Paying the price p4

"I missed when the twins were just babies...now they're too Smart for their own good!" Ned said chuckling as he sat down with Garrick by his room's veranda, "They're pretty close though, they fight like cats and dogs but they're solid too... I'm so jelly you know!" Garrick replied while warming his hands with the coffee mug he held.

"I know this sounds crazy, but I'm really sorry for lying to you...I'm glad you seem to believe everything we said."

"I'll be dumb if I don't believe a family of immortals who came from another universe, when they tell me that they are my family." Garrick replied causing Ned to chuckle more, "I'm also glad, because you don't seem like a murderer to me Ned." he added.

"Careful now! how do you know that Mr.Future FBI agent!" Ned said jokingly, "A Gut feeling! plus you had plenty of opportunities to harm me...and you didn't, so I think I'm safe to trust you for now." Garrick said sipping the coffee one more time before putting the mug down.

"You're pretty optimistic Garrick...for someone who trouble keeps following him like a tail." Ned said drinking his second soda already.

"You mean our kids are the real trouble tailing me? cuz so far whenever I look over my shoulder, one of those two always Pops out, especially Jade.

She's like my bodyguard nowadays." Garrick joked, "Real funny Horse face." Ned replied rolling his eyes.

"Too much rolling will make you blind lovely."

"I'm already half blind, I'm immortal but can't see my own shit without glasses."

"Pffft HAHAHA!" Garrick started laughing loudly.

Rolling his eyes again, "Oh shut-up!...matter of fact, I'll make you shut-up." Ned said pulling him in for a kiss.

"Eww, And here I thought I'd never get to see you getting freaky!" Jasper said Popping his head through the veranda's doors.

The two stopped kissing and Garrick smirked, "What did I tell you, trouble?" he said earning another eyeroll from Ned.

"Our lips barely touched and here you are cock-blocking us, what do you want?"

"I want a younger sibling, a baby." Jasper said bluntly making Garrick burst out laughing again while Ned's face got hot and red, "YOU BIG SHIT!...what do you seriously want?!" Ned asked.

Giggling, Jasper tossed Ned his phone, "You left your phone downstairs, your bestie called you like a thousand times but we didn't notice immediately cuz you had it surprisingly on silent." Jasper explained before quickly leaving.

It took only a second for Matilda to call again, so Ned picked-up immediately.

*Beeb*

Ned: girl where you at? did you find your lost bird?

Matilda: Yeah, she's with Mallory.

Ned: Early bird is Mallory?

Matilda: Mallory quitted her job and she wants to do something new, Socorro apparently convinced her to try to play the role...

Mallory says that Socorro is helping her practice for the audition.

Ned: So Socorro left the house unannounced without a proper explanation, to stay with Mallory to help her with rehearsal?! Bullshit.

Matilda: I don't buy it either, she's using Mall as an excuse obviously.

Ned: where are you now, are you okay?

Matilda: I'm in my car outside Mallory's house, I'm planning to drive back, and I'm not okay...I faced her with the truth, I told her that she's risking so much, that I know she's planning to break the bond.

Ned: What did she say?

Matilda: She said she only accepted me so she wouldn't have blood on her hands...*sobbing* Ned she said she's willing to pay any price... just to get rid of me?!

-Seeing the pained expression on Ned's face, Garrick gave him a worried look, he couldn't hear what Matilda was saying on the other side but figured that the problem between Matilda and Socorro wasn't solved yet.

"Is everything okay?" he whispered, "Not really." Ned whispered back as he could hear Matilda was still crying on the phone.

Ned: Listen, why don't you come over, let's talk it out.

Matilda: No, I...*sobbing* I wanna be alone, thank you Ned.

*Beeb*

"She hanged-up on me?!" Ned said in disbelief, "What's going on? I knew they had an argument but it seems like Socorro is taking it too far, Matilda doesn't deserve this." Garrick said frowning.

"I'm going to put an end to this, once and for all!" Ned replied standing-up in a hurry, he walked back into the room and hurried downstairs, "Hey?! where are you going?!" Garrick asked following him quickly.

...Few moments later...

"This place does kinda look like that cursed Ass beach house." Was the first comment Yurei made as he saw the waterfront house.

Matilda's car was parked outside the property, she didn't leave and she came out of her vehicle in a rush when she saw her bestfriend.

"Ned!" Matilda said as she ran towards Ned, hugging him before she started crying again.

"Oh you big goof ball, I thought you drove away!...Why do you always end-up with toxic girls." Ned said patting her back, "Stay here, I'll deal with her." he added breaking the hug.

"There...there...come here." Tacito quickly walked-up to Matilda, taking Ned's place as he hugged her tightly, "Ned What are you going to do?" Yurei asked.

"Jade, Yurei...I need you guys to circle around the house from the outside then also the entire area as well." Ned said, "Circle as in, search for something unusual?" Jade asked, "He wants us to check if Fernando could be lurking around." Yurei explained, "Oh, got it." Jade Said before she walked away with Yurei.

"Jasper, Faunus...can you tell if the house has been messed with?" Ned asked, "No, I don't sense anything dangerous." Jasper said, "Actually, I can sense there is some sort of a powerful protection around the house instead." Faunus said.

"Yeah, I just noticed it, I've seen this work before in our own house! this is Jihi's protective barrier." Jasper said.

"Jihi? When did they do this?" Ned asked himself before heading to the front door, he started ringing the bell over and over until an irritated Socorro opened the door "WHY DON'T YOU GIVE-UP MATILDA!" Socorro screamed.

"Hi bitch!" Ned greeted her, and Socorro's face went pale, "For fuck's sake, I should've known she'd ask for backup." Socorro said puffing air angrily.

"Gurl, she didn't ask for help, I came on my own...why are you acting like an angry little child? And here I thought we shared a personality Coco!" Ned replied glaring at her, "Ned listen, I've made-up my mind." Socorro replied.

"Oh really, then I really hope you enjoy whatever lifespan left for you, without your hands." Ned said, "What?" she asked.

...Few Minutes Later...

"Those aren't my words, This is what Madame Shanice said, you should read your letter Socorro." Ned said.

"Just because I know that I'll be punished severely...doesn't mean that I'll back away just like that.

People can live without hands." Socorro replied.

"Just read the fucking letter! I don't give a shit if you get your hands cut off, just read it!...

Fuck! you're as crazy as the first time in Derora! why do you always give Matilda such a hard time when she gives an actual shit about you?" Ned said shoving the letter into Socorro's hands before walking away from her.

Frowning at him, Socorro went inside and closed the door, she looked through the nearest window and saw how everyone rallied around Matilda comforting her, it made her heart ache "Is everything good?" Mallory asked.

"Not sure, Thanks for letting me stay Mallory."

"No problem, but listen kid...what you're doing to her is nasty...you're making her pay the price for loving you, and it seems like a damn expensive price to me." Mallory said,"I thought you liked her, I mean she's your favorite writer and shit? isn't this a dream come true?" she added asking.

"I do love Matilda a lot as her fan but I told you, she deserves better then me... someone like Kimberly sounds good." Socorro replied walking away to a different room so she can read the letter in private.

Mallory stayed behind staring at the window for a minute, watching Matilda and Ned.

She noticed Matilda opening some sort of an envelope, it seemed the same as the one Socorro was carrying.

"Sounds like Orange girl didn't read her letter too...did she wait for Socorro to do it first?" she mumbled uninterested before she went to the kitchen.

Finding her other guest resting their head on the kitchen table, "Oh they're asleep? that's weird." Mallory said touching Jihi's shoulder.

"I wonder how you look under that get-up." Mallory said to herself while reaching for the mask on Jihi's face to remove it.

... Meanwhile...

Sitting on the bed, Socorro opened the envelope, grabbing the letter she began reading it.

[Dear Socorro:

I asked myself what would Socorro from the future be doing right now?

The answer was that Socorro Belmonte was thinking about Matilda Jeannette again, Socorro used to be a paranoid assistant with gloved hands and a mean tongue, especially towards poor Matilda.

Socorro would usually find solace in reading especially Matilda's work, But now she sits in a corner all by herself reminiscing about the past she ruined herself.

When was the last time she held a book in her hands and felt its cover? or when was the last time she burned her hands while making tea?

Then all of the sudden, a memory came back to her!

Socorro was walking over to a window, reflecting on her heavenly surroundings, She was new but she fell in love immediately with the lovable Green castle of Derora ans its crazy, busy atmosphere.

Yet It encouraged her tendency to feel sad quickly, as she felt a bit unworthy of her new life.

Then she saw it! something, or rather someone in the distance.

It was the carefree figure of Matilda Jeannette, the king's messenger.

Dressed in Orange from head to toe, with a bright smile, a muscular build and a fair complexion.

When she saw Matilda for the first time, Socorro knew she was looking at someone special, her Destined mate perhaps?

Socorro gulped, then glanced at her own reflection, did she deserve someone like Matilda?

Socorro saw herself as a smart, stubborn, tea drinking woman, beautiful with a thin body and ivory skin, but the servants around here already see her as a mean know-it-all.

Suddenly, The wind hammered outside scaring the birds into hiding, just like Socorro who was hiding in her new office.

Feeling lost, Socorro grabbed a pen that had been sitting unused nearby, she massaged it with her fingers feeling it, suddenly she remembered how embarrassed she was after writing that one fan letter to her favorite writer, 'Orange Tree'.

And then the memory ended there...

Socorro cried as she looked at her hands, they were gone, and even when she replaced them, she couldn't feel the book cover in her hands.

It was the First and last book Matilda ever wrote Alive the only thing she left for Socorro to remind her of Matilda.

Socorro Belmonte, once again, decided on someone's else fate, without considering that Their fate is connected to her decisions.

So Socorro Belmonte begged someone to send a message to her younger self, "Don't listen to him!" she said, "Please, he is lying to you!...Matilda loved you before your Bond happened, she was always watching over you!"

Now I asked myself, would Socorro listen to her future self? will she save herself and Matilda from the flames of despair?

What do you think Socorro? is that illusion of freedom worth sacrificing Matilda and your hands?

Sincerely yours, madame Shanice.]

A tear drop fell on the piece of paper, "I want to read again from you, Matilda." Socorro said hugging the letter as more teardrops fell off her eyes.