Chapter 4| Unexpected Developments

Some time later…

“Leo, are you all right mate?” came the question form what seemed to be a million miles away. He knew who it was but he didn’t answer. He didn’t want to. He was standing on the edge of the highest cliff on the mountain. He felt completely empty inside with everything that just happened racing through this mind.

…”I’ll stay…” she had said.

“No, you can’t. There must be another way.” Leo protested but he knew only to well that it was hopeless.

“I’m sorry, baby, but we both know there’s no other way. One of us has to stay and I didn’t come all this way on this mission just to loose another pirate; another friend. To be completely honest, if I had just paid a little more attention to the details and warnings of this place and my plan I would have seen this coming. This is a mistake that could have cost someone their life here tonight that’s why I must be the one to make this sacrifice. Leo, my sweetheart, I love you more than anything in the world and I always will, but this is something I must do. Please try and understand…” Angel said.

She sounded strong but in her eyes Leo could see the pain that this parting was causing her and he couldn’t stand it anymore. He wanted to suggest that he be the one to stay in her place but she was one step ahead of him as usual.

She took his hands and placed them around her waist. “Okay baby.”

He didn’t want to say it but he nodded. She kissed him one last time and turned way, slowly starting to walk up the marble staircase. She was looking the man at the top of the staircase directly in the eyes. As she neared the top he reached out with his right hand and she accepted it with her left as she took the final two steps.

“Well, little Angel, I’m Diego. I can assure, it is an honor to finally meet you.” The man said an in a shimmer they both disappeared…

She was gone now. The very essence of his life was gone forever, and there was nothing he could do about it. She was taken by a complete stranger and all he had to show for it was this stupid old sword. He just stood there on the highest cliff with the sword in his hands.

He wanted to toss in it over the edge of the cliff but he couldn’t. He just didn’t have the strength to do it, but that wasn’t the worst of it. At this moment he couldn’t even find the strength to live anymore. He was completely empty. His mind was racing and all he wanted to do was jump, to end his own life, just to not have to wake up tomorrow morning and have to face the world without her. He took the step, but before he could jump, someone grabbed him…

“Leo! Will you snap out of it already! We all lost a friend here tonight. We’re all hurting, but you don’t see any of us trying to jump off the cliff here, do you?” Simon said pulling him back into reality. “She asked you to be strong for who knows what and you made the silent promise and now you what to go back on your word after everything she’s risked and sacrificed for you. What kind of friend does that make you, hah, Leo?” Simon was right. He did promise. What was he thinking? She risked her life to be with him every single day. But Simon didn’t understand how. How could he? Angel was his whole life.

“I’m sorry, mate. You’re right. I wasn’t thinking, but you don’t understand. Angel meant everything to me. I loved her with my whole heart and soul. We were to be married on the first day of spring. Yes Simon, in two weeks from now we would have slipped away, and have gotten married.”

“What!” Blade and Kyle said together. They were listening from a distance. “That’s great. Why didn’t you tell us?” Blade asked exited and confused at the same time.

“We decided that it was best to keep it just between the two of us.”

For a moment there was silence between them. They were looking over the world that was laying at the foot the mountain and once again Leo was lost in his own world, trapped within his own thoughts.

The sun was rising on the horizon and as it gave a magnificent golden glow to the world as it illuminated the darkness, Leo came back to the real world. He turned to face his friends.

“Guys, where do we go from here? What happens next?” he asked.

“I don’t know, Leo. I really don’t. I mean, none of us do. We’re all as lost as you are. But I can promise you this, no matter what it is; we’ll work it out and face it together.” Blade answered sounding as lost as he felt.

“Yeah, mate. We’ll do it step by step, one day at a time. Savvy.” Simon backed her up.

“Come on, guys. I think it’s time we went home. It’s getting late.” Kyle reminded them of the time and the four of them set of back down the mountain and rode back to the warehouse. When they finally got there, Simon addressed them.

He took a deep breath. “Okay, guys. We all know what has to happen now. Someone needs to tell the Johnson’s and the others about what happened tonight. Leo, I think it would be the best for all of us if I told the family, but you can tell the other pirates if you want.”

“No. I know that you’re right on it being the safest if you told the Johnson’s but I’d rather tell them my self. It’s high time I faced her father and made it clear to him that I love her and would have given my life to save her if she’d just let me.”

“Okay. Just promise me you’ll be gentle.” Leo nodded in agreement. “So I guess that leaves me with the pirates. Blade, can you and Kyle please get them together for Saturday, say nine am?” They nodded too. Simon took another deep breath. “Okay, so I’ll see you again on Saturday. Then we’ll decide what the best course of action would be.”

They said good ‘night’ and good bye, and each of them rode of in a different direction.

The sun was rising swiftly over the mountains. The light from the sun illuminated the darkness of the night. It would have been a beautiful day if it hadn’t been for the events of the night before still being so fresh in his mind. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, the task at hand was making his head spin. Over and over he thought to himself…

How do you tell someone who will kill you as you walk through the door that their daughter is gone forever? That the girl that they thought they knew was living not only a bubble life but was having a secret affair as well. How do you tell someone that wants you dead such horrifying news and then expect them to understand that you loved her so much that you would given your life for her and that there was nothing you could to change her mind but most importantly how do you tell them that she really did it out her own free will. How? How? How?

Leo was terrified. He had called Tiger and had asked him to get the family together. He thought that it would be better to just tell them all at once and get it over with. That way at least (he thought to himself) Jerrod can just kill him and get it over with rather than waiting until he (Leo) has finished telling the world that Angelica Johnson is as good as dead to this world and it was partly his fault.

He walked through the forest about as fast as his legs could carry him. The sun was fully raised by the time he finally got to the house. As he lifted a hand to knock, Tiger opened the door.

“I sure hope you know what you’re doing. Angels not home yet and daddy thinks that she was with you last night.”

“Well that’s kind of why I’m here.” Leo went inside. Both Jerrod and Gina were already waiting for him.

“Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Johnson.” He was extremely nervous.

“Angel’s not here son. I thought she was with you. What are you doing in my house anyway?” Jerrod sounded dangerously angry but Leo knew all to well what he’d be facing doing this so he put on a brave face and waited for a chance to speak and when Jerrod waved his hand to gesture that he has the floor Leo took his chance…

“Sir, that’s why I’m here, I know you probably want kill me but please hear me out first. This is not exactly something that is easy for me to tell you. Yes, she was in deed with me but we weren’t alone. It was us, together with Simon, Blade and Kyle. Last night we decided to do the most dangerous thing in the universe. Yes, sir. We went to Winchester mansion and we went inside…” he told them everything about the night before, about the pirates and her secret life. He also explained to them how much he loved her and decided to ask Jerrod strait as to what it is that he has against him.

As it would turn out, Jerrod had always had a soft spot for Leo. It was just the idea of someone dating his daughter that he couldn’t stand, but he was also afraid that Leo would take her away from them or hurt her. Thus Jerrod made up all the excuses in the world to keep them apart, but what Leo and Angel didn’t know was that Jerrod knew about their secret affair and he would have been proud to have Leo as a son-in-law, but this he would never say out loud.

“So let me get this strait. My daughter was living a so called dubbed life and we lost her for a measly little sword.” Jerrod was furious and who could blame him.

“Yes, sir, that would be correct.”

“Well, where is this sword now? And please don’t even try to lie to me.”

“I don’t know, sir. Blade took it.” Leo was starting to get really nervous so he made an excuse and took off like a bat out of hell to the pirate’s cave. He needed to be alone to grief.

Saturday morning came sooner than they thought and all the pirates came together, just as it had been arranged. They immediately knew that some-thing was wrong: firstly because the meeting was to be held in the morning and their fears were realized when they walked into the cave to find that their leader was nowhere in sight. The only thing she was always early for was the pirate meetings. The clock struck nine and Simon stepped on to the stage. He told them of what had happened to their leader. The girl who made even the greatest of enemies and arch rivals the best of friends by founding the pirates’ gang.

When he finished telling them Simon could see the shock on their faces. He had nothing more to say. In his heart and mind he was hoping; praying that what he had just said was a lie but it wasn’t and when the pirates said good bye that day, it was for good.

***…***

It was two in the morning, five months after Angel was taken from them. Leo was lying in his bed still trying to sleep. He was restless, he knew something was about to happen; but what?”

He got up and went down to the kitchen, got the milk out of the freezer and the chocolate serial from the cupboard and went over to sit at the black marble counter that stood in the middle of the kitchen floor. He was suddenly over come with memories of how Angel would always sneak out and come to him when she couldn’t sleep either.

There was a faint knock on the door and for a brief moment before he opened it, Leo hoped it would be her but he knew it was too much to ask. Angel was gone and had a hard time getting over it but he finally accepted it after Simon knocked some cense into him the hard way.

He opened the door and saw nothing but he heard something and looked down only to see a sleeping little baby in a basket. It was freezing outside so he quickly picked it up and went back inside. As he placed the basket on the kitchen counter and tilted his head from left to right to examine the baby, the baby opened his eyes and for a while they just stared at each other. Finally Leo decided to say something.

“So, where did you come from?” as he asked the baby moved and a note beneath his blanket became visible. “What’s this?” he picked up the note and opened it. He read it five times before the message finally registered. At that moment he dropped the note, picked up the phone and dialed a number.

“Simon…” Leo Sounded oppressed.

“Leo, is that you?” Simon said as if talking in his sleep.

“Can you come over? It’s urgent.”

“It’s two in the morning, Leo. What can possibly be so important that you had to wake me up at this hour?”

“It’s about Angel or…”

“I’m on my way.” Simon said before Leo even had chance to finish his sentence.

It wasn’t even ten minutes or Simon came bursting through the door nearly breaking it down as he came in.

“Where is she? Did she come back?” it was clear that Leo wasn’t the only one longing for her to return.

“Not she, he. Or at least I think so considering… there was no one else.” Leo said pointing to the baby.

Simon walked over to the baby and picked it up.

“Careful.”

“Leo, relax, he’s not made of class, you know.” Simon examined the baby. After a while he put it back in the basked. It was then that he saw the note on the floor. He picked it up and read:

‘I am sorry to inform you of this but Angel passed away late Saturday night due to unknown causes. Though I loved his mother and love her still I absolutely refuse to raise your son!!!

…Sincerely sorry…

…Diego.’

“Well, he does have Angel’s eyes and he does look a lot like you so I guess that would mean… my friend, you’re a daddy.” Simon said the last three words with great enthusiasm but then his head dropped. The great Angel gone forever, how could that be? It was hard to believe. She was always so strong. What could have caused her deaf?

“Leo, what are you going to do now?”

“The only thing I can, or rather, have to. I have to tell her parents.” Leo said and saw a strange look in Simon’s eyes. “Simon, what’s up?”

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it… so what are you going to call him. Kid needs a name to you know?”

“I don’t know. You tell me.”

“Don’t look at me, he’s your son. The best I can think of is Alex.”

“That’s funny I was just thinking the same thing. So what do you think little man, it is your name after all.” Leo said turning to the baby who seemed to be laughing at them, happy with his new name. “Well then, Alex it is.”

Alex quickly fell asleep again and Leo and Simon spent the rest of the night just starring at him.

The next day Leo went to the Johnson’s with Alex and Simon when to the Beazer’s.

When Simon broke the news to them they were devastated and the reaction over at the Johnson’s wasn’t much different. Gina just took her new grandson and went up to Angel’s old room. Tiger ran out if the house and into the woods with Jarrod following right behind him. Leo went up to join Gina.

He saw her sitting on the bed, crying so he went over to her and sat down next to her.

“I’m really sorry ma’am. I never thought it would end like this.”

“It’s okay, kid, no one did. But hey, look at the bright side.” She looked down at Alex and Leo understood exactly what she meant.

After about an hour he decided to go home leaving Alex with his grandparents but he soon found himself at the pirates cave with Blade, Kyle and Simon, making a toast to Angel – the sweetest girl in the world and the mistress of mischief.