Infinity Chapter 106 - Sister Shopping

[itztigress3]

Chapter 106 – Sister Shopping
POV:  Emily
Word count:  4115


December 19, 2014

Eliza was picking me up at 9 and since I knew Zac was having them alone all day at the studio I got up with them early, got them fed and dressed for the day and played with them while I let him sleep. Eliza got here at 8:30 and I let her inside and she greeted me and then went right to them to play a bit.

I was kind of amazed that she had taken such an attachment to them in the last few weeks, even Alexander was warming up to Aunt Iza. She didn’t even mind that he didn’t call her by name, the simple fact he acknowledged her was enough. The fact that he was warming up to his aunt, was something I liked as well. But, at the same time I was worried, because if she took now to leave then he could remember her.

“Where is Zac?”

“He’s getting dressed, he sent me a text a few moments ago.”

Sure enough he came down about 8:45, fully dressed and hair pulled back. “Morning ladies.”

“Morning.” She said.

“That’s not how you tell me good morning.”

He giggled and kissed me. “Good morning to you too.”

“Breakfast is ready, they’ve been fed and changed and I’ll feed her before we leave while you eat.”

“Deal.”

Eliza waited patiently, playing with Alexander while I fed Isabella and Zac had his own breakfast.

“Are you coming by the studio at all?” He asked.

“Yeah, she’s dropping me off there this afternoon. Sean and I are going to discuss solutions to the problems we’ve been having.”

“You sure are giving him a lot of reign on this solution and problem thing.”

“Yeah, I am. Because I don’t have time to focus on that right now. Besides, he needs to have the same authority when I am not there.”

Isabella had decreased the amount of time it took her for her get full, she still preferred me over the bottles but as long as she was fed she was fine. I however left the diaper for him to change, because she’d been waiting long enough.

“Gee thanks Ems, just what I want as soon as I get done eating my cereal,  a poopy diaper.”

“I changed his as soon as I got up and he’s got to come out of the crib. He was in our bed this morning.”

“I’ll change the crib this weekend.”

“Actually…would it be better to get him a toddler bed?” I asked.

“His crib is convertible Ems, it’s why we bought the crib.”

“Yeah, but with so many of our family members having babies the extra crib wouldn’t hurt.”

“Check on them while you’re there and we can discuss it over the weekend. You two will never get done if you don’t get gone.”

I gave him another kiss and we headed out to her car, I could see the gun on her waist and it made me feel better about being with her today. Because even if she didn’t defend me, she would herself.

“You don’t need your purse?” She asked.

“No. I use my wallet and chose pants with pockets. I’ve never been a purse person really.”

“You are not any ordinary woman.”

She was good to get us to the mall in one piece and find parking without getting in a wreck. The mall this time of the year was packed and today was no exception. She laid out her ideas and they were pretty good as far as the older ones went, but when it came to the younger two and the kids she was pretty clueless.

“For the kids there easy, just find toys and clothes. There always going to need those two items. Regardless to how many we have, there are times where diaper explosions are just too bad. Larger sizes are also great.”

“What about Christopher and Aaron?”

“There fairly picky but Christopher and Craig are building a new house so you want to go simple for them. Jasmine can always use clothes as
well. Although Zac did say he was going to do a Cinderella theme nursery when their house is done, without them knowing so no telling either of them. If you want to get something that can be used there it would be fine. My advice, crib set.”

“Ok. What about for them though?”

“Go with clothes, they can’t fault you there and I will help because Craig has a weird sense of style.”

She basically left shopping for the brothers and their spouses to me, because it was clothes and I knew what they liked, didn’t like, and would despise forever. She made suggestions and some were really great, especially for the ladies but the guys not so much.

Because I did most of that, I left the toys completely to her and she went wild in the toy departments. About one I called Zac and had him send Casey with the truck because there was no way it was going to fit in her car. Some of the toys were riding ones, and they would never fit in the trunk.

We sat down at 1:30 most of what she had was in large carts, secured in a holding area. I loved that about this mall.

“So, I am definitely staying in Tulsa. The divorce is final and Mary Ann and Gene aren’t far away from here. The friend I’ve been staying with said I could stay there as long as I needed. She’s been a great friend the last few months.”

“That’s a good decision. Are you going to look for a house?”

“No. I’m going to look for apartments. I don’t need a house right now, maybe later on. But, right now I just want something that is mine. Something I am not sharing with anyone. I’ve never really had that, I’ve always been with someone.”

“I thought you lived alone before marrying Grant?”

“No. I’ve always had a roommate or parents or husband. I didn’t get the time like you did when you moved out.”

“Yeah, Craig and I debated about being roommates but I know how he was I wanted to be alone a bit. Kind of know what it feels like.”

“I want that chance too. To decorate the way I want, clean how I want, kind of learn myself.”

“Did you decide what you wanted to do with the FBI?”

“I think I want to leave really. I mean, I failed you as an agent. “

“But you worked so hard to get into the FBI Eliza. Is it really what you want? Remember that Grant played a large part in your failure there. You wanted to move forward with your thoughts but he kept telling you not too. That wasn’t entirely your fault. This is not a throw away career, this is serious.”

“I feel like I failed you. Not only was I a shitty sister then, I also failed as an agent and they were taken.”

“I don’t think you failed at all, I think you would do a better job without influences from Grant. I think once you have your personal goals in mind then you’ll do a lot better. You can’t know how much it means to me that you were with us in Australia. You are going to Jamaica too, it’s not near as long and I’ve already asked the director for you.”

“I know he’s already told me it was approved.”

“I personally think you should stay and maybe change your focus area, stalking is not where you want to be.”

“Actually, I was always interested in cyber crimes, but I suck at computers. Criminal Investigations is where I am and I like this area a lot. I think I’d like to look into a different specialization. Maybe guns, I know a lot about them and I am quite good with identifying them.”

“That would be helpful.”

“Was there another career path you wanted to try or do?”

“I wanted to be a crime scene tech when I was fourteen, saw the shows and thought that would awesome. When I started college that was my major but I did all of my non-core classes first and I realized that they have to see blood every day and I wasn’t fond of that. I considered graphics or something, I’m good with those but I just didn’t know until I met Isaac. Long conversation on how business management was a good field and had a lot of potential.”

“I wonder if Isaac knew one day you’d be working for him?”

“Honestly, I asked a long time ago and he said never in a million years did he expect that I would be working for him. He did say about eight months after that he had a sneaky feeling that if Zac could have found me I would have been his sister-in-law all along.”

“Seriously?”

“Boy looked for me for a year, he admitted he should have never settled.”

“Would you have eventually moved on if he did chose Kate?”

“I would have, but I wouldn’t have been able to remain working there. By the time we reached a point where I just couldn’t ignore her anymore it was bad.”

She giggled. “Please, you think I haven’t seen the video of you running out to him when he just fainted at the drums?”

“Those videos I swear, they make it so hard for me to say that I could have walked away and I could have forgotten him.”

She tilted her head and just stared. “You? Walk away?”

“Ok, fine. Would I have moved on if Zac chose to stay with Kate? Yes. But I would be one miserable person to be around if I had.”
She laughed. “That’s what I thought. You know a fan approached me the other day, asked me when the new album was coming out, what merchandise was available and I had nothing. She looked so disappointed when I told her I was Eliza and not Emily.”

“I posted that we found each other but I haven’t really posted any pictures.”

“Mind if I do? Really, people be bugging me.”

I giggled. “How many followers do you have on twitter?”

“Like fourteen, I suck. I think I follow more people though.”

“What about Instagram?”

“Oh god, I have like ten. God that sounds pathetic not even thirty combined.”

I giggled. “When I met Zac I had about that many.”

“Seriously? Your Instagram has like a hundred thousand and so does twitter.”

“You have my public profiles, my personal ones I keep private and only add family. It’s where I share Alexander and Isabella’s pictures with family. You are more than welcome to post a picture of us or me but I warn you, a public profile will explode with followers.”

She really didn’t believe me, so she had me pose for a picture alone and with her and she posted them both, I got the notification as soon as she did. I considered re-tweeting it but she had tagged me already. After finishing lunch we finished shopping and Casey met us at the side parking spot with the truck.

“Good lord woman! I am so glad I stayed at the studio this time.” He quipped.

“Please, you enjoyed shopping with me.”

“No sweet cheeks get it right, I enjoy shopping when we’re inside the adult stores.”

I punched his arm. “Just load the truck before I find a paddle.”

He smiled and helped us load the truck down.

“Where am I headed?”

“Back to the studio, that comes home with us.” I said.

He just looked at me. “Zac was already complaining about the amount of wrapping you two have to do and your adding to it?”

Eliza giggled. “No. I’m coming over Sunday to wrap my own stuff. It’s just going to be easier if it’s there already.”

“Since everyone is coming to your house again. Next year, you can all kiss my ass. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, every holiday will be someone else’s house. Oh, I can make George host.”

They both laughed and Casey left to go to the studio. She and I walked to the car with the few bags she was taking home which were things she needed.

“So, I have covered everyone but you and Zac and your two mini-me’s.”

“There isn’t anything on Zac’s lists that hasn’t been claimed by someone.”

“He had a list?”

“Yes. Extensive list of video games, random items.”

We put the bags in the trunk and got in. “Does Zac still like Lego’s?”

I laughed. “Oh yeah.”

“Is there a set he doesn’t have or wanted or anything?”

“That’s a good question, because I know a few sets have come out but I haven’t seen them at the house. He usually keeps them put up but the last few weekends he’s gotten them out for Alexander, or well Alexander has tossed them around the house.”

“You know he loves Jurassic park movies, he has all but told me we are seeing the midnight showing of the new Jurassic World movie next year, not that I was going to miss it. But, he doesn’t have any of the sets.”

“Great, toys for a grown man.”

“Hey, we have kids too.”

“You saying I can make that a family gift? Bunch of Lego’s?”

“Totally. Isabella is obviously too young but Alexander likes them and well, Zac and I do too.”

“What about you?”

“All I want is for Glen to drop dead somewhere and leave me alone.”

“I saw the contents of the package he sent you, sick fucker.”

“None of that had been used right?”

“Not that we could find, far as I know it was all new.”

“What about the pictures? I never saw them.”

“Your basic dungeon, I mean I’ve seen them before in person but something creepy about knowing what he wants to do.”

“Just wish he’d die.”

“You hardly talk about the things Adam wanted to do.”

“I try not to think about the things they wanted to do or the things they did. It’s way better for my sanity.”

“Speaking of, you get quite loud when your pissed off. Is that normal for you?”

“Oh yeah.”

“I’ve already mentioned you could hit hard.”

“Amanda can testify I can whip some ass too.”

“Yeah, I heard about that and another one with one of the ex-cousins.”

“You don’t get mad?” I asked.

“I do, I just usually walk away though. I don’t like to argue or fight with people so I generally just walk away from arguments.”

“It takes a lot and Hanson has taken to calling them atomic explosions, which are what you experienced only longer, louder, and not as
contained.”

“I think I want to avoid these Atomic explosions of yours.”

She had made it to the studio but I sat there not really making any move to get out.

“I am sensing there is something you want to talk about.”

“Zac has picked up on it actually but I’ve tried to not let anyone else know. I shouldn’t fear him and I know that, I didn’t even really fear Adam until he took kidnapped me. I know the messages, e-mails, and packages are just…”

She stopped me. “E-mails? Emily you haven’t sent any e-mails to us.”

Fuck! I couldn’t backpedal on that now. I hadn’t even intended on saying e-mails, it had slipped out.

“I know. I haven’t sent them to the FBI because they contain pictures of me.”

“All the more reason to send them Emily.”

I looked at her. “There pictures from when Adam and David had me. The FBI found surveillance footage from midnight Friday to their arrival that Saturday, but nothing before midnight Friday. The pictures he is sending are before then, Monday and Tuesday.”

“I remember seeing those, the hospital and crime scene photos. Are you sure there from that week and they are you?”

“Yes. I am sure and I’m also sure it’s Glen sending them. But, Eliza they keep telling me that Glen didn’t know about me until after Adam was dead. If that’s the case, Glen shouldn’t have them.”

“Why is he scaring you?”

“The way he looked at me when they took me before, while I was pregnant with her. The just sheer coldness in his eyes.”

“Adam could be described as the same way Ems, he wanted you all to himself.”

“Adam loved me Eliza. His motivation for keeping me was because that was the only way I would be with him. I didn’t love him, but he did me. That alone is why he didn’t really do anything hard to me. Sure, his text messages were just as bad as Glen’s, but he had a week Eliza and he never did those horrible things. I think with Adam that was purely to scare me, but with Glen…I don’t think he’s trying to scare me. I think he’s serious about using those items.”

“Adam actually loved you? Are you sure?”

“I am. He told me. He was always obsessed with me.”

She smiled at me and patted my leg. “I have a fellow agent that owes me a favor, how about I call that in. He works in the cyber division and if anyone can go back and potentially find evidence or links it’s him. I’ll ask him to see if there is a way that Glen would know. But, you can’t keep those e-mails a secret Emily.”

“I’m not turning them over Eliza. There are no words to the e-mails, just pictures. I’m completely naked in everyone of them. I am not letting the FBI put those in some file for everyone to see. I made them destroy the ones of me and our mother from those albums. I will not let them just add to it.”

“You mean the ones David took of you as a child? I wondered why those images were gone.”

“Formal request, the case was solved and David had admitted and confessed to taking them. They didn’t need to keep them. They actually gave them to me, copies at first and later the actual albums.”

“Surely you didn’t keep them.”

“The copies were burned but the original pictures themselves are put up in a safe. The album they were in was destroyed. No, I’m not showing them to anyone. In fact now that David is also dead I guess it’s time to burn them too.”

“It’ll be fine Emily. You have agents following you and I’m here too. We won’t let him get you.”

“I hope not, as bad as the house looks when I’m gone five or six hours I’d hate to see it if I was gone days.”

We both laughed at that and then went inside. I was fifteen minutes late for my meeting with Sean and while he looked like he was going to complain he raised his hands.

“I am innocent, I swear.”

“Given that’s your first line, arrest him I’m sure he’s far from innocent.”

“I’d say McHotpants, yeah I know who you are!” Eliza said.

“I’m almost as famous as Hanson.”

I giggled. “In Tulsa maybe, go to Texas and see how popular you are.”

He and Eliza laughed and I went into the office which was clean and no kids in sight.

“There in the studio.” He said.

“Will you need me?” Eliza asked.

“Sean? Do I need an FBI agent for this talk?”

“No.”

“Your free to go harass Zac and the other’s, watch your ears though if Alexander is near the drums. The boy can hit hard, Tay learned the hard way Tuesday. Right smack in the back of the head.”

She giggled. “I’d pay to see that.”

“Ask Zac, he has video.”

She walked out and headed down to the studio and I took a seat at the desk.

“Alright, what solutions you got?”

He spent an hour outlining potential solutions to the shipping issues we were experiencing  and we settled with providing additional training on the process and to work on some way to make sure that orders weren’t double pulled. He went to work in his broom closet of an office on those solutions and I went to the studio. Alexander was steady beating a snare drum in front of him and Isabella was contently watching him.
God help me if they both loved them…

“All done?” Eliza asked.

“Yep. Not even going to fire anyone.”

“That’s a plus.” Isaac said.

I sat down next to Isabella and tickled her belly getting a giggle and her attention. I picked her up and sat her down in my lap, got her to giggle and laugh and it was helping her to sit up too. It was Taylor that laid the piano down in front of me and tapped a few keys, I turned her around and sat her down with her back against me, laid the piano over my thighs and let her just push buttons.

“That is so going on twitter.” Eliza said.

I turned. “Not with her face in it, it’s not.”

“I don’t have her face in the picture. Just kind of a sideways shot. I believe Zac has that one with the face.”

“I do, but it’s not going on Twitter.”

She showed me the picture and most of my hair obscured Isabella’s face, so I let her post it. Got the ping the moment it was posted, she’d captioned it with hanging with my sister and niece and nephew, she had a picture of Alexander from behind with the drum. It wasn’t ten minutes later her phone was blowing up.

“Good grief.” She said.

“Hate to say it, but I told you so. I’m not worthy but I guess when you post the kids it is a major deal.”

“We hardly post pictures of them.” Zac said.

“Insane people is why!” Taylor said.

“Hey, Natalie is way more open and so are you.” Ike said.

“That is true.” He said.

Isabella kept hitting the keys randomly, and it seemed she liked the different sounds. We hung out here for a little bit before we headed home. He chose to cook dinner with some help from Alexander while I sat down with her and fed her. I knew tomorrow was going to be hectic with wrapping but at least Zac had gotten all the decorations up and he and Alexander had even managed to put the tree up. Isabella liked the twinkling lights and she would stare at them. We were officially off until after the new year, so I didn’t have to worry about anything and my brother’s were flying in on Wednesday, so we would have a few days.

“Dinner’s ready.” Zac said.

Isabella was done so I came to the kitchen with her, sat her in the bouncer and let her play with the toys above her. Alexander was already digging into his plate as if he was starving.

“Did you and Eliza have a good day?”

“Yeah, I told her I’d leave the items in the truck until we’re done wrapping ours and then I can set her up in the office alone.”

“She went hay wire.”

“She hasn’t even gotten ours, I think she’s mentally picked out items but haven’t gotten them. It was a good day overall but I slipped and told her I’d gotten e-mails.”

“She mentioned it and I told her I wouldn’t send them to her either. But, they probably should have been told.”

“Yeah. Anyway it was a good day, kind of pleasant.”

“That’s good. How are Christopher and Craig holding up?”

“Talked to Craig yesterday, there doing a lot better. Jasmine is content and happy with the new formula and Christopher is more confident in his abilities and he no longer feels like Craig is coming here for more.”

“I could have told him that.”

“Yeah, well I could have too. So…Eliza was eyeing a toddler bed while we were at the mall.”

“I really think we can just convert his crib.”

“We can, but if she goes that route then I think we can move the baby bed down the hallway to the spare. George and Christina are going to stay with Christopher this time, they have the extra room. That way Ace and Nathaniel can stay here.”

“Ok. But there all coming here right?”

“Yes. Next year, we don’t host.”

“Deal!”

Once we were finished with dinner we settled in and let them play a while before getting them in bed and ourselves. I only hoped that the holiday’s went well.