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Jackson Pollock
1950
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THE AIR of the United States of America felt somehow strange and familiar to her. Mischa Blanche Graham was born in the land but lived her whole life in the United Kingdom, so returning to that country felt weirdly as a way to return back home.

The airport was crowded, busy, and the many faces she passed through could not care less about the new journey that begun before her eyes. The ride in the taxi was mostly silemt except for Jack's instructions.

"You can not tell your uncle a word about going to Quantico, do you hear me?" The old agent muttered as his apprentice nodded. "You know how close he is to your mother, of he discovers, she discovers, and by that means we are screwed." He concluded. "Keep up with the music student play pretend until you finish a solid year in the academy with honors, when you get there, we'll be able to convince Alice."

"And what if we don't?" Blanche turned to him as the taxi shaked through the streets of Baltimore.

"That's a risk we'll have to take."

...

"Get out of my house"

"It's our house now" Blanche smirked as she looked at her uncle with a sassy sparkle in her eyes. "And these are the bags you're gonna put in my room." She pointed with her finger to the baggage she had on her hands, teasing.

Colin Mallory, now almost on his 30's, lidted one of hid eyebrows and kept a straight face as lomg as he could before bursting into a laugh loud enough fot the meighbors to hear.

"Come here, your little troublemaker." He hugged Blanche a she embraced him back with a smile. "You kmow you're my favorite niece, right?"

"I'm your only niece."

"Same thing." He messed her hair as Blanche complained. Their relationship has always been like that, even distant, Colin always managed to visit her in London, finding time in his busy prosecutor  schedule in Baltimore to see both her and Alice, they'd tease, fight, but in the and, always stick for one another. Which is why it felt so wrong for Blanche to lie to her uncle Colin. "Jack." He spot the agent behind her and shook his hand. "Thanks for bringing her safely"

"Don't mention it, you're the one in charge now." Crawford stated with a simple smile.

"You come in and have some coffee? I bought some muffins-"

"Thanks kid, but I gotta get going, I have some matters to get resolved with." The old agent excused himself. "Please take care of that little troublemaker"

Colin smiled "Sure will, bye Jack"

Once Jack left, as Colin returned into his apartment, Blanche had already opened her bags, multiple items were scattered across the floor, from shirts to mementos of London, even a portrait her mother made of her when she graduated, and Blanche's personal favorite, the small portrait of her family when her father was still alive.

Her uncle stared at the picture for quite sometime in silence as she organized her belongings, his eyes watered with nostalgia and longing for Will Graham, the man who was so devoted to his sister and his daughter, the man who he looked up to when he was a child. It was hard for him to believe that he was gone, sometimes he'd catch himself reminiscing moments of childhood, when life seemed more simple, and then he'd have to face reality again and ignore the scars he had.

He inhaled a deep breath as he'd always do, and open up a smile, ready to brighten up the darkest of the days.

"So, excited to go to college?" He smirked as Blanche settled her compact keyboard by one side. "Funny, I know you're a good player, but never expected you to really want to pursue that career."

Blanche looked at him.a bit suspciously, as much as sbe loved her uncle, she couldn't admit the truth, neither allow him to discover it. "And what do you think I'd work at?"

"I don't kmow, something more...adventurous I guess." He tilted his head to the side. "You've never been one to be delicate, quiet and patient." He chuckled.

It was true, that girl gave her family a hard time. Blanche could be extremely smart when she was a kid...that didn't mean she'd use that smartness for good, she liked pulling pranks, running away from the house, and anything else she could do to make her mother crazy. Growing up wasn't much different, having friends anywhere she'd find, going to places, staying up late and worrying everybody...imagining her as a cultured, collected and serious pianist was beyond anyone's imagination.

"I grew up from that." She lied as she blew some dust from one of her snowglobes, this one with a huge Big Bang inside the glass structure. "Besides, I'm great at playing the piano."

Colin nodded silently, as he helped his niece finish unpacking, letting her mess up the spare room he had. He didn't mind when Alice asked him for her daughter to stay there, actually, he was mostly alone in that apartment, he didn't have much time anyway, living im baltimore and working on Virgina has always been a busy routine he liked, but it would be good to have someone around.

"So, how are you feeling? This is a big change for you, being in another country." He said. "Already missing brittish tea and polished accents?"

She chuckled at his words, finally sitting down with him by the edge of the bed. "Yeah, I mean, I miss it but it's good to create my own path you know?" She looked at him. "In London mom is very famous with her art...everybody expected me to follpw her steps...I think she did too, deep down." Blanche took in a deep breath.

"But you're not Alice, Blan." Colin gave a half smile. "You know, it's okay not to please your parents all the time." They chuckled. "I know that whatever you'll do, she'll be proud."

She nodded in silence as a poisonous feeling of guilt consumed her soul. Lying to her mother and her uncle would forever be hard, but she knew they wouldn't want her risking her life at the FBI, she knew tehy wouldn't want to suffer the risk of loosing her the same way they lost her father. So it was better to swallow the guilt.

"Why don't you take a break and explore the town?" Colin encouraged her. "I have some paperwork to finish and I know you'll be complaining about it most of the time-"

"So you'll just let me walk around in a strange town I have no idea where to go?" She laughed.

"We are not in the ice age, you have a GPS and I am friends with the cops."  The two chuckled. "Come on, I'm trying to be the cool uncle here."

She hugged him softly and quickly got up, gettung her purse and ready to explore the city. "You're the best!" She complimented.

"Just don't rob a bank or something, okay?"

She chuckled "Can't promise anything, bye!"

▫️

The streets were painted in yellow and maroon by the leaves that fell from the trees, Baltimore had that deep, fresh autumn air that filled her lungs mixed with pumpkin desserts being prepared by some distance.

The large coat and boots covered her from the cold, and her scarf was the only bright yellow dot in a grey crowd on a day of previous rain. Blanche Mischa Graham remained silent, watching the old and new constructions mixed in that strange new world developed before her eyes, burying her hands in her pockets as she walked dilligently.

She could see some Halloween decorations by some distance, and the traffic slower and calmer than her previous town. It was hard for her to believe she was born there, since she couldn't feel the sense of home in her veins.

And it was weird, weird to wonder that some time ago her mother wandered through those streets having a completely different life before she was born, that maybe in one of those streets she'd meet her father, that they'd share a coffee and hopefully have a dinner date.

She liked to imagine it was that way, that Will Graham was the sweetest and the most devoted of the husbands, who'd love Alice Mallory unconditionally, resulting in their creation, which was Blanche.

She walked so blankly that found herself wandering next to an old, abandoned residence. It was large as a mansion, and abandoned as if it was haunted. By the spider webs, dust and broken windows, it must've been ages, a decade maybe since someone entered it.

Her eyes fell onto the vandalistic paintings on the walls "CANNIBAL" or "MONSTER" were writter multiple times, shaming events she wasn't aware of, accuring her curiosity to what was the history of that residence.

There was something odd yet familiar that pulled her to it, she couldn't tell why.

Blanche was so immersed in her thoughts that barely noticed a bump against her shoulder, only when she heard a timid voice "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-"

She looked up to meet up a pair of aquamarine eyes staring into her hazel ones.m, a fragile smile across a place face with dimples.

"It's okay." She responded a bit lightheaded with a short grin. "I should've uh...looked around."

"And I should've paied more attention to where I'm going." He responded and they chuckled.

There was an awkward pause in silence, it was almost as if she could see clearly the blush across the boy's face, and that was honestely adorable to her.

"I'm Blanche. " She introduced herself impulsively, and cursed herself mentally after standing her hand to shake his, shake his hand, seriously?

He was a bit surprised, glancing at her hand before actually talking. "I'm Morgan." He responded, and finally shook her hand, the touch was soft and electrifying to them both.

"Sorry, Morgan?" She asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, Morgan Verger." He chuckled. "My moms were expecting a girl, but anyway." The two smiled to each other.

"It's unique, I like it." She said sweetly.

"Well, thanks, you're the first one. And that's counting with me." He said with humor.

The wind continued to blow and the leaves continued to fall, one of them even daring to land on her hair, making Blanche brush it away fastly, nervously as the butterflies in her stomach became even more agitated.

"Uhm..."He mumbked before speaking, as if he was thinking carefully about something. "Can I..."His eyes wandered through the ground. "Can I pay you a coffee?"

Oh, internally she was screaming.

"That would be great, yeah, sure." She nodded a bit with a soft smile.

"Really?" He asked surprised.

"Really."

"Oh...okay." He said shy, and she giggled. "Uh...shall we?"

▫️

It had started to rain outside, and Blanche decided to try for the first time a pumpkin spice latte. It was strangely good, and her reaction made Morgan laugh.

"So, I couldn't help but motice your accent...are you Brittish?"

She nodded. "Well, I was born here and lived in the USA until I was 3" she explained. "But I loved most of my life in London."

'"Wow." He nodded. "I traveled there once, it's beautiful." Blanche couldn't help but notice his polite manners and disrecte gestures, as if he was taught ettiquette sice young, it was quite charming and yet mysterious.  "How long are you planning to stay?"

"Until I graduate." She said, cleaning some remaining coffee above her lips. "I'm studying music at John Hopkins University..." after she said that, she realized, should she really lie to him? Start a relationship based in lies? Actually, it wasn't a relationship, she barely knew him. Maybe it was better not to tell the truth...for now.

"Oh really? That's incredible." Be said a bit excited. "What instrument do you play?"

"The piano."

"Wow!" He leaned forward a bit, his chin resting on his hand, as he admired himself with the many layers of the girl he had just met. "Me too. We should play a duet together someday."

"I knew it." She chuckled pointing to his hands. "Noticed it right away by how you held your keys."

He chuckled, as the life passed by outside the window. The sky was starting to become more grey and heavy, upcoming rain on a bright day.

"What's your favorite piece to play?"

Morgan looked down for a moment and she instantly wished for him to look up again, damnit those eyes were managing to hipnotize her so easily. "I'm mostly a Choin afficionado, so i might be biased to choose between one of his Études or Nocturnes..."He thought for a moment. "Perphaps the Prélude, opus 28, number 16 in B flat Minor."

"That's...intense" She smiled and nodded. "You're a fan of complex pieces then?"

He chuckled, showing those dimples again, those dimples! "Guilty as charged." He then leaned forward, his eyes sparkled against hers with interest. "What's your favorite piece to play?"

She felt a bit awkward to reply after his sophisticated answer. She fidgeted her fingers nervously above her lap. "Mr.Brightside..."She looked at him waiting for his reaction. "...by The Killers"

There was an embarrassing silent pause between them both, and that made Blanche want to curl up and die.

"It's that rock band right?" He suddenly said as she turned to him surprised. "I've heard about it..it goes like...um...open up my eagle eyes, cause i'm Mr.Brightside. Isn't it?"

"Yeah, that's it" She chuckled relieved in an enthusiastic tone.

"I'm not very much of a listener to rock, it's not that I don't like the genre, but I wouldn't know where to start." He gave a tiny mldest smile, tilting his head to the side as he warmed his hand on both sides of the coffee cup.

"If you ever feel up to the experience, I can always teach you." She trid to make a move and touched briefly his wrist.

Morgan looked up into her eyes, holding a gasp inside his throat as the smile across his face continued, the cheeks flushed the heart beating fast, it was almost as million sparks flew across him and everyhwere at once.

"I'd love that." He nodded.

"It's a deal then"

"It's a deal." The two finished their coffees. "So, a musician...I wish I was that excited for my classes in University."

"Why aren't you?" She tried to obtain at least some personal information from the charming stranger.

He adjusted his posture on his seat, as if the question made him uncomfortable. That movement made the small brownish caffee they were in a bit more silent, peaceful and yet unquiet. Blanche was almost at the edge of her seat as she waited for Morgan's answer, noticing the subtle movement of his jaw while his eyes reflected significant annoyance.

"I study bussiness, administration" He finally answered. "My family owns something related to that field and they want to pass it to me." He said in a more humble way to describe the empire he would inherit.

"Oh." She seemed a bot surprised by his response, having expected something much worse. "And you don't want it?"

Morgan seemed more indifferent and careless about the subject, like he didn't want to speak about it. "I'll have to see it once I have it." He shrugged his shoulders and looked at the window outside. "Maybe I'll love it, maybe I'll hate it." He looked back at her with the corner of his opaque blue eyes. "The heart wants what it wants"

Blanche only agreed quietly, maybe they were similar im more ways than she could imagine, both attempting keep appearances to please their families and attend to their wishes. She could spend hours talking with hi,m or maybe just looking at him, she was never good at having crushes and she knew that, but something about Morgan seemed absolutelt right.

Or maybe she was just high on at the new feeling of living a comepletely original life of her own that she'd fall for a stranger she had just met.

"But enough of me, you're much more interesting. "Morgan changed the topic. "Won't you miss England? I mean, you probabky have people there right? Family, friends...a partner maybe?"

She caught that signal almost immediatly, Morgan wasn't a good liar, she could notice it.

"My mom lives there." She responded. "I will definetely miss her, but i'll manage to visit her omce I have the chamce." Morgan nodded as he listened. "I'm also loving with my uncle, so I'm not so lonely...I have few friends there, but they all scattered around Europe too...and I don't really have a boyfriend." She replied this last word witha  delicate tone, leaving a hint in the air.

"I see." Morgan attempted to hide smile just as her. "Well that's...good to know, I mean, that you'll be comfortable here." She felt grateful for his sweetness. "And you're not alome now, if you ever ned something, you can ask me."

"That's very kind of you." Blanche complimented as his cheeks turned pink again. She was about to ask if he had someone as well, when suddenly the momentw as cut off bt his phone.

It wasn't personalized with "You Really Got Me" by the Kinks as her ringtone, buy a rather serious and average one, that rang in a steady rythm before he mumbled a sorry and picked up.

"Yes?" His edpression turned completely neutral as he heard the voice. "No." He daid with no emotion whatsoever. "I understand." He continued. "Yes...yes." He nodded finally. "I'll be there soon, good bye." His mood completely swang as he turned off the device into a soft and polite one. "I'm so sorry, I really must get going."

"Oh, it's all right, don't worry." Blanche gave a soft smile as he called the waiter. "Oh, let's split-" her eyes widened at the black card he took from his wallet as he paid the bill.

"I insist." He said as a true gentleman and escorted her outside.

Once outside, facing the yellow and orange trees stained with red, Blanche tried her best to say goodbye but also keep her contact with the lovely strangee she had just met.

"Uhm....could you give me your number, please?"  She smiled awkwardly not afraid to make the first move. "I mean it would be nice to, uh...chat...?"

"Of course." Morgan smiled back and fastly typed his number on her phone. "So, I...should get going..."He pointed to the direction he was going to, his posture showed clearly that he didn't want to elave so soon.

"Right...I...uh...it was nice to meet you." She smiled. "I'll uh..I'll text you later!" She gave a shy smile.

"Please do." He said sweetly. "I loved to meet you, Blanche. Let's see each other again soon." He said as he tapped her shoulder gently so he wouldn't embarrass her. "Bye"

"Bye!" She mumbled as he walked away, hipnotized until she saw his silhouette disappear in the horizon.

▫️

The end of the afternoon was marked by shades of peach and red marking a sunsent of her first day in america. That lovely show in the sky was a contrast to the grey part of earth she found herself in, as Blanche glanced at the name written on the gravestone:

"In memory of
Will Graham

A loving father and husband,
An honourable hero,
And a kind soul,

Rest in peace."

The confirmation of finally seeing where he was buried made her eyes water, it took her a deep breath to take in reality.

"Hi dad." She whispered softly, touching briefly the marble of the tombstone with her fingers. "I'm here." Blanche gave a bittersweet smile. "Sorry it took so long...mom never had the courage to come back, but I did." She sighed. "I'm here and...I know what I want to do." She could almost feel his presence there, the smell of dogs and oak, the beard that ticled her face and the smile that brightned up the sky. "And I know it's risky, I know I shouldn't lie...but I...I want to be like you." She confessed. "I want to save lives just like you, I want to honor you." She nodded comitted. "And I won't give up on it." She shook her head.

Some birds flew in the sky as Blanche admired them from afar, the peace and quietness of the graveyard sesmed almost ethereal, as if she was far away from that planet.

"You know...you never really made it to my birthday." She spoke with sadness, holding back the tears that could betray her at any moment. "But mom was there and....and she helped me. So thank you." She whispered. "For protecting her." Her eyes fell on the tombstone again. "I just wish I knew what happened." She could feel the salty liquid run through her cheek. "She wont answer me, Grandla Jack won't answer me..."She looked back at the sky. "Sometimes I catch myself thinking that you will come back home, that I wake up 3 years old again, and we'll get to share my birthday cake." She tried to laugh. "And get to see the present you talked so much about and yet I still don't know what it was." Her hand briefly caressed the tob of the stone. "I just want to know why..."She whispered defeated. "Please...just tell me."

But the only sound heard were the birds and the trees in the wind. Nothing else but the calm and sweet sound of death.

"I deserve to know." Her tone became more fierce and determined. "And that's what i'll do." She stepped away from the tombstone. "Watch it dad." She smirked with a hint of sadness. "I'll become the best agent after you, and I'll find out all about what happened." She took in a deep breath. "I'll make you proud of me."

If she closed her eyes long enough, she could almost feel his large hand holding hers, as he gave her that reassured comforting smile.

A soft buzz interrupted her moment, as she hlanced upon the screen of the devuce and read the following words.

"All settled. See you tomorrow, agent in training.
J.C"