Jessica and Maria both stood on the back porch as their partners sat beneath the large willow tree at the bottom on their garden. Both men had their children in the strong confines of their arms talking amiably about plans for world domination.
"Gabriel told me Julian and Diane are still alive, how did Christian take it?"
"As could be expected he was angry and hurt, but things have been smoothed over somewhat they came over the other day, they are totally in love with Raphael."
Both women giggled at that. Raphael 'Rafe' Valentine was the most handsome six month old baby in the world. With his fathers' blonde hair and Jessica's moss green eyes, he had the face of an angel and the temperament of a demon.
He already had the affections of Sarah who had just celebrated her first birthday. The toddler was totally smitten. The two women had just agreed to join their husbands when the phone rang.
"Hello?" there was a few minutes of silence before the caller spoke.
"Jessica it's me your grandfather." Jessica almost dropped the phone in shock, it was obvious from Maria's expression that she was not being herself.
"Hello grandpa." Maria made a large 'O' with her lips and motioned to leave. Shaking her head Jessica continued listening to her grandfather's niceties.
"Grandpa what is it, we haven't spoken in over a year."
"I know, I know, I have been a fool. But something has come up, something big that I can't tell you over the phone." Rolling her eyes she was ready to set her grandfather to task.
"I have a family now, a man who loves me and a child to love. There's nothing you can possible tell me that I want to know."
"What if I have finally discovered who killed your parents?
...
Jessica called herself every type of stupid as she and Maria pulled into the café car park. Her friend had been adamant that there was no way Christian would allow Jessica out on her own. Jessica agreed.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Maria asked as they made their way to the shop's entrance.
"I've waited twelve long years, trained for the past ten so that I would be prepared to take down who ever killed my parents."
Vincent was sitting in a small booth tucked away in the corner, to Jessica he looked old and weathered but with an excited glint in his eyes which banished any doubts of his claim.
Kissing him tersely on the cheek she sat down. If Vincent had any qualms about Maria being there, he didn't give any indication. He was too busy assessing Jessica. She had the glow of a new mother, a happy and well loved woman this all reflected on her contentment. Vincent ignored the doubt in his mid prepared tot ell her everything.
Her grandfather had been hell bent on finding her parents murderer, he understood disappointment as well as she didn't, he wouldn't have called her unless he was one hundred percent sure.
"I don't want you to think I'm lying or trying to ruin your happiness, but I had to tell you...it was Christian."
There was a long pause in which everything seemed to still, there was no noise except for the beating of her heart. The possibility had always been there. Her parents had been firm believers of The Hunt, yet not once had she thought that Christian could have killed her parents.
She was aware of Maria questioning her grandfather on the reliability of his source, of course he was adamant that his informer was reliable. Christian had taken the only parents she knew, she had only six years with them before they were brutally torn from her.
"Why? Why did he do it?" she finally said, aware of the hitch in her voice, her mind replaying every happy moment shah d shared with her mother and father.
"My source told me that they had befriended him, without the knowledge of what he was, when they found out, they did the only thing they could do."
