Everything That Never Was - Marvel's Runaways

xii. what does this mean

After school Jules sat and waited by Chase's car.  She hadn't expected him for a couple more hours, but once again he surprised her.

"Why are you here?"  She asked as he approached the car.  She had herself propped against the driver side door, if he wanted to get in he was going to have to go through her.  "Don't you have practice?"

The boy shrugged, obviously troubled by something.  "I decided it was time for a change."

Jules did her best to hide her shock, though she wasn't sure how successful at it she was.  He had quit the team. 

"Oh god, Chase," Jules felt the blood drain from her face.  He had quit something he loved because of trouble she caused.  "Please, please tell me this isn't because of me."

Chase smiled.  She couldn't tell if it was a fake or real one, but it was a smile nonetheless.  "Relax, Ali," he replied smoothly, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her away from the door.  "Not everything has to do with you.  I just-- I just realized that there are things more important than throwing some balls around with a bunch of douchebags."

Jules studied his face, seeing that he really meant what he was saying.  She smiled.  Chase Stein had more sides to him than she ever knew, and really she wanted to learn more.

Without thinking, she threw her arms around the boy.  "Thank you for believing in me, Chase."

"Of course," was all he replied, wrapping his arms around her as well.  And the two just stood like that for a while.  Each of them seeming to hold in all of the other's problems with their arms.  And in his arms, Jules finally felt safe. She never wanted to let go, but she had to.

"So I came here with a purpose."  Jules stepped back from their embrace, focusing her gaze on the car behind Chase as she gathered her thoughts.  "I want to look more into your theory.  I think you're onto something."

The boy smiled smugly, enjoying being told that he was right.  "Alright, Ali," he shifted his weight so he was now leaning against his car, "tell me how you think we can do that."

"The public library."

Chase looked at her dumbfounded.

Jules just simply shook her head. "Let me explain.  Court documents and case files are public records, therefore, there's a good chance that they public library has some sort of file for them.  If we can figure out more about my father's case, maybe we can piece together what exactly happened that night, and maybe we can get a motive."

"Well then lets get going."

The pair was sitting at a computer in the Los Angles Public Library not even thirty minutes later.  Chase was researching on the internet, while Jules had any file she could find on the case sprawled out in front of her.  They had both agreed on figuring out all they could on their own, and then combining that information together.

It took less than an hour before Jules felt like she was about to literally explode from information overload.  Most if it she already knew from what the Wilders and others had told her, but there was some information that was very knew to her.

"Chase," she interrupted their search, but didn't dare remove her eyes from the paper.  "You will never believe what I just read.  My... my dad apparently tried to tell the police that the person who killed my mom was trying to hurt me.  Of course they took it as my dad was claiming my mom had tried to hurt me, but what if it was whoever else was there that night? What if they had tried to experiment on me or something and my parents fought back?"

"That would go with what your dad said," Chase agreed, his eyes still scanning the screen. "Here it says that there were burn marks on your mother's body, but wasn't she supposedly stabbed to death?"

Jules nodded, her eyes shifting over to the screen to read the same statement he had. "How'd they say she was burned?"

"That's it, they don't say anything other than that it was there."

Jules's grown deepened. "There are just so many holes in this case. I don't understand how my dad got indicted."

"One hell of a prosecutor, that's how."

A lightbulb went off in her head. "Chase, you're a genius." She shuffled through her papers looking for the name that stood out. "Who was the prosecutor on this case?"

Chase's eyes scanned the screen, finding the answer much faster than she did. "Oh my god."

Jules stopped dead in her tracks. "Chase, who was it?"

"Catherine Wilder."

A/N
This may be the last update for a while :(
I'm taking a class next semester called Literature for Adolescents and I'm super excited for it, but it's going to involve me reading a new book every week.  So I'll try to write as often as I can, but it definitely won't be as consistent. 

Also 9k reads!?! This is crazy!! I'm so thankful for all of you who stop by to read what happens to Jules every chapter.  You all inspire me to continue writing.  Please keep reading, liking and sharing!

Love you all so much!
Till we meet again,
Kate