Chapter 5-1: Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)

               Camille sat outside her new home, far away from Storybrook County, reliving all the awful moments that lead up to her eventual move from town. There had been so many little things steering her to this moment but really, what it all boiled down to was that horrible night.

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               “Oh my Watcher, I’m getting arrested! What am I going to do,” Camille freaked out on the inside, trying to remain calm on the outside. It was extremely hard to do as she sat in a police car headed down to the local police station. She couldn’t understand what had caused the arrest. I mean, sure she had been hacking into a company’s files but she didn’t even make it past their firewalls before the cop showed up. How could anyone have known anyway?

               The cop quickly checked her in and, due to her age, they weren’t going to be keeping her overnight so she was placed in the temporary holding cell with, what looked to be, two prostitutes.

               “Hey there Maria, I thought you were giving this up,” her arresting officer went over to the bars by one of the women.

               “Yeah, honey, I thought I was too, but then the bills arrived.”

               “Pfft, she’s just good at sucking cock,” the blonde one piped up. She snapped her gum and sighed. “I’m bored. Can we go yet?”

               “If you let me out, I’ll show ya some appreciation,” Maria suggested, flirting with the old man.

               Camille tucked herself into a smaller ball, unsure what to do or say as she waited for rescue. Finally, she saw her mother arrive, completely a mess in sweats and a tank top and looking quite grim.

               When Yalena was able to pull Officer Sauer away from Maria, the two of them became caught in a debate at the desk. Camille was only able to catch small snippets of information: “being charged”, “booking”, “under investigation”, and, perhaps most frightening, “terrorist”. If she had been scared before, suddenly Camille was absolutely terrified. “What have I gotten myself into?”

               Just then, a pretty but serious brunette marched into the holding room. “Let’s get her out of there Sauer. We need to go to interrogation.”

               Camille shrunk into an even smaller ball, wishing that she could somehow just become invisible. Her mom would protect her, right?

               “Camille, this is Ms. Young. She is the attorney Lyric hired while I was on my way over here.”

               “An attorney,” Camille stammered. “Do I really need a lawyer?”

               “At this moment, you need all the help you can get, young lady,” Yalena scolded.

               “Alright, Mrs. Sabo, please wait in the reception room. I’ll come get you when we’re done.”

               “But, my daughter’s underage. Shouldn’t she have a parent present?” Her angry demeanor was immediately replaced with a worried expression.

               “A parent or an attorney. Since I’m here, I fulfill that requirement. And we really need to be able to speak without you present. Honesty is typically more forthcoming without the parents in the room.” Ms. Young spoke all this matter-a-factly, not giving Yalena any time to question or argue and acting like Camille was invisible. She whisked the young girl down the hall and steered her into a small, bare room. Inside, was the most unfriendly man Camille had even seen. He had a permanent sneer and the way he glared at her made her feel an inch tall.

               “Well, well, if it isn’t the little hacker,” he glared down at her. “Have you been the illusive mastermind behind all of this?”

               “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Camille answered, thoroughly confused.

               “Don’t lie to me,” he slammed his hands down on the table. Camille jumped back in her chair a little, scared of this bullying man with the mean eyes.

               “Detective Dieterich, please refrain from trying to intimidate my client into a false confession,” Ms. Young piped up in the background.

               “You planned the hack, didn’t you? The information you were looking for was written down, right there at the terminal you were using. What were you going to do with it? Ransom the government for cash? Sell it to the highest overseas bidder?” 

                Camille was shocked at what the detective was implying and opened her mouth to deny everything.

               “Camille, don’t answer that.”

               “But, it’s not true! I would never do anything like that! Chad, he told me about his company that he got fired from. They were cutting him out of the profits of some program he had designed. I just wanted to help him get it back.”

               The room was silent for a moment. Then, Detective Dieterich burst into laughter. “Either you are an extremely horrible liar because that is probably the worst excuse that I have ever heard or you are incredibly naïve. I’ll get to the bottom of it though, you can count on that.”

               It seemed to take hours and hours to explain everything to them. Camille, scared and just wanting to be cooperative, held nothing back, even admitting to attempting to hack into the computer. She tried to make it clear that she had no idea what the information really was, just that it was what Chad had given her. After being asked the same questions over and over, Detective Dieterich finally decided that he had enough and agreed to let her go home. He made it perfectly clear that she wasn’t cleared yet and that she would still be under investigation and they would be ‘watching her’.  He didn’t seem happy to let her go, but Ms. Young was quick to point out that she was a minor and would be under the supervision of her parents and that she had been more than forthcoming which should be recognized as cooperative and helpful. He grumbled but finally waved them away.

               It became exceedingly obvious to Camille just how unhappy her mother and Lyric were with her. She did her best to try and show them that she was not a bad kid and that she had just had a lapse in judgment. She made sure to do the laundry and keep her room clean, stayed on the honor roll, helped with dishes, everything but when she was in a room, they usually did their best to ignore her.

               The only person in her family that didn’t judge her was Dahlia. Of course it helped that she was still a toddler but seeing the little girl get excited when she saw Camille or wanting to be picked up by her made all the difference in the world. Camille always made time to read to her sister or play with her whenever she could. She might not have been happy about another sibling but, now that Dahlia was here, Camille was grateful.

               Dahlia’s birthday arrived and Lyric and Yalena decided to throw her a huge beach bash down where they had their first date. Everyone was invited; family, friends, coworkers. There was even a paparazzi that showed up to snap pictures of the family, regardless of the fact that Lyric had rented out the entire beach, complete with security supposed to keep those types out. Brielyn was a little miffed that Dahlia got a huge party and her adult transition had been just a small gathering in the house, interrupted by Dahlia’s birth. It also appeared that there would be a new cousin in the future for the Fierce-Avendales.

                “Daddy, why doesn’t Cody live with us,” Dahlia asked her father as they and her half-brother sat down to enjoy some cake.

               Lyric had to take the time to explain that sometimes mommies and daddies aren’t always happy together and decide to be friends with other people.

               “So mommies always keep the babies,” she asked inquisitively.

               “Sometimes, yes.”

               “So when you find a new friend, I have to stay with mommy,” she pressed.

               “Honey, no! Mommy and Daddy are very happy together. We’re going to be friends forever,” he promised, as Cody just stared down at his plate. Man, kids make for awkward conversations.

               She finished her cake and ran off to find her big sister. She wanted to play in the pool. Camille was more than happy to oblige her, happy that someone was talking to her. Well, Brielyn was too but she didn’t live at home anymore. She didn’t have to listen to Lyric and Yalena stop talking when she entered a room. She hoped that now that Dahlia was grown up a little, she wouldn’t take her parents’ viewpoint.

                At the end of the night, the family gathered around a bonfire to chat and catch up. With two children living in different homes, it wasn’t often that all of them could get together like this. With Cody, Dahlia, and Brielyn there, Camille even felt included in the conversation and it was great to hear her mom laugh again. She hoped that, with time, her mother could forgive her.

               If only she had any idea what her mother and stepfather discussed when she wasn’t around.

               “No, no Yalena. She can’t stay with us. Especially now that Dahlia is at such an impressionable age. You know that I love her, like a daughter of my own, but I think it would be best to send her to live with Ace. He doesn’t have any other kids.”

               “Send her to live with her father? The one that barely manages to make child support payments? He’d forget to feed her,” Yalena protested.

               “She’s a teenager. She can fend for herself for food. I just don’t think that getting involved with criminals sets a good example for Dahlia.”

               “I know. She’s still my daughter though. I can’t just send her off because she makes a mistake.”

               “It wasn’t just a mistake! She was hacking into a government computer. If she had been successful, regardless of why she was doing it, she’d be in jail! She was helping a known cyber-terrorist try to get secure military files from the Heptagon!”

               “She doesn’t know this Lyric! She just knows the charges were dropped because her story checked out. “

               “And what if this Craig Burney person comes back into her life? I know they’re hoping he’ll try to recruit her again. Do you really want Dahlia around that?”

               Yalena sighed, not sure how to respond.

               “See, you know I am right.”

               “Fine, but I’m not sending her to Ace. She can leave when she becomes a legal adult.”

                Feeling a little guilty that she was about to ask her daughter to move out, Yalena decided to throw her a big party at one of the nightclubs downtown.               

               “Mom, are you ever going to forgive me,” Camille asked, hoping that her mother had already done so.

               “Let’s just get through your party. We can talk about it later,” Yalena pushed the eventual discussion further into the future.

               The party had all of Camille’s close friends there. Even Dahlia was allowed to participate. Being a minor celebrity sure had perks. Yalena had been able to get Dahlia in by promising to keep an eye on her and, more importantly, promising to give raving reviews of the club to the press.

                Everyone gathered around the cake to watch Camille blow out her candles. Lyric was ready for this; he didn’t want his precious princess exposed much longer to Camille’s poor decision making skills, regardless of being a genius.

               As she thought of what she could wish for, Camille knew that there was only one that thing that she wanted; forgiveness and acceptance back into her mother’s good graces.

                After the candles had been blown out, everyone went back to the dance floor. Dahlia tried to mimic her mother’s dance moves but she had a little way to go before getting that good.

                It was obvious that her wish wasn’t likely to come true. The family headed over to the auditorium for graduation and, on the way there, Yalena wouldn’t even look at her daughter. She spent the entire ride across town staring out of the window. At least Dahlia had claimed the front seat and was oblivious to the frosty tension behind her.

               After the ceremony, the group went over to the nearby steakhouse to enjoy a celebratory dinner together. Unsurprisingly, Camille had been named valedictorian. It seemed that half the graduating seniors were there with their families so, after a long wait but good food the Sabos left the restaurant full and, marginally, happy.

               “Mom, do you think we can talk now,” Camille asked.

               Yalena, knowing her agreement with Lyric and that the day had come, agreed, though begrudgingly.

               “We’ll just give you two some privacy. Dahlia, let’s go to the playground,” Lyric suggested, guiding Dahlia away.

               “Mom, can you please just forgive me and talk to me? Please?”

               “I can forgive you for making the mistake that you made. I can’t forget about it. And I can’t help but wonder what other things you may do when a friend comes crying on your shoulder? Where would you draw the line? We can’t put Dahlia through that. I think it’s time you find a place of your own.”

               “But, wait, I mean, I don’t even have a job yet. Where am I supposed to go?”

               “I suggest you figure it out. You have the rest of the weekend.” It hurt to be so tough on her but Yalena had to think about her youngest daughter. Really, it was for the best. Right? She tried to ignore the paparazzi snapping pictures and could only imagine the captions to follow in the tabloids.

               They arrived home and, immediately, Camille ran to the bedroom, hurriedly changing into her workout clothes. She needed to go for a long jog to clear her head. Maybe punch something. She couldn’t believe that they were kicking her out. “It was a one-time mistake! Haven’t I been the model child since then? And before that, I was always good. No boy problems, no detention, straight A’s. I just can’t make them happy.”  As she jogged, she screamed her frustrations out in her head in rhythm with the sound of her feet pounding the pavement. She failed to notice the black sedan following her.

               I’ve been looking for you,” Detective Dieterich said as he stopped her in her path.

               “I’ve been cleared on all charges. Don’t make me file a complaint with the department for police harassment.” She'd had enough of this ass and wasn’t going to take his attitude any longer.

               “I’m actually here to speak with you about something.”

               “Call my lawyer.” She attempted to bypass him and continue on her way but he stayed planted in the way.

               “Ms. Avendale, hear me out.”

               The man was obviously determined, even if he was a total prick.

               “Where are you taking me,” she asked, climbing in the front seat.

               “Somewhere we can talk without worrying too much about people listening.”

               “You’re a creep, you know that?”

               “So I’ve been told.”

               They arrived at the main sports bar in town.

               “Really, this is where we can talk?”

               “It’s pretty empty this time of day. And the bartender is an informant, so we don’t need to worry about that.”

               “Okay, so what do you want?”

               “I’ve been asked to offer you a job,” he explained, clearly not happy about it.

               “Doing what?”

               “Craig Burney has been a thorn in our side since he first started in the cyber terrorist business.”

               “Who?”

               “Craig Burney aka Chad Nicholas. It’s one of his many assumed names. We’ve never been able to catch him in the act. We had him in jail for a short time but only as an accomplice. We’ve never gotten anything concrete on him. So we let him out, hoping he’d lead us to the mastermind.”

               “And led you straight to me.”

               “That’s right. We were able to determine your innocence, with the help of your parents…”

               “Wait! They know I am innocent?”

               “Yes. They’ve known for a while. We asked them to keep it quiet because we had a small hope he might try to contact you again. It seems we scared him off though. Anyway, you’re clearly skilled in the computer department. Cyber terrorism has become a very real and scary threat. We need people with your knowledge to help keep them at bay. And you know Craig and Agnes or Becks as you knew her. You may be able to help catch them.”

                “You don’t like me.” She stated it as a matter of fact, not a question.

               “No, I don’t. I don’t like anyone who thinks the law is beneath them as long as they can justify it in their heads. But my boss doesn’t see it that way.”

               “Fine. When do I start,” she queried, hoping that maybe joining law enforcement would prove something to her mother.

               “You have to get there first. The job is in St. Claire.”

               “St. Claire? That’s a 3 day drive from here!”

               “That’s where the job is.”

               With her parents kicking her out and this being the only job offer in sight, she had little choice. She agreed to take it. The law enforcement department from St. Claire was paying for her bus fare and she was expected to start work the following week. She had to leave tomorrow.

               “Oh Dahlia, don’t cry! We’ll still talk on the phone, lots. I’ll try to even come home for your birthday.”

               “But I’m going to miss you! Why do you have to go,” she wailed. Camille felt guilty leaving her sister, even knowing that without this job, she would have had to go anyway. Her mother had seemed satisfied that she was leaving town and, though he tried to hide it, Lyric was ecstatic.

                “It’s just something I have to do. I promise though, we’ll still see each other.”

               Lyric and Yalena looked on from the doorway, watching as Camille said goodbye to go catch her bus.

               “No, don’t go,” Dahlia flung herself at her sister, trying to keep a hold of her.

               After one last hug goodbye, Camille and Lyric grabbed the suitcases and loaded them on the waiting bus. He waved goodbye over his shoulder before heading inside where Yalena was still trying to calm down her tearful daughter. She questioned whether they had made the right choice but it was too late to wonder now.  

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               Camille went inside and flopped onto her bed. After the long bus ride, she was exhausted. She had spent most of the ride painfully thinking of her sister’s reluctance to let her leave. When she wasn’t thinking about that, she was contemplating how she could possibly catch Chad and Becks, er Craig and Agnes. She had been the one to make the decisions but they had put her in this position and she was going to make them pay.

Chapter 4.13                                                                                                                                    Chapter 5.2

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Generation 5 has officially started. As you may have been able to deduce, Camille is moving to St. Claire. She hasn't actually moved yet because I am working on setting up the town and populating it with some people at least so the first and last pictures were actually taken in an alternate save. The side bar has been updated to include Random Legacy Information and Brielyn, Camille, and Dahlia have all been added to the Downloads page.

And hey, look at that! With the start of Generation 5, I managed to get through an entire generation without killing anyone!