A/N: I'm so happy to be writing this story again. However expect shorter chapters, Shorter chapters means I can update more frequently (At least thats the plan) Enjoy!

𝓘 𝓪𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓫𝓸𝓭𝔂'𝓼 𝔀𝓪𝓽𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓶𝓮𝓐𝓷𝓭 𝓘 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓷𝓸 𝓹𝓻𝓲𝓿𝓪𝓬𝔂 𝓘 𝓪𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓫𝓸𝓭𝔂'𝓼 𝔀𝓪𝓽𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓶𝓮𝓦𝓱𝓸'𝓼 𝓹𝓵𝓪𝔂𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓻𝓲𝓬𝓴𝓼 𝓸𝓷 𝓶𝓮?

Killian

It was the first day back at school after spring break and I already had a bloody migraine. The students were all riled up excited to be back with all of their friends talking about all of the fun things they did over break to the point where I gave up trying to tame the chaos and just gave everyone a free day.

So, when it came time for Blaire's class, and I announced that they could either choose between a movie or just chatting quietly amongst each other, Blaire looked at me like I had lost my last damn marble, and maybe... I had. But I'd blame it on the migraine.

"Can it be any movie?" Blaire asked. I could see that she was trying to get the rest of the class to go along with the movie idea so I could shut the lights out. I don't know why it surprised me; she was always able to read me like her favorite murder mystery.

I narrowed my eyes.
"As long as it is something that wont get me into trouble if Principal Mills comes by...aye."
Blaire grinned and opened her backpack and pulled out a huge zipper binder full of DVDs.
"Miss Nolan do you just lug that thing around with you every day in hopes for a movie day?" I asked.
"Well.. I like to be prepared." Blaire shrugged. Blaire passed the binder around the room and I wasn't even surprised when the entire class picked The Lion King. I wasn't amused with it either.
"Oi.." I mumbled and rubbed my temples. "Just remember this is not a sing a long and if you feel compelled to sing, do it quietly." I took the DVD and put it in my computer so it could play on the smartboard.
"Miss Nolan the lights if you would please." I said.
Blaire walked over to the lightswitch by the door and flipped the switch and then walked back over to her desk and sat down.

Blaire waited at least 15 minutes before she pulled out her phone and started texting, and just a second later when I heard my phone vibrate in my desk. I discreetly opened my desk and pulled my phone out to look.

B🦇:
Are you good? A free day after a break is not like you at all..

Me:
I'm good. Just a migraine.

B🦇:
Are you sure?

Me:
Positive. Don't worry about it just watch the movie

Blaire looked at me with a skeptical frown but she put her phone away and went back to watching the movie.

When the bell rang mostly everyone got up and left but Blaire was taking her time with it. I mentally cringed knowing I was going to have to be short with her because if I kept her in here alone for too long..I wouldn't be able to stop myself from doing what I've wanted to do since we broke the relationship off which was hold her, kiss her, tell her how much I love her. But.. I couldn't. I had to be the one with the morals, it was my job as a teacher and I never should have crossed the line.

Blaire approached my desk with a small smile.
"Miss Nolan.." I said. The smile instantly turned into a frown. I looked down unable to look at her face. "You need to be getting to class."
"I just wanted to check on you Kill-"
I cut her off sharply.
"Its Mr. Jones."
Blaire swallowed hard as if she was swallowing a lump and her eyes welled up a little.
"Sorry. Mr. Jones.. I won't bother you again." She said and turned away and walked out of the classroom leaving me in deafening solitude.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blaire

After school, Emma and I were at the police station waiting on David. Mary Margaret was off at some home economics teachers convention so David asked me and Emma to meet him at the station after school and we'd go out to eat. We were in David's office. He was out in the lobby area taking a statement from someone about a stolen vehicle.

Emma was trying to hurry and look up the phone number that Milo had given me in Portland. Whoever was messing with me had gone to extraordinary lengths to tangle people in my life in this wicked web of his and it always felt like wherever I was.. He wasn't too far behind.
Emma huffed frustrated with technology.
"Well, this is a first. I can't pull anything up on this number."

"Damn.." I sighed. "Why is it when I think I'm 1 step ahead, This son of a bitch knocks me three steps back."
"Whoever it is is very clever and knows how to work around the police which means he is very dangerous Blaire." Emma said. "I'm still with you, but I still really think you need to bring this to my Dad. I mean this guy has been stalking you for a long time. He knows your every move and he knows a lot about the people around you too."
"I'm so close I can feel it Em. In fact...when we get home from dinner, meet me in my room I have something to show you."
"Are you calling an official meeting with Will too?" Emma asked.
"Will is working tonight..." I said.
"Well we can go there? Don't you think he if you are close to finding out who did this he should be involved too?" Emma asked.

I sighed heavily.
"Will...unbeknownst to him, is on my suspect list." I frowned.
"Wait.. what? Will Scarlet is on your suspect list? That's impossible. Will has been here since we were kids. He couldn't have possibly gone to Oregon to Kill your mother."
"Well...what if the person who did kill my mother is not working alone?" I asked. "You remember when I was babysitting Mr. J.s son Bastian?"
"Yeah. I thought you said that went well." Emma said.
"Well that's because when I was asked about it it was by your mother and I couldn't very well tell her that my stalker sent me a text from outside of Mr. J.s house with a picture of me and Bastian in the living room playing with Legos, and then I get up to go outside to see if I can see whoever it was and he snuck in through the back door and took Bastian down to the basement to play hide and seek."
"Holy shit! Blaire! This is insane!" Emma hissed.

"So I go back in the house to look for Bastian the lights are all off, the basement door is slightly open so I go down and Bastian jumps out to scare me. I take Bastian back up the stairs and from the kitchen I see someone pass in front of the door.... So I hide with Bastian and a knife ready to use.... it and he gets to the kitchen. I flip on the light and stab an O'Malley's pizza box that Will was using to protect his face.

We managed to convince Bastian that we were just playing extreme hide and seek as I was getting him ready for bed, he asked me why I didn't have my special hide and seek shoes on. I was confused and asked him what I meant and he said that the man with the mask who took him down to the basement, and Will who delivered our pizza at a very..convenient time were wearing the same boots." I explained and then I took a breath.

Emma shook her head.
"Look. I know Will. Are we best friends like you and Him? No. We can barely tolerate each other. But I know him, Blaire. There is no way he would ever do this to someone he cares about and he cares about you so much."
"I understand where you are coming from Em, but with everything thats happening...I have to be really careful about who I trust and what I'm going to show you later is one of those things that I can't bring myself to show someone who I think might be working with this psycho." I sighed.
"I guess I understand, you haven't been here that long and since you got here all this crazy stuff has happened it would be hard to trust." Emma said.

David walked into his office suddenly Emma quickly closed out the software on his computer and smiled at him.
"Sorry girls, that took longer than expected." David said and then looked at us and raised an eyebrow. "You two look..guilty." He said. "What's up?" He asked and put his hands on his hips with that tired dad of two teenage girls power stance.
"We can't tell you. Top secret birthday plans." I said.
"My birthday is next month." David said.
"Exactly we need time to prepare top secret birthday plans."
"Are you two planning a party for me?" He asked with a sly smile.

"Damn you caught us." I said and snapped my fingers. "Just pretend to be surprised and we won't tell Aunt Mary-Margaret you found out about it."
David chuckled.
"Deal." He said. "Alright so where do you girls want to eat tonight?" He asked.
"My vote is Miquels. I want queso." I said.
"Ooo Yes a burrito sounds so good right now." Emma agreed.
"Then Miquel's it is." David chuckled.


—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Miquel's was busy so we were on our second basket of chips and almost through the large queso between me and Emma.
"Do they not feed you at school?" David chuckled.
"If you call what they feed us at school food.." I said. "Come eat lunch with us one day you'll see what I mean. We are deprived of flavor so when we see chips and queso we attack it like animals."
"We need more queso." Emma frowned.
"I'll go ask if they have a bucket size." David chuckled.
"Will you??" I asked with a grin.
"No." David said "That was a joke."
"Aww." I pouted.

The food came to the table and David sighed in relief.
"Thank you, I thought these two were going to start chewing on me." David smirked.
"Just because Emma and I finally found a show we love to watch together and it involves very hungry teenage girls that resort to cannibalism doesn't mean we are cannibals uncle Dave." I said and started digging into my burrito.

David looked at the monster sized Burrito I ordered.
"Is that the burrito you always get?" David asked.
"Yup. I always eat half of it, and say I'll eat the other half tomorrow, but I usually end up coming downstairs at 3AM like a trash panda and eating the second half not even microwaved just straight from the styrofoam box like a gremlin." I replied.
"Technically that is the next day." Emma shrugged.
"See. thats why we keep you around. You're the brains." I said.
"And what does that make you?" Emma asked with a raised eyebrow.
" The Comic relief." I shrugged.

"So girls, how was the first day back after spring break?" David asked while we ate.
"Depressing." I said.
"Weird. Mr. Jones gave us the option to either watch a movie or talk quietly with each other. He hasn't done that...well ever." Emma said.
"Well there is a full moon tonight. I know that at the station things get crazy during a full moon. Maybe that explains it." David said.
"Maybe." Emma said.
"Today just didn't feel real." I added.
"Yeah that's usually the general feeling after a trip to Disney though, think of it as Disney jet lag." David chuckled.
"I really hate to say it but I miss the whimsical." I said.
"Well, there will be plenty of trips to come. Just because you and Em are moving out in the fall and going off to do your own things doesn't mean we wont still take family trips, I mean I have a grandchild on the way of course I'm going to plan fun trips for us." David said.
I smiled, thankful for the sense of security David made me feel. He was always going to be there for me no matter what.

"So...less fun topics. Have you thought about talking to Thomas about getting your job back?" David asked.
"No...I think I'm going to give that a bit.." I said.
"Well, the coffee shop just around the corner from the station that me and the rest of the guys at the station go to is hiring for weekends if you are interested. I know the manager I can put in a good word for you." David said.
I shrugged.
"Sure. How hard can it be to make coffee for a bunch of cops?" I asked.
David chuckled. "I'll talk to her when I go by tomorrow morning. But I do really think that whatever happened with you and Thomas that cost you your Job..needs to be resolved."
"It will get resolved...eventually." I said. "We both just need some time before I walk back in there.."
"I don't know what was said and I wont pry, I just don't want you to lose the friendship you built with him, it seems like it means a lot to you." David said.
I nodded and then decided to change the subject. "So Em whens the next ultrasound?" I asked.
"Wednesday. Mom is taking me during lunch hour and Neal is coming too." She said.
"Nice. Is this the gender ultrasound?" I asked.
"I think so." Emma smiled. "Team Boy or Team girl?" She asked me.
"Team I don't care what it is I'm not babysitting." I smiled.

David snickered.
"You know you'll change your mind after the baby is born."
"Doubt it." I said.
"You'll see." David smirked.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

I laid out the copy of the map that Milo had done of the town of Storybrooke on the bed. Emma was sitting across from me looking at it.
"This...is very detailed." She said. "Where did you get this again?"
"I got it from Milo when we were in Oregon. He said someone had commissioned him for it and I think and he does too, that it is in connection to my mothers murder and all of this crazy shit thats been happening." I said. "This guy asked for an extremely detailed map of Storybrooke, and there is a whole underground mining tunnel system that has openings all around town so this guy can literally stalk me everywhere. So tomorrow after school. I'm going to go down to the mines and see if I can find his secret base." I said.

"Blaire those tunnels are not safe. Last year there was a big cave in.people aren't supposed to be anywhere near the tunnels." Emma warned.
"Well if this guy has a secret base it's going to be down there and I have to find it. This has gone on way too long and it needs to come to an end." I sighed.
"I get that, but what happens when you find his secret base? If you find it."
"I collect evidence." I shrugged.
"What if he comes back to his base and finds you collecting your evidence?" Emma asked.
"Then I run." I sighed. "You aren't talking me out of this." I said. Emma tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at me.
"You've got that crazy look in your eyes again....are you taking your meds?" Emma asked.
"Yeah...of course." I lied. I wasn't. I hadn't taken them in a while, if I was going to catch this guy I couldn't do it with a drugged down mind.
"You're lying. How long have you been off them?" Emma asked and crossed her arms.
"Em I'm fine." I groaned.
"No, you aren't. You need those meds Blaire. When did you stop taking them?" Emma asked.
"Since before I got fired from O'Malleys. But I'm fine!"

"You are talking about going chasing after a murderer in an unstable underground mining tunnel and you're so paranoid you think Will of all people is a suspect!" Emma hissed "and We wont even talk about what happened to get you fired, because i'm pretty sure you not being on your meds has everything to do with that." Emma added. "Take your meds or I make an anonymous call to Archie and tell him I believe you've stopped taking your meds and are a danger to yourself and then you'll have to explain to my dad why you stopped taking your meds. I'm not playing around with this Blaire." Emma said seriously.

"Oh my God.. Fine!" I groaned and got up and walked to my desk and grabbed my medication bottles I opened them and poured the daily dose amount into my palm and put them in my mouth I opened the bottle of water on my desk and tucked the two capsules under my tongue and took a drink of the water and swallowed. "There. Happy?" I asked.
"Just make sure you keep taking them. Please. I'm just worried about your mental health Blaire." Emma sighed and stood up. "I got to go work on my English paper. Please if you are going to the mines, take Will with you." 

"Maybe." I sighed and followed her out of the room. I walked to our shared bathroom and closed the door I quickly took the capsules out of my mouth and threw them in the toilet. Waited a couple minutes, and then flushed them and turned on the sink like I was washing my hands just in case Emma didn't buy that I actually took the meds.

I walked out of the bathroom and then down the stairs to the kitchen to get some chocolate milk and I heard David on the phone arguing with someone.
"Brainwashed?!" He demanded. "I did not brainwash your daughter James, when I got her, she was cold, didn't know how to express her emotions other than anger, and she was full of resentment. The girl you saw, was a girl who has been shown nothing but unconditional love and understanding since she walked through my door something that YOU failed to provide for her!" David argued. "If anyone brainwashed her it was you."

David paused.
"No, James she does not want to speak to you. She made that very clear....Oh will you Stop with that shit?! I'm not coaching her to do anything!" I widened my eyes. I rarely ever heard David swear.

"As far as I know, she will not be at the trial no and I'm not going to make her go unless she is court ordered to be there, and you better pray you have a better lawyer than she does because if you pull that shit and force her to be at that trial I'm coming after you for damage to her mental health for putting her through the trauma of that trial. You know what they show, Do you really want her to see those pictures of her mother when the body was found? Because I've seen them James and I'm a seasoned cop, I've seen some bad stuff but I can't get those pictures out of my head. Do you really want that for your daughter?"

David paused again.
"Just do us all a favor and stop trying to contact Blaire. She doesn't want to speak to you, she doesn't want to see you, and I can't really say that I blame her at all. Final Warning James. Leave her alone." David said and hung up the phone and tossed it on the kitchen counter. David turned around and saw me standing in the doorway. His expression instantly softened.
"How much of that did you hear?" He asked.
"All of it.." I said and swallowed hard.

"I'm really sorry you had to hear that Blaire. Especially the part about your mom, I'm doing everything I can to keep you away from that trial."
"Be..honest with me David...how bad was it?" I asked.
David shook his head.
"I don't think its a good idea. I think you would rather have a better memory of your mom."
"Please.. I have to know." I said.
David sighed. "Sit." He said and pointed to a stool at the kitchen island.

I sat down and David sat down next to me.
"You watch a lot of horror movies with all the gore...but it doesn't compare to seeing the real thing. I've worked a few homicides in my days and those images..they just never leave you. Your mother was considered missing for a few weeks before the body was found in a shallow grave. Keep in mind.. This is during the summer so decomposition sets in faster. Blaire...if I didn't know your mother I would not have recognized her from the crime scene photo and that is what I am fighting so hard to keep you from seeing because Honey...I wish I could unsee it."

I wiped a tear as it fell from my eyes.
"You don't have to explain it anymore." I said "I think.. I can use my imagination.."
David wrapped his arms around me in a hug.
"I'm really sorry that life dealt you these cards. You didn't deserve any of it." David said.
"I'm sorry my Dad accused you of brainwashing me." I said.
"Ah, don't worry about that. I can be his punching bag now, and I promise you, no matter how this trial goes, you will never be put in that position again." David smiled and thumbed another tear from my cheek.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I looked at my watch before looking at the opening to the abandoned mining tunnels I still had a few hours until sundown. I opened the map that Milo gave me. It looked as if the tunnel started here and and had entrances and exits all over town so...it could take me a while to find a secret base if there even was one to find. Maybe Emma was right, Maybe I was getting too involved too far in over my head but I was so close to cracking this case wide open I could feel it and thats what pushed me to walk into the mines.

I barely breathed as I slipped deeper into the tunnels.The signal had vanished three turns ago, and my phone's battery bled red, taunting me with its final 4%. I didn't need maps anymore I was following instinct, tracing half-buried rails and faded bootprints like they were breadcrumbs left just for me.
Then I saw it.

A crude room carved into the bedrock. Metal shelves lined the walls, rusted and trembling under the weight of chaos—duct-taped journals, stacks of photos, cracked screens. At the center sat a plastic tub filled with burner phones, each labeled with a name. Some scribbled in marker, others etched like they mattered too much. I crouched and flipped through them.

"KILLIAN"
"MILO"
"JAMES"
"JACK."

I froze. My mothers name on the old flip phone sent chills down my spine. I snatched it out of the plastic tub and I opened the phone. Empty inbox. Wiped call history. But the home screen had a photo of a burning building, it looked familiar. My stomach flipped. I'd seen it before. In news clippings.

Suddenly I hear shuffling, bootsteps very close by. I spun, adrenaline exploding. There he stood, framed by shadow and flickering lamplight. Hoodie up. White mask blank and merciless. Not a word.

I ran.
The Tunnel walls blurred. My breath hitched with every step as I zigzagged through half-collapsed passages and broken pipes. He was close I could hear his breath behind the mask, even if I couldn't see his face. I dove into a narrow shaft and nearly got stuck. His hand lashed out, grabbing for my ankle, fingertips grazing my shoe. I kicked back, scraping my heel against jagged rock. He made a groan of pain, I wasn't sure if I had kicked him in the face, or if he had cut himself on the jagged rocks too but I wasn't about to look back and find out. 

Somewhere in the crawlspace, I started to cry. Not sobbing silent tears, because something inside me knew I didn't know his name, or his story, but I felt the hatred behind the mask. Like it had history. Like it had a reason. I emerged into an old storage chamber. The air here smelled like dust and rage. Glowing minerals lit the walls in eerie blues and purples. I spotted the mine cart. I shoved it hard down the track. It roared like thunder, distracting him just enough.

Then I ducked into the support beams and watched as he chased the echo instead of me. I stayed hidden until the silence returned. Until my heartbeat caught up with itself. Then I slipped back into the base, grabbed the phone labeled "JACK," and found the ventilation shaft marked on one of the maps.

The air was tighter than the shaft I'd crawled through. But the second I saw daylight, I clawed my way toward it like salvation. Once I hit the surface, I collapsed into the gravel, clutching the phone like a lifeline. I didn't know who he was. Not yet. But somehow, I knew this wasn't just some monster. It was personal.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I grabbed the persons wrist and flipped them over my shoulder with my pocket knife at their throat.
"Bloody hell Blaire its me!" Will shouted.
"How did you know I was here?!" I demanded. "I never told you I was going to be here and its awfully convenient of you to show up, right after I've been chased through the mines by a fucking murderer!"

"Whoa! You can't honestly think I have anything to do with this!" Will said. "I'm here because Emma told me that you were planning to do this, and I know how dangerous these old mining tunnels are so I came to help because you're bloody mental lately Blaire!" Will said. "You're going to get yourself killed going after this guy! I mean look at the state of you. You're all cut up by Gods knows what kind of sharp rusted shit down there covered in dirt and you're wheezing like you just smoked a carton of cigarettes."

I move my knife away from Wills throat but keep him held down.
"I'm trying to help you Blaire. I would never do anything like what this guy has done to you. I promise you. Now come on, we're going to O'Malley's to get those cuts cleaned up."
I went to protest.
"Thomas is not there tonight but I think I can handle a little first aid." Will said. "That is if you would be so kind as to let me up."

I sighed and stood up and held my hand out. "Sorry I've almost stabbed you twice but you have to understand why I thought you could be involved. When you showed up right after the stalker to deliver that pizza, Bastian made a comment on how you and the guy who took him down to the basement were wearing the same boots. And then you show up here.."

"Ah love these are just common work boots almost every man in the city of Storybrooke has a pair and I told you, Emma told me you were going to be out here and asked if I would come help. You can confirm that with her if you'd like."
"I'll do that later, first lets make sure I don't get tetanus." I said and we walked together back towards town.

"So you find anything down there?" Will asked.
"Oh yeah. There was a bunch of burner phones with people's names on them. I grabbed the one with my mom's name. Its wiped clean except for a photo on the home screen." I said and handed Will the phone. He opened it and looked at the picture.
"This is a photo of the O'Malleys arson 16 years ago..." He said.
"The picture is so small I knew I'd seen it somewhere but wasn't sure where. So why have nothing but this picture on the phone he was using to text my mom?"

"The web thickens." Will sighed. "And.. I have to be honest with you Blaire.. I don't like the way its going. I really think you should let the police handle it from here."
"I'm so close to finding this out, if I involve the police too soon I risk people getting hurt." I sighed.
"Well what do you think he's going to do now that you have evidence? You do know those texts and calls are still floating around in there. Nothing is ever deleted permanently, and I'm sure he knows that too. Once he realizes you have it this could get ugly a lot quicker than you wanted it to." Will said as we turned down the Alley towards O'Malleys.

"Or maybe, we can come to terms." I suggested.
"You're even more mental than a thought." Will said and raised his eyebrow at me.

Suddenly a black car pulled in front of us.
"Fuck.." Will muttered.
"What??" I whispered.
"Just let me do the talking.." Will said as driver window rolled down and it was his father.

"Hello son." Mr. Scarlet smirked and then looked at me. "Hello Blaire."
"What do you want?" Will all but snarled.
"Bossman would like a meeting with Blaire tomorrow, 4:30 PM. Will knows the spot. Don't be late." Mr. Scarlet said and smirked at me and drove off. Will looked at me and put his hands on his hips with the disappointed Dad stare.

"So I met your Dad..." I said.
"When?" Will asked.
"Before we went to Disney. I was trying to find information on the arson. I didn't think that he would figure out who I was, let alone set up a meeting for me with Gold."
"This is exactly what I was trying to avoid. What is going on with you Blaire? I mean be honest with me...you have no regard for your own safety or anyone else's, You're paranoid and you've had this crazy look in your eyes for the last two weeks. Something is wrong."

"I'm fine Will. I'm just trying to get to the bottom of this." I sighed.
"You're not fine Blaire, you're being reckless. I told you how dangerous getting involved with Gold would be and you took that as an open challenge apparently!"
"I just told you I didn't mean for that to Happen. I was going to talk to Neal but your Dad was there."
"But you aren't thinking things through Blaire and you're scaring me." Will said. His brown eyes were pleading with me to listen to reason.
"Well you don't have to come along to the meeting with Gold." I said.
"Oh I absolutely do. That man is a snake and I know exactly how he works, I'm going so you don't get talked into something stupid." Will said as he opened the door to O'Malleys and walked in. I hadn't been in here since Thomas fired me

"Please tell me you're coming back to work." Lizard said.
"I'm not." I said.
"Good we wouldn't want you anyways coming in here looking like pigpen from charlie brown." Jacob says as he comes through the kitchen doors He's wearing a pair of gloves, a hoodie, and a beanie.
"Says the guy who comes out of the kitchen looking like the kid from A Christmas Story.." I scoffed.
"There you are!" Lizard sighed "I've been looking for you everywhere!"
"Well you weren't looking hard enough I was in the freezer taking inventory.." Jacob snorted.
"Did you slip through a hidden door into Narnia because I looked in the freezer." Lizard crossed her arms.
"Well I did go take my 15 before I went to do inventory in the walk in." Jacob shrugged. "What did you need?"
"My mom called my Grandfather is in the hospital I need to leave." Lizard frowned.
"Oh Liz I'm sorry." I frowned.
"Liz you're the only waitress I have. Unless Pigpen wants to go take a bath and throw on an apron. Seriously, why do you look like a dirt cloud?" Jacob asked.

"I saw a dog run into the mines and I went in after it to make sure it didn't get hurt. I may have tripped or slipped a few times." I lied and shrugged. "And as far as I know Thomas made it clear that I was fired."
"Well do me a solid and clean up and throw on the apron for a couple hours. What Thomas doesn't know wont hurt him. That way Lizard can go be with her Grandfather."
"Sure." I shrugged.
"I'll run tables while you go get fixed up. Liz, get out of here and keep me updated."
"Thanks Jake." Lizard said and hurried to grab her things so she could leave while Will lead me to the kitchen to get cleaned up.

"Who are you bringing into my kitchen??" A Russian accented voice I didn't recognize said. "Ah Billy Boss. This is Blaire. Blaire, Billy is an old friend of Thomas' he used to work at the nightclub with Thomas and your oldman."
Billy Boss was stocky older man with silver hair and a beard. I'd never seen him before. 
"Ohh!" Billy Boss grinned ear to ear. "You're Jimmy's kid!" He extended his hand.
"Hi.." I said and shook his hand.
Where had this guy been this entire time if he was such a good friend of Thomas' how had I never met him until now? Maybe I was being overly paranoid but I was very suspicious of this man.
"Billys been filling in for me when I'm at school or off." Will explained.
"Thats nice.. I better get cleaned up and get out there to help with tables. But if Thomas asks.. I wasn't here." I said. 

Billy smirked and moved his fingers over his lips like he was zipping them closed. "Whats got you such a mess?"
"The mines. I was following a dog." I said however Billy looked like he didn't buy the dog story at all. Like he saw right through my lie.
"Sounds a lot to me like you have a lot in common with your old man He used to go digging around for trouble and..most of the time he found it. Best be careful around those old mines...you never know what dangers lurk in there." He said
It was almost as if he knew what I had just been through and that was very unsettling to me.