More Than Starlight (Lady Midnight Julian + Emma)

Chapter 4 - Secrets Untold

Livvy and Ty were typing furiously at the computer, trying to find out what B-T-C could stand for. Was it an acronym?

"Business Training Center? None of this makes sense." Ty was fiddling with one of his pipe cleaner toys that occupied his hands while his mind raced. He couldn't make sense of it and it was frustrating. Livvy was the same way, she kept trying to figure out what it could mean, if it meant anything at all.

"Maybe the murderer just can't spell? Or has really bad handwriting." She furrowed her eyebrows together in confusion, trying to figure out something, anything they could use. They had all come straight to the computer room when they got back. Cristina had sat on one of the stools, Ty at the computer desk with Livvy sitting on top of the desk itself, Dru reading to Tavvy in the corner, Mark sitting close to Emma with Julian leaning against the wall on the other side of the room.

"I really don't think their penmanship is the top of our priorities right now, Liv." Julian's voice no longer sounded bitter, just exhausted and frustrated. He hadn't spoken to Emma since breakfast and it was killing her. She could feel an ache in her chest from not talking to him. It wasn't just her feelings for him, she knew that was her fault. She had ruined that. But Jules was her best friend and had been for as long as she could remember. He was her parabatai and her other half, without him she felt incomplete. She had pushed him too far, her fear of the parabatai curse had completely destroyed the best thing she ever had. Julian.

"How about we take a break from this, it's stressing everyone out. I'll call Diego in the morning and see what his resources in the Scholomance say. Maybe that will help." Cristina had stood up and brushed off her pants. She had a good point. They were going in circles and getting nowhere, whereas Diego had some of the best resources out there that could help them. Although Emma was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to tell them. "I'll order Chinese, sound good?"

"She's right, it's nearly 8:00. We've been at this for hours and nothing is getting accomplished. We could all use some food," Julian stood up and went over to Tavvy who extended his arms towards him asking to be picked up. He grabbed the boy and lifted him up onto his hip, holding him there with one arm, "And someone needs to go to bed soon." Julian smiled for the first time all day and Emma let out a sigh of relief. She didn't know if it was a genuine smile or purely the front he put up for his younger siblings to stay strong. Regardless, it was more than he had tried previously and she was grateful. They all got up and stretched out, each heading off into their own direction.

Ty walked down the hallway and knocked on the door of room 24. After a few moments of muted scuffling the door opened up a crack, one blue eye looking out from the inside.

"What do you want, Tiberius?" Kit asked, not moving or opening the door any further.

"I wanted to see if you needed anything to eat or drink, or-" Ty paused for a moment, continuing in a softer voice, "Or if you wanted to talk."

Kit scoffed, "I don't want to talk to any of you. I want to talk to my father but I can't because he's dead." His voice wasn't angry, simply devoid of any emotion.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I lost my father too, 5 years ago-" Ty began when the door slammed shut. Ty's heart fell, the boy hated him. He just wanted to help, but he had a feeling he was making things worse. Instead of leaving, he simply leaned back on the door and slid to the floor continuing to talk, "My father died when I was 10. I watched him die, and it was one of the worst things of my life. I know what it's like. To remember everything I would be doing with him. He used to take me down to the beach and show me the best places to find shells. He would show me how to skip rocks and how to ride the waves on my stomach as they crashed into the shore. He gave me and Livvy walkie talkies even though we weren't supposed to have them so that we could talk from different places in the house. And now all of that seems like a dream, not a memory. It's hard to imagine those moments with someone who doesn't exist anymore. But he didn't exist when he died either," His voice cracked, a silent tear sliding down his cheek, "Sebastian Morgenstern, if you've heard of him, killed my father long before his body was gone. I didn't understand it then, but I do now. I know you may hate us, but I only want to help. And Julian, Julian is like a father to all of us. And he shouldn't have to be but he is, and I know he would do the same for you. If you just let him. Please." Ty fell silent, waiting for a response. He heard nothing, but felt the door open behind him, causing him to fall backwards into the room.