Illegitimate Child

Leia storms out of the building with a flurry of hurried steps, almost running as she ignores Rachel's shouts behind her. The words from the tv were still ringing in her ears.

'I didn't want to hide him but it seemed like the ….. only choice'.

She felt sick. Absent-mindedly Leia notes that her fever was most likely back but she didn't care as she rushed to the parking lot.

Upon arriving she meets with the driver who's just about to leave, and stops him. 

He opened his mouth, most likely to greet Leia, but she cut in before he could speak.

"Keys," she demands, her hand outstretched in front of his stunned face.

He gaped for a moment before composing himself.

"I'm sorry ma'am but I can't do that. It would be better if I drove." He says quickly, trying to avoid her eyes. 

Saying those words didn't make Leia change her mind as she glared at him before simply snatching the keys from his vest pocket.

"Ma'am!." He yelps in a squeaky voice.

Unbothered by his yelling, she shoves him away from the car before opening it. The man flutters around in nervous panic.

Likely scared that he was failing his job but not wanting to touch her too.

"Ma'am! Please, I've been authorized by your family to drive you wherever you want." He wrings his hands in anxiety, his moustache quivers from his fidgeting.

She doesn't mind as she slams the door angrily before driving off, mentally apologizing to Rachel because she knows she was worrying about her again.

Her legs upon the gas pedal, pushing the car to its limit. 

With no care for speed limits when the world as she knows was crumbling, Leia drives away. 

In no time at all, she arrives at the precinct that holds her husband.

Standing outside its revolving doors she braves herself with deep breath and hopes for the best before she takes the step in.

After taking care of the necessary arrangements she sits in the meeting room, sinking into the hard plastic chair, as she waits for them to bring Kasen out. The coolness of the room sinking into her bones and turning her limbs into the lead.

All of sudden she feels so tired….. She just wants to fall asleep and pretend that today never happened.

As her eyes wander around, she spots a wall clock with a calendar and notices the date. 

Finally a thought rings in her head, "yesterday was supposed to be Kasen's first trial." Thanks to her illness, she completely forgot all about it, she didn't even know she'd been ill the whole day. 

She's broken out of thoughts when the door leading to the cells opens and the warden, accompanying Kasen, steps out. 

"He's lost a lot of weight," she cries to herself, forgetting the main reason she was here. 

Her eyes were on her husband and even if she's confused and frustrated, Leia's heart couldn't help at the sinking of him.

It was like having a breath of fresh air. 

His dark chocolatey locks had grown longer and were so messy, and he had grown beards too. 

His eyes looked a little bit tired and there was a tilt in his shoulders that says he just wants a nap. 

It was still the man she fell in love with.

Right after he's brought in, Leia watches as Kasen's eyes widen at the sight of her. 

"Hi, sweetie." The words were quiet but they sounded so loud in the stillness of the room.

The Warden cleared his throat, likely uncomfortable with the awkward moment.

"You got thirty minutes. Keep it short and remember no violence will be tolerated here." He says before uncuffing Kasen and leaving the room.

Everything was still again until Kasen finally made his way to the other seat.

"You shouldn't be here." He says as soon as he sits down. 

The mood is instantly ruined as Leia scoffs before pulling out her phone.

"Is that all you're going to say to me?" She snarks. 

Kasen's eyes wander to her phone, and within seconds, he frowns. 

A hand stretches out on the table, signalling for her phone, which she hands over. 

With a few minutes of silence Kasen sighs before handing Leia back her phone. 

"I guess it's finally out, you shouldn't come close to me during this time. You could be implicated." He says, looking her in the eyes with emptiness. 

Those eyes of his couldn't help but make Leia more worried. She was curious to know why his eyes were empty. 

Was it for her, or because of the news? 

But as much as she wants to know, Kasen isn't making the task any easier as his face tells her she isn't going to get a word out of him. 

Drowning in sorrow, Leia feels her heart ache as her hand shakes, she needs to know. She just needs that hope. 

"I need you to explain this," she says before shoving her phone in his face that was showing today's headline.

THE ALLEGED SUSPECT, CEO GEORGE SKY OF SKY CORPORATIONS, WAS DECLARED TO BE THE FATHER OF THE EX-FIANCE'S CHILD.

Leia could still remember her grating voice from the screen as Janette cried.

'I didn't want to hide him' she says, him being her recently discovered 4-year-old son.

'but due to the circumstances surrounding his birth, I couldn't tell anyone that he was my baby's father. But I think now is the right time.'

"Yeah right. More like the right time to drag his name through the mud," Leia thinks to herself. 

Right after reading the news to him, Kasen pushes his head into his arms before he groans.

"I can't believe she did that." Leia says, rolling her eyes in disbelief. 

"You know, I may have always loved being on tv. It shouldn't shock you that she would use this to make herself more famous."

Kasen just nods before dropping his hands, and Leia winces at the tired look on his face, deep inside her, she is panicking as to why he hasn't said a word.

"It's all fake right?."

"..."

"You're not that kid's father right?" She knows she sounds desperate but she needed to know the truth and it wasn't helping that Kasen is quiet. 

Angry from his silence, she slams her hands on the table. 

"Answer me dammit!" Her voice echoes through the room but she didn't care, all she wanted were answers. "Are you really-."

"Do you want the truth, or what you want to believe?" He asks. 

Never has she felt a folder gush of wind that today as she stares blankly at him. "W-what? How?!." He raises his hands in surrender.

"Please calm down Leia. Getting agitated is bad for your health." He demurred in a soft tone but that's less than enough to calm her down as she stands on her feet. 

"No! Don't tell me to calm down. How did this happen? What happened, tell me!"

"I'm sorry," he says in a calm, sad voice, his face staring at the floor. 

Tears flood her eyes as she stares at him.

With hurried footsteps she rushes towards him, grabbing Kasen by the shirt as she violently shakes him. 

"I- I can't-." 

"Time up," the warden yells from outside, cutting Leia off as he opens the door. 

The Warden walks in and gestures at Leia.

"Your meeting is being too disorderly. I would like to ask you to leave." He intoned at her. 

She gasps for a moment before shutting her mouth, but then she nods and grabs her phone from the table before walking out the open door. 

Not looking back, not responding to Kasen's plaintive farewell.

Her head is swirling as she is escorted from the police station. 

As soon as she steps out of the building she catches sight of Mark standing outside.

There wasn't anything to say to him, neither did she bother about the reason for his being here. 

If anything, the mere sight of him, causes her stomach to squeeze, and she glares with all the rage she's feeling in her chest before storming past him, purposely knocking his shoulder with her own.

"God, I hate him," she thinks to herself.