FIREBALL

Chapter Five

I'm standing on the furthest corner of the place as the medics take care of him. Mel is right beside me and my brother is standing on the other side of the room, with the man of the hour.

My dad.

He looks like a raging ball and all I have been receiving from him since he came here are daggers. He is so pissed.

After Sankey called him, he asked us to call the medics and he would be here to take care of the rest. Initially we thought it was a bad idea, but my dad never says something if he is not certain about it.

We haven't talked ever since he arrived, he has been talking to the police boss, they are sort of settling everything down because they kind of wanted to have me arrested. They would have but my dad is not one to mess with, so all this mess is being wiped away like it never existed.

Jax sort of came in later on and said he knew Mr Tulle attacked me earlier, I'm glad that he tried to redeem himself, doesn't mean I will be talking to him ever again, but I'm glad that he is making this case more easier than I thought it would be. He is still handsome though, and yes I still have that crush on him, no matter how much of an asshole he turns out to be. I mean Jaxon is the type of guy that every girl dreams of, he is so perfect, not just physical but in every sense, I have been in this office with him to close to two years waiting for the one mess that would make me stop crushing on him, but he is always perfect, well apart from where he betrayed me, but then again, he saved me in the washrooms, so I can let that go, just a little bit.

I've always wanted to be with him from the moment I set my eyes on him, I always felt like he was the perfect fit for me, but we all know he doesn't feel the same way, so all I can do is admire him from a far.

"Cass?"

"Mmm?" Mel snaps me out of my thoughts.

"He is coming?"

"Who?" I ask her as I look at the direction she is looking at. Jax is heading towards our direction and I've never felt as confused as I am right now.

One minute I'm staring at his handsome face and I just want to smile at him but when I remember I should be mad at him, I don't even know how to react.

"I can tell him to stay away if you don't want to talk to him."

I shake my head, I guess I should just talk to him,  after all he tried to redeem himself.

"It's fine."

He tries to smile when he gets to us but the look Mel gives him, instantly wipes off the smile.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"I'll leave you two alone, and Jax don't try anything stupid." I smile at that as she walks away.

"She hates me." Jax says once she's left.

"Yea, probably, but she won't hate you for too long, you're too handsome for that." I quickly cover my mouth with my hand when I realize what I just did.

I have never complemented him face to face, I admit, there are tines that I find myself staring at him, admiring him, but never have I ever complimented him like that, and guess what, he blushes, I mean it's fast and I can barely see it, but he does blush.

He chuckles and clears his throat awkwardly.

"How are you?" He asks as he looks at Mr Tulle who is seated in the ambulance being taken care of by the medics, we haven't passed glances at each other, but I'm sure he now hates me two times worse.

"Well, I almost killed my boss after he tried to do the same to me, and I'm certain my job is at jeopardy here so I can't really tell how I am."

"I'm sorry about everything."

I nod.

I'm just tired of holding a grudge on him, it won't change the fact that my anger issues need to be checked on. I would have still done the same thing whether he played a role in it or not.

"Right now I'm just thinking of how my dad is going to kill me, he hates scandals and I just did that."

"Your father loves you, I'm sure he won't do anything to you." When he says that I look at my dad who is now talking to Mr Tulle, our eyes lock and surprisingly he smiles at me, well maybe he isn't as mad as I thought he was.

"See, he still loves you."

That is some sort of relief, I know he will still give me the talk but hey, he smiled at me, that is a very big step.

"So, I was thinking?"

"Yea."

"Would you like to like grab dinner with me? I know you've been through a lot, maybe a little unwinding after."

Yes, and there you go, I'm blushing so stupidly.

"Like a date?" I ask him with a very wide grin.

"Well, if you want to call it that."

Jaxon just asked me out. Isn't that one of the most amazing ways to end the night? I never thought he ever felt the same way about me like I did.

"That would be amazing."

My dad is walking towards us and I thought I wouldn't be scared of him but the rate of my heartbeat is telling me otherwise.

"Your dad is coming, I better leave." I nod.

"Oh and FYI? I know about the crush and just thought you should know." He leans close to my ear and whispers.

"I have had this long crush on you ever since I came to this station."

My grin just became worse.

I never expected that. He walks away and I swear I feel like he just made my entire day after it was such a mess.

I wipe off the grin on my face the moment my dad gets to where I am.

I fold my arms and lean back on the wall. This position has always been a way of me personally defending myself, I normally sort of  hibernate when I feel I'm in danger, and this is one of those times.

Dad has this serious look on his face which is scaring me even more.

"Well aren't you going to say something?" He asks when there is a certain silence between us.

"Dad, I'm really sorry, I don't know what came over me."

"I know what came over you."

He does?

I don't know why I feel like he is going to say I'm demon possessed, that would be the most weird thing I'd ever hear him say.

"When your mom died, you let all that pain sink in, Cass, baby, you never cried when your mom died not even a single tear, we buried your mom and you had this strong face on you, I never understood what was going on with you, Sankey had his moments when he would break down yet he is a man, I did have my moments too but you didn't. I thought you were stronger than us, but trust me I knew one day it would all come down on you and things wouldn't end so well."

I feel a tear fall. I never thought he noticed that.

When mom died, I watched her take the bullet, I watched her die in my arms, and I never cried, instead I was angry, mad even, mad at myself for not doing anything, I have been holding on to that anger and maybe that's what is making me get this angry.

"I think you need to see a specialist." I chuckle.

"I'm fine dad."

"Yea that's what you've been saying for the last five years but if you don't take care of whatever is happening to you psychologically you might hurt someone."

I really can't believe just because I tried to defend myself from someone who tried to kill me, now I have to see a specialist.

"Dad, I'm twenty three, seeing a specialist is not in the list of things to achieve in my life, I appreciate the offer, but no, I can handle my psychological problems just fine, I have for the last five years."

I want to walk away but he holds me back.

"Okay, I won't force it on you if you don't want."

"Thanks dad." He pulls me into an embrace and I reluctantly hug him back.

This is awkward, in front of all these people and my dad is hugging me.

"We can go for a vacation, you, me, Sankey and Adele."

Adele is my brother's new wife, they got married like five months ago. She is part of the family now. A family vacation isn't a bad idea but this is just the wrong time.

"Dad, I can't now, maybe after we are done with the operation."

"What operation?" He asks me as he pulls out of the hug.

"We will be ambushing The Five this Friday, everything has been organized."

I have never seen my dad's face change this quick.

I can't tell if he's mad or pissed, I don't even know what his reaction is.

"The Five?"

"Yea, we have Intel on where to find them." I know Mr Tulle pulled Mel and I out of the mission, but hey ,he is not the boss of me.

Besides, they can't do anything without me, I'm sort of the one with all the information they need.

"And whose idea was it to put my daughter in the group that attacks the most terrorizing gang group in the country?" He says in a loud voice that attracts everyone around us. I did not expect this reaction from him.

Sankey sees us have a fight and starts heading towards us.

"It was my idea, dad I have been doing an investigation on them, I think I should go."

He shakes his head continuously.

I know his permission matters but I'll still go whether he says yes or no.

"You're not going anywhere and that's final."

He walks away and I just can't let him control my life and my career too, I don't know why he is so worried when I was trained for such missions.

"Dad?"

"Cass we are not discussing that any further."

Really?

"Can't you see all I'm trying to do is make you happy by being the best? I just want to show you that I'm capable of doing my job."

He turns and walks towards me.

"That gang is not just some group you can ambush and survive, you will die."

I already know that, in fact I knew my life was at risk the moment I chose this career, but my dad has lived all this years, I believe I can too.

"If I get to arrest them, dad that's an automatic promotion to being a detective..."

"Is that what it's all about?"

He cuts me off.

"You know how much I want that position." He stays quiet before shaking his head in disbelief.

"Fine, I'll have that arranged, you are not going for that operation, if there's anyone that can deal with The Five then it has to be me."

Oh no, I won't accept that position if he's trying to trade it with me not doing this. At the very least, I owe it to Melody.

"Why? coz you're the best and you don't think I can do it?"

"You're not going there, case closed."

I feel like crying, I don't know why I even chose this career when the person I wanted to make proud, never sees that.

"When will you ever see me as capable enough? I try so hard to please you dad, be the best, but you never see that."

His face falls when I say that. He takes a step towards me and holds me by the chin.

"I'll always be proud of you, you don't have to die to make me proud."

"Dad I..."

"No Cass, I'm not losing another of my family to that gang."

"What?"

##########