebration, because they had become part of the family since we moved to Canterlot.
After lunch, the time for unwrapping gifts was upon us. I started with the smallest package, which was from my cousins from Cloudsdale. I opened it to find a small mood ring. I thanked them and moved on. Several gifts later, I got to the pile that were from my friends. I started with Celestia and Luna's gift. It was a scarf, decorated with an assortment of marks that were a preference with each of my friends, all surrounding mine. I hugged them, not trusting my voice.
Next was the one from Bright Mac and Pear Butter. Their gift was a coupon for a free spa day at the Canterlot Spa. I hugged them too, thanking them as I did. Next was the gift from Candy. I read the envelope. It said; 'Hope this comes in handy for the next date night.' I opened the envelope to find a five hundred dollar gift card to any restaurant at the mall. I thanked her. Oak's gift was a lot more simple. He had gotten me another necklace, one of those that had a matching one. He pulled the match out from his shirt, and showed it to me.
"Thank you, Oak." I said, reaching over and giving him a kiss.
"It's my pleasure darlin'. Now, no matter where we go, we'll always have a piece of each other with us." he replied.
The gifts from my parents were next. I didn't know what to expect after the necklace this morning, but I pressed on. I opened one of them, and found even more jewellery. There were earrings, necklaces, bracelets and more, mostly gold and silver. I looked up at them, and my mother smiled, obviously the jewellery was her idea. There was one more package left. It was the size of a shoebox. I tore the wrapping paper off and opened it to find another box. This continued until I got to a package the size of a ring box. I opened it to find a set of car keys. The key chain had the Ford emblem on it. I looked at my father, tears forming in my eyes. He was smiling.
"Everyone, attention please." my father said. "I'd like to make a toast." Everyone looked over to him. He raised his glass.
"I just want to wish the best daughter in the world a very happy birthday, and may she have many returns." he said. "To Violet"
"To Violet" came a chorus of cheers.
"Now if everyone will join us outside, Bright Mac will take us to where the car is stored. Violet is about to take her first drive as a registered driver." my father said, standing up and leading the way to where Mac was waiting for us. We followed him out of the barn and to the road that separated the South forty from the rest of the orchard. Under a tree, was the silhouette of a car under a tarp. Mac and Oak took up positions in front of the car and each grabbed a corner of the tarp. They pulled, and out from under the tarp, came a beautiful 1969 Shelby GT500. It was silver with blue stripes, and had a widebody kit on it that made it look like a NASCAR. I climbed in behind the wheel and started her up. The big block 550 V8 roared to life, and I couldn't help the girly squeal of delight that escaped my lips. I looked at Oak.
"Are you getting in or what?" I asked. He didn't answer, but opened the passenger door and climbed in. I gave the throttle a couple of test pushes, the engine growling in response. "Let's see what she can do." I said as I shifted into first and gunned the motor. I finally had a car of my own, and it was a work of art.
It has been two years since that fateful day where I got kidnapped. Graduation was right around the corner, and I was excited to start on a new chapter of my life. Oak and I had been going steady for the two years, and we were going to move in together after graduation. I already secured the deposit for a condo close to the campus, and we would both be going to Canterlot University. He will be studying business management while I study criminal psychology and forensics.
I was on my way to school, happy that we were not living in that run down apartment anymore. My parents had bought a house in one of the nicer suburbs shortly after my sixteenth. I was driving my gleaming, silver and blue GT500, still exciting to drive, even after two years. I had put on a twin-screw supercharger and upgraded a lot of the engine components. She now pushed out about six hundred horse power. I didn't always drive her, preferring most days to drive the compact SUV I bought a year and a half ago. I turned onto the street that the school was on, and spotted the school in the distance. I pulled into the parking lot, and saw Oak standing by his truck, an old Ford F100 pickup, next to an open space. He had been doing that for the past two years, always making sure to save me a parking space right next to his car.
I pulled my car into the open space, and cut the motor. I climbed out, wearing the Stetson I had bought two years ago. It had come in handy, working the orchards with Mac and Oak. So many times I had gone home with sunburn. In hindsight, I could've combatted it with sunscreen, but I never thought that far. I went over to Oak.
"Hey, babe. How was your weekend?" I asked. Oak had been visiting Mac less and less over the last couple of months, saying his parents wanted him to study more.
"Hey, darlin'. It was boring as hell, without you and the others." he replied, giving me a kiss. I kissed him back. With that, we walked into the school. My first class was drama, which I shared with Candy, Pear Butter and Luna. Celestia graduated a year ago and was studying education at Canterlot University.
"Have you met his parents yet?" Candy asked me while we were waiting for the teacher to arrive. I looked down in embarrassment.
"No, not yet." I replied.
"Seriously, you've been dating a little over two years and you haven't met his parents." Luna said in exasperation.
"Yes. I'm sure I'll meet them in due time. I mean, we are moving in together this summer, surely that isn't a secret he's keeping from his parents." I tried to explain, though I couldn't help the feeling of sadness that had crept in after Candy's question. "I feel like I should corner him about it, get the truth, you know." Tears were now starting to form in my eyes.
"No. Just leave him be. Ah know his parents, and they're a might old fashioned. He doesn't want ya ta feel uncomfortable around 'em." Pear Butter said, concern in her voice. "Jes give him time."
"You're right. But I still can't help it. I really wanna meet his parents." I said.
"Ah'll talk to him later. We're in the same class next." Pear Butter replied, a warmhearted smile on her face. I smiled in return.
"Thanks Pear Butter." I said.
"No problem, Vi. It's what friends're for." she replied just as the teacher walked in.
__________________________________________
Lunch rolled around sooner than I expected, the morning passing by in a breeze. I made my way to the cafeteria, anxious for the talk I knew was coming. I saw Oak sitting at our usual table with Mac and the others, but Oak looked a little miffed. I avoided going directly there and went to grab some lunch instead. Suddenly there was a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see Oak standing behind me. I tried to give him a hug, but he pushed me away.
"Vi, can we go somewhere ta talk?" he asked.
'Oh crap. Here it comes' I thought to myself as I nodded. He led me out of the cafetaria and towards the stairwell close to the library.
"What is it, Oak?" I asked as we came to a halt on one of the stairwell landings.
"Why did Buttercup ask when I'm gonna introduce ya ta mah parents?" he asked in reply.
"It came up when we were waiting for our drama teacher this morning. Candy asked, and you know I don't like lying. I had to tell them the truth." I said, tears beginning to form in my eyes.
"Well, jes gimme some time, that's all Ah ask of ya." he snapped. What he said took its toll on me, as I broke down at that moment. Just over two years since we started dating, and this was our first fight. He could probably see the hurt in my eyes, because he tried to embrace me. I pushed him away and ran, Oak calling after me the whole time. I just ignored him and ran to the nearest bathroom, where I could cry in peace.
__________________________________________
'Aw shit. Now you done gone and done it. Ya made her cry.' I thought to myself as I watched my girlfriend run away, tears in her eyes. I just dug my hands into my pockets and returned to the cafeteria, trying hard not to cry myself. I got to the cafeteria, sat back down in my seat, and proceeded to continue to pick at my food, all traces of an appetite gone. Pear Butter looked at me.
"Oak, are ya doin' okay?" she asked, concern in her voice.
"No. Ah'm not. Pardon mah language, but I think ah fucked up." I said in reply, trying hard not to lose my last shred of composure.
"Ya snapped, didn't ya." Mac said, receiving a slap from Pear Butter in response.
"Yeah. Ah did. Now she wants nothin' ta do with me." I replied.
"Just give her time to clear her head." Luna said. "If you truly want to make things right, start by doing the very thing that started this whole mess in the beginning." I hated to admit, but Luna was right.
"Alright." I replied. "Ah'll do it."
__________________________________________
I stayed in the bathroom for the rest of the day, not bothering to come out until the bell was about to ring. I couldn't stand to see Oak angry at me, so I made sure to leave just before the bell was due to ring. I got to my car just as the bell rang, climbed in, and sat alone for a few minutes. I needed to clear my head, as I was thinking some very dark thoughts, thoughts that hadn't occurred since my father's accident. I started my car and headed towards Sweet Apple Acres, the only place that seemed to be a refuge from all these thoughts.
__________________________________________
I got outside to the parking lot, a little worried about Violet. She had missed the last class, one that we happened to share, along with Mac and Candy. They shared classes with her before that, and they told me she didn't show up to those classes either. I got to where we had parked earlier, hoping to catch Violet before she left, but her car was gone before I got there. I got into my car and headed toward her house, hoping to catch her there.
I arrived at Sweet Apple Acres to find that the place was mostly deserted, only Mrs. Smith being home at the time. I parked my car in the usual spot by the barn, climbed out, leaving my phone in the car, and walked into the house, finding Mrs. Smith watching TV. I went into the den and greeted her.
"Well, hey there, Violet. How ya doin' today." she greeted back.
"Not good, but getting there. If Mac comes looking for me, tell him I'm in the South Forty." I replied, turning to leave and leaving Mrs. Smith in confusion. I looked over my shoulder to see her shake her head. I left the house and headed to the South Forty, the place where Oak and I originally hooked up, and made it official.
__________________________________________
I got to Violet's house and saw that her car wasn't there. I was thoroughly confused. Where could she have gone. I decided to call the others. I dialled in a conference call, and Pear Butter was the first to answer, followed by Mac, then the rest.
"Hey guys, you're on a conference call." I said. The others all greeted at the same time. "Have any o' y'all seen Violet, or know where she could be?"
"Haven't seen her, but Ah'll call ya if ah do find out." Mac said, concern in his voice. The others agreed.
"Ah'm jes worried about her, ya know. Our fight today might have stirred up past demons she tried ta bury when her pa got into that accident." I said. "I tried callin' her cell, but she won't return mah calls."
"I'll give her a call after this. She's bound to answer a call from her best friend." Candy said.
"Alright. Please let me know." I replied.
"I will. Just hang in there, Oak." Candy said before I ended the call. I hung my head in defeat, knowing I fucked up bad.
__________________________________________
I had just gotten home after dropping Pear Butter off. The phone call from Oak really bugged me, but what could I do. I pulled into the driveway and spotted a silver car in the distance. As I got closer, I saw that it was Violet's GT500. I stopped my truck next to it and peeked into it. I saw Violet's phone lying in the center console. I took out my phone and called Oak.
"Hey Mac, any news?" he answers the call.
"Yeah. She's at mah place. Don't know where though. Ah'll find out and text ya just now." I replied, climbing out of my truck.
"Thanks. Ah appreciate it. Ah'm on mah way over now." Oak said, ending the call. I walked into the house and found my ma watching TV in the den.
"Hey ma, Ah'm home. Ah saw Vi's car outside, do ya know where she is?" I asked.
"Oh, yeah. She told me ta tell ya she's in the South Forty. Dunno why though." she replied. I knew exactly why. It was the place where she and Oak hooked up, and she was bound to be under the tree where they had made it official. I texted Oak, and made my way to the South Forty.
__________________________________________
I was sitting under the tree that Oak and I made our relationship official under, the first time I kissed him of my own free will, the cold glint of steel shining through my fingers. I brought my switchblade with, but hadn't actually done anything yet. I didn't want to spiral out of control, not when I still had so much to live for.
'I don't have anything without Oak, and all I did was fuck that up too.' I thought darkly to myself as I raised the blade up to eye level to inspect it. It was still sharp after six years of ownership. I heard someone shouting my name in the distance, and I knew it was Oak, but I didn't respond. I didn't trust my voice not to break. I pressed the blade to my left forearm, and at that moment, Mac came running into the clearing where I was sitting.
"Violet. What are ya doin'!" Mac yelled, running up to me.
__________________________________________
I got a bad feeling as I pulled up to the driveway to Sweet Apple Acres, and I barely slowed down, taking the corner in a powerslide. I gunned the motor and tore across the driveway, kicking up a cloud of dust behind me. I saw Violet's GT500 haphazardly parked next to the barn, along with Mac's F100. I pulled up behind the two vehicles and cut the motor. I climbed out, slammed the door, and tore off towards the South Forty. 'I'm coming Vi.' I thought to myself, hoping to the gods that I wasn't too late. I approached the South Forty to hear Mac yelling.
"Violet. What are ya doin'!"
I put on a fresh burst of speed and arrived at the crest of the hill overlooking the clearing. I looked down to see Mac slap something out of her right hand, the glint of silver in the sun telling me it was a blade of some kind. I saw it hit the ground and skitter a few feet away from them, and then I saw something that was truly gut wrenching. Violet barely reacted, but sat holding her left arm to her chest, hiding something from our view. I sprinted down the hill, coming up to where the two of them were. Violet was standing now, looking Mac squarely in the eyes.
"What were ya thinkin'?" Mac said. "Do ya know how worried ya made the others and Ah. How worried ya made Oak."
"I don't think I made him worry. I took our love for granted. How long before I do that with our friendship. It would be better if I just ended it all right here." she replied, a dead tone to her voice, like she was tired and just wanted to sleep. When she said it, and the way she said it, brought fresh tears to my eyes.
"No. It won't." I said as I approached them. The look in her eyes could only be described as dead, with no emotion in sight. "Ah wouldn't be able ta live with mahself if ya were ta end yer life because of mah stupidity."
"Ah'm gonna leave y'all to it." Mac said, turning to leave. "Ah'm gonna call the others and tell 'em Vi's okay, but Ah'll leave y'all ta tell 'em about what just happened."
"Thanks Mac." I said. I came up to Violet, giving her a hug. While she was wrapped in my embrace, I could feel her shuddering, like she was crying. "Words alone can't express how sorry Ah am fer what I did. Ah shoulda never snapped at ya like that. Will ya forgive me and give me a second chance?"
__________________________________________
I couldn't believe it. Here Oak was, apologizing for a fuck up that was mine to begin with.
"It's okay, Oak. You don't need to apologize for a fuck up that was all mine. I just feel so useless sometimes. I should never have put you in that situation." I said. "So, will you accept my apology, and give me a second chance?"
"Of course. Couples fight all the time. It takes love and patience ta move past it. Ah love ya, Vi, and nothin' will change that." Oak replied.