BACKROOM DEALS (Ch. 39)

"Shit.... you're a real piece of work aren't you?, fortunately for you i'm on your side, listen up kid, as of now you're the victim, you'd been bullied by the both of them relentlessly over the past few months before eventually developing schizophrenia and depression, their unfortunate accident was an act of impulse, self defense if you will, do you understand?" the stern faced attorney in dark rimmed glasses concludes as Jimmy nods fevrerently while his parents smile excitedly,

(There really might be a way with this)

"From what I've gathered so far it's actually safer if you claim Jarrett dong had gotten entangled with Raven Voss" the department head states from behind the attorney,

"Why?" Jimmy's father frowns

"I think that's best too, Raven Voss's record is clean, exemplary even"

"But what if he wakes up?" Jimmy inquires as his smile dims,

"You'll be long out of the country by then" Jimmy's mother replies

"That's really the only choice" the department head states

"My son will remain in the UWA till the boy wakes, he will be monitored, once he wakes one of two things can happen, either he meets another unfortunate accident drops any charges or you leave the UWA the choice is yours"

Jimmy's father states staring his son dead in the eye, Jimmy hesitates briefly before recalling he and his father's earlier conversation,

"This is my fault, for raising you so weak, this is a dog eat dog world son, the strong rule and the weak give way, we" he begins before pausing briefly, "we are not strong, so we do not use force, we are not smart so we do no tuse intellect, we are not rich so we do not use wealth, so tell me son?, how do you think i got here?, To a position of influence....of power?"

Jimmy falls silent unable to muster an appropriate answer,

Watching his son dally his frown etches deeper,

"By cheating"

Smiling lightly at his son's reply he remains unresponsive as the boy stares down at the floor pensively

"Cheating?.....is that what you call it?, This world has never been fair to begin with, it never will be, if you are not strong, nor smart, nor handsome or wealthy there really is only one choice left, to stoop till you conquer, become a vile worm if you must, but do whatever it may take, and to do that you must give an image that best benefit the role to ultimately achieve the goal, i've never been a hands on parent, you see i wanted you to be a better person than i am, i regret that, i should have known"

"Known what dad?" Jimmy inquires in confusion,

"You couldn't possibly ever be better than me, you're a spineless coward, A WORM and frankly" he states with a pause, "that is your strength", his father lifts himself from the chair opposite him before proceeding towards the exit

"Embrace it" he states in conclusion before finally exiting the room, Jimmy sits pondering over his fathers words as the realization slowly dawns on him...,(is there really any need for me to give excuses?....i know what i did....what I've done and what i need and am going to do, there's no need to lie anymore, dad is right, I'm a coward, that's why they treated me that way like i wasn't fit to be in their presence i crawled behind while they the stars shined, don't blame me too much Raven, it really isn't my fault.... That's right it's just.tge way of life!), Jimmy grins his eyes re-focus before matching his fathers stare up, while his mother berates him for giving him such a ludicrous choice,

"I refuse to leave the UWA father, i want to stay" Jimmy's heart swells as his father looks on at him proudly, nodding at him the smile seems ethereal existing then vanishing the next moment, excusing his mother, Jimmy watches as his mother exits reluctantly before asking the question that had been circling withing his mind

"Father why can't his next unfortunate 'accident' happen sometime soon?"

"She's late" looking at the phone screen Jay turns towards the store door combing through his hair one last time

"Jay...."

"Mayaa....." Jay trails off before looking at the two-year old child in her arms, "Maya, you're already a mother?"

"Jay!" Maya shouts hitting him on the arm

"It must've been hard" Jay states,

"Don't worry i'm ready to be a father"

Smacking him from the back of his head he continues his tirade while giving her a knowing nod,

"If you don't shut up i'm leaving" she states glaring at the brown haired boy

"Okay, so where'd you find her?",

"She got lost, based on her clothes it's obvious that it's been just a few minutes"

"Should we take her to the cops?"

"We both know they're useless Jay"

"Then let's just leave her at the lost and found post, picking up lost property is a crime" Jay states nodding lightly

"She's not an object!" Maya replies smacking him again, turning to the child Jay inspects it closely,

(What're you looking at?, go away you're ruining the date), "here fetch" he states throwing a piece of fry over the table, his head tilts forward from Maya's smack

"Jay!"

Jay leans towards the leaning girl as he brings his finger towards her cheek, freezing he turns to wash his hands before touching them,

Maya watches in mild amusement

"Why'd you wash your hands?"

"I don't want to pay for her hospital bills if she gets sick" he replies, he retracts his finger from the girls swipe, trying again he aims she aims for his finger trying to swat it away,

"We might just have to take her to the police" Maya states picking the brown black haired girl up, "let's go find your mama" she says smiling up at the little girl, Jay smiles lightly watching from the side before picking up the girl in a palm and bringing her towards him as she reaches out,

"your with me from now on kid, your too heavy for her"

"Hyaaa" the girl exclaims in reply flailing on top of his palm as she tries desperately to steady herself,

"here is that better?" Jay states as he brings his free arm in to support the girl, the trio continue their journey down the street when the baby girl exclaims pointing vehemently towards the store window beside Jay, turning Jay looks in through the display glass, the little girl points vehemently at the adult and infant pair of single leg sneakers kept on display to which Jay nods approvingly,

"You got any money?"

"Ga?"

"Jay!"

"We're going" the boy replies swerving away from Maya's outstretched hand, finally arriving at the station they're told to head over to the next to file a missing child report,

"You head back to the cafe and get some food, I'll take her to the next station" Maya states, Jay hands the girl to Maya but stares at the girl shocked when she refuses to let go of his finger, pulling his finger away gently she burst's into tears forcing Jay to pick her up again

heading towards the subway while Maya heads back towards the cafe instead, Jay gets inside the train watching the girl curiously, he stares at the baby girl pulling on his shirt button while attempting to suck on it,

"You can't eat that"

"What's her name?" A seated old lady inquires looking at the baby girl

Jay pauses for a second before replying,

"Jaya"

"Oh my that's a lovely name"

The two chat as Jay sets Jaya down allowing her to walk, swaying with every step she walks up to the train door which opens up abruptly as the train comes to a stop, the exiting crowd blocks him out following the last person closely he manages to get his fingers on the door stopping the closing doors with inches to spare, he groans in exertion steam circulates through and around his person as he forces the stubborn doors wide before jumping out of the now moving train, quickly recovering he looks up to find Jaya in a strangers arms,

"Hey!" Running up to her the woman hands him her phone, putting it against his ear he quickly retracts it in panic at the sheer volume of Maya's voice,

"STAY THERE!, I'm on my way"

"No need just go get some food, oh and get some for me"

"I. AM. ON. MY. WAY!." She seethes in repetition,

he thanks the lady before walking over to a seat on a bench while waiting for Maya to arrive.

"You're lucky i put my number in her pocket"

"I had it under control"

"You call jumping out of an already moving train control?"

".....yes", Maya stares speechless before exhaling in exasperation,

"we should get to the station, it's getting late"

"Yeah we should"

"Food first!" Jay replies, "c'mon" he states pulling Maya along with one hand while the other holds Jaya who remains enraptured with his shirt button, just over a kilometer later the two find themselves in a small family restaurant, passing Jaya back and forth they both take huge spoonfuls of the impossibility large plate of food,

"Jay! Tag in!" She replies after taking a huge spoon,

"I'm done! Switch!"

Watching from the side in amusement a woman seemingly in her forties stands behind the counter, beside her, her teenage daughter,

"You know they remind me of your dad and i" the woman behind the counter says

"Really?" Her teenage daughter responds

"Taking care of a child while barely being in our twenties, it was the toughest thing"

Once done Jay and Maya quickly make their way out of the family restaurant and towards the police station, upon arriving Maya makes her way to the stand while Jay takes a seat, after several minutes of inquiries and filling forms the female police officer thanks Maya profusely, she turns towards the duo, smiling deeply at Jay and Jaya's identical sleeping forms

"If I didn't know any better I'd think he was the dad" she states staring as Jaya leans sleeping on Jay's stomach while seated on his lap.

Bursting through the police station doors he hustles towards the police counter, speaking frantically

"I got information about a baby girl about two years old here?"

"Yes sir she's registered as..."

"That's my daughter!" He shouts pointing at Jaya who's being carried away by a medic

"I'll need to ask you some questions first, whats her..."

"Yenna!" His shout stirring the baby girl awake, her eyes seem to gaze with intellect before she calls out in reply instinctively

"papa!" The medic pauses turning towards the police office who nods before walking up towards him, Yenna stretches for him and he takes her from the medic's arms, almost immediately she begins fiddling with his top-most shirt button,

"Ahem. Sir your name?" The police woman inquires smiling brightly

"Nathan,....Nathan Smith".