Tangeh
Well-Known Member
Jared Caswell
The Institute – Dining Room (West Wing)
Jared sipped at his tea as he listened to his siblings express confusion and doubt over the dog. Nobody else claimed to have seen it, and June even insisted that made no sense, as Renata was allergic to dogs and strictly prohibited them. That made sense, but Jared had seen it with his own eyes... right? Or... maybe he was just overtired...? No, the others heard strange noises – it had to have been a dog. Ginny asked what else it could have been, and Jared didn't have time to reiterate his certainty on the matter before another staff member arrived on scene and marched up to June. Jared faintly recognized him, but didn't remember his name until June asked if “Pedro” had a message.
He did – that the solicitors were here to discuss the wills. Jared let out a slow breath. This should have some sense of finality to it – the will, what they were all here for... right?
...So then why did Jared feel that this was only the start of something deeper? The answers he craved were surely hidden somewhere other than in the middle of legal jargon and the final wishes of three people who had never loved him. This was nothing more than a necessary formality, and he honestly wanted nothing to do with it.
June interrupted Pedro as he mentioned something had happened to Priya – a name Jared recognized from Lucas's letters. More secrets. Jared took more beans and toast. Maybe it would settle the ache that was settling in his stomach.
A gentle nudge caused Jared to turn. There had always been something about Lyn's smile that was contagious in the worst of times, and Jared smiled back at her. She apologized for disappearing, asked Jared how he'd slept, and then in a hushed whisper asked what June and Pedro were talking about. Jared hesitated, his eyes flicking to June, then he whispered back at Lyn, “dog in here somewhere, Lucas had a lover, and a kid, we think – found letters last night.” He kept his stare neutral, innocent, although maybe it would be easier just to come clean about what they already knew. He'd rather not upset June in front of everybody, otherwise he would.
He probably should have filled in Cameron too, as he loudly questioned what June and Pedro were trying to hide and then ran out of the room to get changed. Jared overheard Morgan asking Ginny if they could all share contact information with each other. Twelve years later... and Ginny agreed lightheartedly, even suggesting they could meet her daughter. Ginny's daughter – Jared's niece. The faces around Jared had aged, changed, maybe scarred, but not broken. A reminder of a nightmare that only the twelve of them – nine of them – eight of them? - would ever be able to relate to.
He had needed to get away to heal, and his birth status provided his furthest option in India. If any of them had wanted to, they could have gotten his contact information years ago. He hadn't changed this P.O. Box since the day he gave the information to Lilith – if any of his siblings needed him he couldn't risk closing it, even if he couldn't afford the rupees to mail them his information himself.
He'd only ever heard from Lilith.
“Wait.”
June's voice snapped Jared out of his thoughts. She looked over each of them as if weighing a heavy decision, then sighed and confirmed what the letters from last night suggested. That Priya was Lucas's partner – practically his wife, though their parents had hidden this from the media. Jared couldn't stop a grimace. Not only that, but they'd brought a child into the world together, who – as far as June knew – was still living with her maternal grandparents. Priya had passed away two years ago from an unknown illness. Jared's heart ached at the story – partly because it was a story that could have applied to any of them had they obediently stayed under the iron rule of Matthew and Renata.
The Parlour
After dropping that bombshell on them, Pedro led the somber group of siblings into the parlour. Jared was always strictly forbidden from entering it – he supposed they were all discouraged from it, but there must have been something in here Matthew desperately did not want decimated. He looked around the room for the first time – ah, an expensive alcohol cabinet. Well, that explained it. Jared mused over whether his siblings had ever snuck anything from it under Matthew's nose. The only one of them brave enough to that would have been -
“Gale?”
Jared blinked, not trusting his eyes. Gale was leisurely sprawled on the sofa, sipping straight from one of Matthew's prized bottles. Relief washed over him. He hadn't realized how worried about Gale he had been. He almost laughed. Instead, the corner of his mouth twitched into a grin. Even now, Gale made him feel safe – the only one who would stand up for him, who would stand up against their parents.
...So why was she here?
The Institute – Dining Room (West Wing)
Jared sipped at his tea as he listened to his siblings express confusion and doubt over the dog. Nobody else claimed to have seen it, and June even insisted that made no sense, as Renata was allergic to dogs and strictly prohibited them. That made sense, but Jared had seen it with his own eyes... right? Or... maybe he was just overtired...? No, the others heard strange noises – it had to have been a dog. Ginny asked what else it could have been, and Jared didn't have time to reiterate his certainty on the matter before another staff member arrived on scene and marched up to June. Jared faintly recognized him, but didn't remember his name until June asked if “Pedro” had a message.
He did – that the solicitors were here to discuss the wills. Jared let out a slow breath. This should have some sense of finality to it – the will, what they were all here for... right?
...So then why did Jared feel that this was only the start of something deeper? The answers he craved were surely hidden somewhere other than in the middle of legal jargon and the final wishes of three people who had never loved him. This was nothing more than a necessary formality, and he honestly wanted nothing to do with it.
June interrupted Pedro as he mentioned something had happened to Priya – a name Jared recognized from Lucas's letters. More secrets. Jared took more beans and toast. Maybe it would settle the ache that was settling in his stomach.
A gentle nudge caused Jared to turn. There had always been something about Lyn's smile that was contagious in the worst of times, and Jared smiled back at her. She apologized for disappearing, asked Jared how he'd slept, and then in a hushed whisper asked what June and Pedro were talking about. Jared hesitated, his eyes flicking to June, then he whispered back at Lyn, “dog in here somewhere, Lucas had a lover, and a kid, we think – found letters last night.” He kept his stare neutral, innocent, although maybe it would be easier just to come clean about what they already knew. He'd rather not upset June in front of everybody, otherwise he would.
He probably should have filled in Cameron too, as he loudly questioned what June and Pedro were trying to hide and then ran out of the room to get changed. Jared overheard Morgan asking Ginny if they could all share contact information with each other. Twelve years later... and Ginny agreed lightheartedly, even suggesting they could meet her daughter. Ginny's daughter – Jared's niece. The faces around Jared had aged, changed, maybe scarred, but not broken. A reminder of a nightmare that only the twelve of them – nine of them – eight of them? - would ever be able to relate to.
He had needed to get away to heal, and his birth status provided his furthest option in India. If any of them had wanted to, they could have gotten his contact information years ago. He hadn't changed this P.O. Box since the day he gave the information to Lilith – if any of his siblings needed him he couldn't risk closing it, even if he couldn't afford the rupees to mail them his information himself.
He'd only ever heard from Lilith.
“Wait.”
June's voice snapped Jared out of his thoughts. She looked over each of them as if weighing a heavy decision, then sighed and confirmed what the letters from last night suggested. That Priya was Lucas's partner – practically his wife, though their parents had hidden this from the media. Jared couldn't stop a grimace. Not only that, but they'd brought a child into the world together, who – as far as June knew – was still living with her maternal grandparents. Priya had passed away two years ago from an unknown illness. Jared's heart ached at the story – partly because it was a story that could have applied to any of them had they obediently stayed under the iron rule of Matthew and Renata.
The Parlour
After dropping that bombshell on them, Pedro led the somber group of siblings into the parlour. Jared was always strictly forbidden from entering it – he supposed they were all discouraged from it, but there must have been something in here Matthew desperately did not want decimated. He looked around the room for the first time – ah, an expensive alcohol cabinet. Well, that explained it. Jared mused over whether his siblings had ever snuck anything from it under Matthew's nose. The only one of them brave enough to that would have been -
“Gale?”
Jared blinked, not trusting his eyes. Gale was leisurely sprawled on the sofa, sipping straight from one of Matthew's prized bottles. Relief washed over him. He hadn't realized how worried about Gale he had been. He almost laughed. Instead, the corner of his mouth twitched into a grin. Even now, Gale made him feel safe – the only one who would stand up for him, who would stand up against their parents.
...So why was she here?
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