A Father's Tale.

8:00 AM (GMT8)

A new morning, a new day. The sound of birds chirping was relaxing through the air. All the while palm trees sways with the passing wind. Cars speeding down heavily flooded streets, people walking past with their own daily lives. The sound of her own area's busy life, it was music to her ears once more.

Countless times she listened to the world moving around her. In the comfort of her condo, a cup of coffee brewed to her exact taste– Two sugars, skim milk mixed in.

Here she sat, legs crossed in her pajamas still. Black hair pulled up into a messy bun with the strands loosely following onto either side. Wrapped in a warm blanket, laptop sitting in between her legs. All the while the news plays in the background, in clear view with the piles of files on her glass table.

She takes a sip of the coffee, bringing it to her bare lips. Relishing in the beautiful taste of sugar and sweetness, warmth sliding down her throat as she sighs. Enjoying the taste on the base of her tongue, she places her cup down.

"A long relaxing day needed.. I've got my knees up in case files." Amelia scratches at her head, before letting out a long sigh.

Taking a moment she picks up one of the nearest files, opening it beside her on the couch's cushions. Examining the documents inside, her eyes scrunch at the words. Realizing she had forgotten to put on her reading glasses, she leans in front of her to grab them off of the table. Readjusting to then place them on her nose, rereading the contents.

"I have to get back to the agency soon.. My leave has gone on for too long." Although she enjoyed the rest, she knew there was a position waiting for her. Amelia didn't have time to relax as others did, as this moment was fleeting in her line of work.

Before being able to dive into her case files, there's a knock on the front door. Her head looks into the direction of the noise, pushing her laptop off of her lap and onto the couch. The sudden noise at her door has her eyebrows raised, wrapping the soft blanket around her shoulders and leaving her seat.

Walking towards the door, the knocking continues. Sounding frantic on the other side of thin pieces of wood, which had her mind wandering as to who it could be. There was no phone call as to someone's arrival, nor was there any conscientious of a visitor approaching.

"Who could be knocking at my door.." She whispers to herself, reaching for the doorknob. There's a pause in her moment for a moment, looking down at her hand wrapped around the metal.

With a light squeeze around the cold surface, she turned the knob to open the front door. On the other side stood her father. Dressed in a casual white t-shirt, button up jeans, a belt to keep his pants up, and large combat boots. Amelia's face instantly pulls in a smile at the sight of her father in her doorway.

Until she sees the look on his face. There was no smile on her old man's face, only a worried and frantic expression. His caramel and green eyes quickly looked from side to side of his surroundings– Of the inside of her home. The look on his face has her smile quickly fading.

"Dad? What are you doing–" He doesn't answer her, pushing himself past her and letting himself into her home. Amelia's eyes widen, quickly turning on her heels to follow him. Using her foot to push the door closed.

The young woman watches as her father looks quickly around her living room. Even peeking himself into the further hallways that lead to her bedroom, before diving into the kitchen. With each step he takes, she follows. Mouth gaped open trying to find the words to ask her father.

Amelia had never seen him look so worried, not in a very long time. Watching as he peaked in every room, checked every closed door, until there was nothing left to search. Standing in her living room, looking back to his daughter with a serious stare.

"Is Dallas here." Charlie speaks with an iron tone, Amelia stepping closer to her dad in confusion.

She shakes her head, "No, dad what's going on with–"

Charlie puts a finger in front of her lips, silencing her in an instant. Amelia looks between his finger, and his eyes. "Amelia, please listen to me." With his request, she nods silently.

Silence falls between the two, Charlie pulling his finger from his lips. Grabbing onto his daughter's shoulders covered in the blanket. Staring down at her, his grip mighty on her muscles. She could feel the strain in his grip, there was something terribly wrong. Something was bothering him, attacking his every thought even when his stare held down on her.

"Please, I have to talk to you. It's important. No funny business." The iron tone turns into one laced with worry, cracks in his words are evident as Amelia listens to his plea.

"Dad, what's going on?"

Charlie takes a deep breath, eyes fluttering shut before opening once more. Eyebrows furrowing over his eyes, he starts. "You are not to trust Dallas. Whatever you do, keep your guard up around him."

Her eyes widened, her heart beginning to beat faster in her chest. Yet when he says it, Amelia slightly laughs. A free hand grabbing onto her father's wrist. Amelia trusted Dallas with her life, there was nothing distrustful about him. A responsible man who cared about his word, kind in his personal life, he was everything that she had ever wanted. The walls she had let down were never going to be back up again with him– He had changed that piece of her forever.

Amelia shakes her head, "Not trust Dallas, what is making you say this?"

"Brenden knows information that makes Dallas a dangerous, dangerous man." That has her laughter halting, bringing her shocked expression back onto her face at her father's words.

Brenden was in Los Angeles, and she knew nothing about it? More importantly, her father had known he was here all this time and had hidden it. Brenden was the reason for Luca's execution, he was the one who had pushed the case in the wrong direction. Now here her father was, taking advice from the man who had been wrong once before.

A faulty cop, just wanting to close a case for a quota. Not for the safety of others, the innocence of one man. So many others would have lived if not for that rushed close, that fatal mistake.

Yet with the pained look in her father's eyes, Amelia can't help the sliver of guilt not believing her father's words. Charlie was an intelligent man, hardly giving his trust to anyone. Brenden and Charlie had history years before she was born– The two men trusted each other with their lives. There was no doubt her father would believe the words hanging off of the other's lips if it pertained to her.

"Honey, you must be on your guard." Charlie pleas, Amelia pulling his hands gently off of her shoulders.

Amelia shakes her head, pulling the blanket off of her shoulders and tossing it off to the side of the couch. "Dad, dad I don't understand." She gestures with her hands to him, "What's happened?"

Once more there's silence, lasting longer than she would like. Staring at one another, and yet the other doesn't move an inch. Charlie's eyes seem to be searching her, trying to find the best way to get out the words he is trying to say. On the other side of the coin, Amelia waits anxiously. Heart racing in her chest, body temperature rising at the lingering silence that pulls against her.

The unknown was the worst thing to her, Amelia was used to knowing everything involving herself. Catching her in the position of weakness did not make her feel good. It was supposed to be a relaxing day, a day before she had to go back to the chaos that was her career. What could be the reason as to not trust her partner in life?

She didn't know, nor did she truly want to know the answer. Not after the night before spent making love in the hallway only a few feet from where they stood. Becoming one with the man she had always dreamt about as a little girl. Only to now be told there should be no trust between the two, something was amiss in the picture of her lover.

The perfect man was supposedly not so perfect anymore.