My Dear Birdie

Chapter one: grandpa's death

A/N: any tws needed will be put but if I miss any please let me know also if you notice a switch between mom and mum in this or any chapter sorry I'm English lol

TW: Death but nothing brutal what I write is similar to the movie :)

I will never forget that day. That day that changed me and my brother's lives forever.

Jake and I were at work when our supervisor approached us and said,
"Y/n, Jake phone for you two."
So we went into the break room and answered the phone and tried to calm our grandfather down we both hated hearing him in such a state where he would say things like,
"I don't know how they found me after all these years but they did. What am I supposed to fight them with the goddamn butter knife!"
That specific statement was in response to Jake saying that our dad had taken the key to his gun draw since we all agreed that our grandpa having access to a gun draw while having Alzheimer's wasn't the best idea. So we got a ride with our supervisor and went down to our grandpa's retirement place, where we knocked on the door a few times before I fished the spare key I was given out of my pocket and opened the door where we entered the house, and it was a mess. A pure and utter mess. Everything was knocked over his world map was on ripped off the wall and papers were everywhere we walked about calling out for our grandpa before we saw that the screen door had been scratched down I notice Jake place a hand on his stomach,
"Jake bro you alright there?"
I asked putting my arm around his shoulder, pulling him into me he pushed himself away from me gently scoffing I rolled my eyes because no matter how old we get I'm his big sister I have to look out for him.

"I'm fine y/n just feel sick."
My brother retorts we carry on walking when we notice a torch and that the fence had been broken down. Jake picked up the torch and I called out for grandpa again but still no reply so we walked into the woods and into a clearing. Jake started to hover back and to be honest even I was terrified and then we saw him. We ran towards him when we saw he was lying on the ground Jake turned him over and he didn't have his eyes I quickly called an ambulance as Jake was speaking to him I didn't hear much all I overheard was,
"The bird will explain everything get to the loop September 3rd 1943 I should have told you two years ago."
Then it was silence I felt my stomach churn and I turned away from the sight and puked, tears pricked at my eyes and I then heard my brother repeating my name and pointing at nothing but he was clearly terrified.

I placed a hand on Jake's shoulder stepping in front of him, Jake hid behind me slightly as I tried to look intimidating whatever hurt my grandpa wasn't going to take us to. We stood until Jake said,
"It's gone! the thing is gone?"
In a puzzled tone, I nodded silently thanking god as I heard the sirens down the street but I knew they couldn't revive grandpa so me and Jake sat in the back of our dad's car. On the way back he was emotionless and I was as well but I felt hollowed out like a gutted fish and Jake, the poor thing couldn't stop crying when we got home he went and hid in his room for the rest of the night I was sat with my mom and dad on the couch crying as my mom hugged me my dad patting me on the shoulder every so often he wasn't the best at emotions. The next few weeks were hell we both went to an endless amount of therapy the woman's name was Dr Golan I hated her I hated speaking to her I hated talking about grandpa I just hated therapy as a whole. Jake is very hung up on what grandpa said to him he's convinced it has meaning but it was most likely a shock response, but here we were me, mom, dad and Jake sitting in Golan's office Jake was trying to convince our parents to take him to Wales I wasn't really listening I was more focused on the clock I bounced my leg uncontrollably as I prayed for the session to be up the sessions made me feel sick and quite embarrassedly I always want to cry during therapy but I hear her talking about Wales so I pipe in,
"Look here's an idea, if mom and dad pay I can take Jake to Wales I'm fresh out of college and I got the time!"
I say this hoping the conversation will be cut short and we can go home mom sighs but agrees to the idea and dad nods silently and thankfully we leave and we're in the car home and dad brings up work and me and Jake call up separately and get 2 weeks off.

So a few days later me and Jake are on a ferry crossing a channel to get to the island Clairholm and we spot a Peregrine falcon I quickly point it out to Jake as I inherited our father's love for birds,
"Peregrine? Like the headmistress from grandpa's stories!"
I stare at him for a moment forgetting what he was talking about until I remember I was 6 Jake was on the way and grandpa was babysitting me,

"And the headmistress Miss Peregrine-"
He began before 6-year-old me decides to interrupt
"Like the bird?"
I asked excitedly he nodded
"Like the bird and as I was saying the headmistress, Miss Peregrine, she could fly and she could turn into a bird oh she would have loved you my little Motyl, but now time for bed!"

Sighing happily at the memory I say,
"You know that must of been where grandpa got the idea of Miss Peregrine."
Jake stares at me and I stare back at him I can see an idea forming in his head.

"Or maybe that's really her!"
He exclaims before cupping his hands around his mouth and yelling,
"Hey Miss Peregrine it's us Jake and Y/n Portman we're Abe Portman's grandkids please don't crap on us!"
I burst out laughing shaking my head at my baby brother's antics as we approach the shoreline for Clairholm...

A/n: Motyl is polish for butterfly if that is incorrect I am sorry I used google translate but if you do know the correct word please let me know I will post a new chapter every sunday