.:Say You Mean It:. Chapter 21, "Evidence" {Alex Gaskarth/Jasey Rae}

.:Author's Note:. AH! 7 months! I know, it took me long enough, but here it is!!!

Not much has changed since I last visited this story. The only thing I have to report is that I got to see All Time Low at the Van's Warped Tour last month and meet them :) Pretty much my dream come true <3

Thanks for all of your support thus far!

ENJOY! <3

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Chapter 21

 

Evidence

 

 

“What do you want, Jace?”

 “Hm? Oh no, nothing, thanks. I'm good,” I answered. Alex sighed and leaned his head out of the window.

 “Can I get the number two please? With an ice tea?” He ordered. I watched him pull around to pick up the food.

 “You didn't have to get me anything, but thanks,”

 “You need to eat, you know that,” he smiled tiredly. The sun was sprouting up from the horizon now. Alex and I had spent the whole night sitting in Zack's dark room in silence. Neither of us knew what finding that picture of Caitlin's father Jared meant. We never talked to him or met him before he almost tried to punch Alex's lights out a few days ago at the hospital. For all we know it could have been a very unconventional coincidence that he was the subject of our spy games as children and now the suspect of our situation now years later. Alex retrieved the bag of food and drove off towards my place.

 “How long is the rest of the tour?” I asked.

 “About three weeks. We should be home a few days before Christmas,”

 “Oh,”

 “Gonna miss me?”

 “Actually, yeah, I will,” I spoke to the sack below me, but I was being honest and not sarcastic one bit for once.

“Same. Missing you too, I mean. I love touring, love it to death, but, I don't know. Fuck, I just feel bad sometimes,”

 “Why? For what?”

 “For always leaving, always being gone”

 “Well, I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here when you get back,”

 “I know...and I thank you for that,” Alex finished. The awkwardness settled in. This is the part where the boy and the girl hold hands, kiss, cry, or something; anything. The soon to be mother and father should mourn their departure from one another. Instead I opened the crumbled bag nuzzled in my lap and nibbled on my tater tots.

 The blue and red flashes filled the inside of his car as we pulled up to the driveway.

 “Oh my God...” My mouth fell open at the sight of the three police cars in our driveway. Alex pulled in to the curb across the street and parked.

 “Look, they're talking to Rian...he should be at the airport, I told the guys to meet me there,” Alex shook the keys loose from the ignition and left the car. My stomach grew in knots as the police officers attention went from Rian, and Aims who I just noticed behind one of the officers, to Alex walking over. Their eyes locked on him and their hands came up from their sides with pointed guns.

 “Freeze! Hands on your head! Get on the ground! NOW!” The female officer shouted closest to him. Cops ran out of my front door for back up.

 “No!” I shrieked fumbling for the handle. Once I was out I ran out to Alex falling to his knees obediently.

 “Miss! Stay back! Back away!” One of them shouted, and another grabbed my arms.

 “No! What are you doing?” I was gasping in and out, my nose numb, and breath visible. In and out, too fast, too much fog in front of my eyes. I stood trapped by uniforms and flashing lights. Alex wasn't speaking, and he was now mounted with their knees on his back. He was cuffed, and brought back to his feet.

 “Why is this happening?” I asked no one.

 “Are you Jasey Rae?”

 “Yeah?”

 “We need to speak to you, please, come inside,”

 “Where are you taking him? He hasn't done anything!”

 “Jasey, he is being taken downtown for questioning, please come inside,”

“Questions? About what?” I huffed. I was no longer given answers as they forcefully led me to the house. I looked to my side at Alex being read his rights. His head hung low. Expressionless.

 “Look at me,” I pleaded under my breath. The universe some how brought him my plea and his head tilted up. My eyes didn't leave his until I entered the house. They were blood shot, not from crying, he wasn't upset. He looked almost...regretful. Rian and Aims were seated in the living room when I walked in. We made eye contact for a second but the police officer interviewing them demanded their attention right back with another inquiry. I waited ten minutes in the family room across the kitchen for someone to tell me what was going on. I watched the snow blanket on top of that old cherry blossom tree I was once so fond of. It was so dead and cold. No longer the blooming, hypnotizing view it once was. It was an eye sore to stare at now.

 “Jasey, thank you for your patience, I'm-”

 “Ms. Gregorian. I remember. We met at the hospital, I've been waiting to hear back about Caitlin, how is she?” I interrupted, intrigued to see her again.

 “She's okay, she is in good care with a foster family for the time being,” she answered and took a seat across from me. Her files of paper and pen clutched on her lap gave my gut a whirl.

 “Look, Jasey, I am going to have to ask you a series of questions regarding Mr. Gaskarth and I need them answered honestly in return. This must be a tough time for you, I realize this, but my team and I are looking to get to the bottom of this as efficiently and quickly as possible. Are we on the same page?” Ms. Gregorian crossed her legs as if to show she was serious.

 “Yes, I guess...I can be honest when I say I have no idea what any of this could be about, and I'm trying my hardest not to have a panic attack. So ask away,” I blurted.

 “How long have you known Mr. Gaskarth?”

 “Well, I've known Alex...my whole life. We grew up together. Our parents were friends at the time we were both born, lived across the street from one another. So since the day I was born,”

 “I know this is a loaded question, but within that time from when you were childhood friends, were you in knowledge of any type abuse going on in the home? Mental, phys-”

 “What? No, no, his family was practically my family too. There was never anything like that. If anything he was more of a spoiled brat,” I huffed at my own comment, not sure if it was appropriate or not. But what was she trying to get at?

 “Have you ever felt..unsafe around him? At all worrying about his mental health? Any signs something might be wrong?”

 “Ms. Gregorian, I don't know what you expect me to say. The answer is short. No, never,”

 “You two are romantically involved, correct, he is your boyfriend?”

 “No, not in a relationship,”

 “But you two are having a child together?”

 “We have a friendship together, but thanks for your concern and slight judgment,” My sarcasm was slipping, and I didn't really care.

 “You can be as difficult as you'd like Jace, but believe it or not I am only here to help,”

 “Help me by never calling me that. My name is Jasey, and Ms. Rae is fine, but we are not friends, you do not know me, and you certainly do not know him,”

 “Ms. Rae, I do know that he is being charged with something very serious and not giving me the answers I need will only worsen this for him. So I suggest you sit back down and cooperate.”

Without knowing it I was out of my seat and alerted two officers standing by the opening of the kitchen now.

 “He has been accused with a physical attack on a minor; child abuse basically,”

 “He has never touched me, or anyone. He would never, and I mean never do that, why would he be accused of that?” I chugged down tears as I looked at her for answers. She was questioning me, but I needed the answers more than she ever would.

 “Because...Caitlin has been brave enough to come forward and confess that her abuser was Mr. Gaskarth during her time of residence here,”

 “That's all a lie! We took her in when we didn't have to! She's my half sister, as much of a shock as that was to me, to all of us, I let her stay because I thought she'd be safe here, would be better off under our-”

 “-Well she wasn't I'm afraid...”

 “You don't understand at all. Alex met her once, and once only. He was on tour with his band majority of the time she was staying with Amelia and I. This is completely fabricated,”

 “Ja- Ms.Rae, I've seen the evidence. Broken ribs, bruises all over...hand prints...Injuries she could not have possibly inflicted on herself, and they came from somewhere, someone. I'm sorry the news I brought to you couldn't have been better but as far as I'm concern there is no proof for either side to further present at the moment. This could have happened under your radar, I do not know, but it will be settled in court, and your future assistance will be needed through out this case. Please keep in touch if you have anymore questions or concerns,” Ms. Gregorian completed, stood up, and held out a small card with her contact information.

 “Isn't my word good enough? Being his childhood friend, and mother of his child?”

 “No, I'm afraid not Ms. Rae,” her voice was low and apologetic. She slipped her card on the coffee table in front of me. I gave up, my head hit my hands in my lap. I didn't bother watching her leave. This wasn't happening. There was no way in hell. Why? Why here? Why now? And why...him? It wasn't fair, and it wasn't right. And it was not true, how could Caitlin do this? Come into our lives and burn it down just like that. I sat thinking and not thinking. Sometimes just sitting, and no thinking. Because that's too much to ask for when I can barely breathe.

 “Hey,” a whisper came through. I looked up finally, and it was dark. I couldn't see out the backyard doors now. I answered Aims with tears.

 “No, no, hey, hey,” she sat down the cup of something steaming she made for me on the table to sit down and hug me.

 “Look, we are going to fight this shit, look at me,” she coaxed, and I did, because she made me with her hand under my cheek.

 “We both know...we know this isn't right, and we are going to fix this. Whatever it takes. There has to be something we can do, and we will, I promise,” she held my numb arms.

 “She's right Jasey, we are all going to do whatever we can,” a male spoke out and I turned my head around Aims to see Rian, Zack, and Jack standing a few feet away.

 “I made all the calls, I talked to our managers, the tour has been canceled. I told them it's a serious family matter, they understood. Weren't too happy, but they understood,” Rian confessed as he sat next to Aims and put a reassuring hand over mine.

 “Thanks,” I said. I waited with nothing more to say.

 “Who would have thought Alex would be the first to face jail time. I was sure it would have been me,” Jack chuckled. Everyone moaned with disapproval at the joke.

 “Oh come on! Just trying to lighten the mood,” he laughed heartily. He really was trying to mean well, and there was no point to making this even worse with tears and fears getting in the way.

 “No, you're right Jack, you will be the first,” I spoke. I smiled for a second before it faded away.

 “Yes! That's the spirit!” He rejoiced.

 “Fuck the man, we are breaking my brother out of that hell hole! Teach them a lesson..” Jack laughed. I laughed too. Maybe I don't give him enough credit.

 “Okay Jack, really, how?” Aims rolled her eyes and asked.

 “Aims,” I softly calmed her down. She bugged her eyes at me, not hiding that she has never been too fond of Jack.

 “I think Caitlin's scared,” Zack chimed in.

 “She's trying to protect someone. Whoever did do this to her. Blaming Alex is her cover,” he sat down at one of the kitchen chairs.

 “I think you're right, she's a kid, she probably didn't know what else to do,” Rian agreed.

 “As much as that pisses me off, I think so too. And I think I know who did do it,” I said.

 “Who?” Everyone asked.

 “Her dad. Jared something. Think about it, she came all the way her with nothing but a picture in her hand, she was scared and didn't know who else to go to. Of course she wouldn't want to go to the authorities, Jared probably had her scared half to death to report him,” I explained. The room fell silent as we all put together the pieces.

 “I believe that. Alex told me that guy was pretty psycho that day he tried to beat him up at the hospital. Drinking or drug problems, anger management issues maybe, who knows,” Rian said.

 “So problem solved, let's rat the bastard out to the cops,” Jack suggested.

 “Won't work,” I shook my head.

 “We don't have creditability, or proof that he did it. It will just turn into a hot mess of everyone pointing fingers at one another,” Aims added.

 “So, what now?” Zack asked. Everyone stared up at me, as if I knew how to solve this.

 “Well, we need more evidence. They said they need more proof, we will give them proof,” I sighed. I sniffed away the remaining bits of tears and snot from crying. I wasn't going to let this defeat me, my friends, or my family. I shamelessly haven't put out much of an effort to get to know Alex's band mates and I felt guilty for it now, in this moment, where they dropped everything for him and I. Because they aren’t just his band mates, they're his best friends, his brothers.

 “How do we do that?” Rian smiled at my new found attitude.

 “We do what any detective would. We do our research. Just a bit more aggressive, up-close, and personal,” I smirked.

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