jonathan-preston-blog

[jonathan-preston-blog]

rachel-delacroix:

Rachel’s smile brightened a bit, feeling a bit better about her choice to move away from Lucas. It had been years since they’d lived apart, and his codependency to her was a bit overbearing. Now he’d decided they didn’t need separate offices at work, but could instead share an office, specially her office and he’d put his desk facing directly in front of her. That’s how she’d found her office this morning. A disarray of her own things and Luke’s, while his office was now home to one of his many pretty assistance. Needless to say, she’d decided to take the rest of the day off. “Honestly I’m lucky to have even snag this place while it was on the market. The woman who lived here before was moving to Florida for early retirement or something. It’d only been up for a couple days and I managed to get approved. It’s funny how these things happen, like it’s fate perhaps.” 

Perhaps she was rambling on…Rachel tended to ramble when she was a bit nervous. Her mother hated the habit her daughter had, told her women should only speak when they had something intelligent to say. That was a bit sexist of her, but her parents were extremely old fashioned. Rachel turned to John as he spoke, smiling thoughtfully at his words as she handed him the bottle to set on the dining room table. It didn’t go unnoticed that his hand brushed against hers, the light skin to skin contact sending somewhat of a shock up her right arm. Their eyes met briefly and she smiled, trying to come up with something to say. It was rare the CFO could be lost for words. “I like that take on it. I’ll use that when my business partner claims I’m too much of a perfectionist. ‘Well Lucas, I apologize, it’s just ingrained in me, I simply cannot help it.’” She joked, turning back towards the kitchen counter to grab the main entree. A traditional Cassoulet prepared in a slow cooker she’d bought just a week ago. Rachel had been dying to use it that day she’d purchased it but didn’t have a good enough reason to open it yet. A homemade Cassoulet was just the thing. 

She turned back around to face him, Cassoulet in hand as they made their way to the dining room. Of course he’d looked all right when he’d showed up at her front door, but sometimes these kinds of jobs had mental scarring on the employees as well. The fires had killed many people, it was hard to let that go unnoticed. “I feel safe here. Just with all the people dying, I mean there are plenty of other people I’m far more worried about than myself. I mean one of our employee’s she’d…well, she’d just lost her brother to the flames, and they just don’t seem to be stopping any time soon.” Rachel sighed, placing the Cassoulet down on the dining room table. It was set now, but something in her felt a bit saddened. Perhaps they shouldn’t discuss the fires but something else instead. “Anyway though, I’m glad you’re all right. My business partner decided we’d be sharing an office this morning, that was quite the treat.” 

“Do you believe in that?” he kept his eyes on her as he asked. John wasn’t being cynical, his question was not meant as a challenge of belief. It was simple curiosity. “In fate?”. The longer he lived in Port Ashbourne the more he had to reconcile with the fact that not everything was as structured and clear black-and-white as he once believed. There were things beyond his comprehension, things that he couldn’t even see or proof by traditional means but knew full well that they existed. Maybe fate existed, invisible to people’s eyes but pulling threads together all the time. Maybe it didn’t.

Rachel was somewhat nervous in his presence. He could tell by the way in which she spoke, still composed and sure of herself but with a subtle difference in her tone and how she talked a bit more now. He wished she would not feel that way around him, but he could not help but smile a little as she spoke. “Glad I could provide you with an excuse” the Lieutenant stated with a brief laugh. He didn’t laugh often, he had few reasons to do so other than with his daughter, and whenever he did it felt like taking a breath of fresh air. That was further confirmation of just how much at ease he felt around Rachel.

After she brought the cassoulet to the dining room, he pulled a chair for her and then took his seat. Hearing her speak of her concerns regarding others due to the fires made him want to tell her truth he’d find the other night: the police wouldn’t be able to do anything to stop the fires because its source was supernatural. It wouldn’t break protocol to tell her since that wasn’t classified information of Port Ashbourne PD. They didn’t even know that. But John was hesitant as to how she would react if he started speaking about a phantom-like creature of fire. “I wasn’t alright the other night” he began, looking up at her as he decided to venture into the topic carefully. Judging by her reactions he could choose what to tell and what would be best left unsaid. “I nearly died in one of the fires. And this will sounds crazy but I saw something there, not just fire”.

[jonathan-preston-blog]

rachel-delacroix:

“I do. Thank you for thinking of me in your choice of wine, John. You get points for that.” Perhaps he would think she was being sarcastic, but Rachel actually did have a point system going on in her head. Ash and Luke were down about a thousand points each. The only person in Rachel’s life who seemed to be thriving was Johnathan. He was in fact a proper gentleman, probably due to his similar upbringing. It wasn’t that Ash wasn’t a probably gentleman, he was just…extremely different than Rachel was. The way he operated was very different from the way she did, and perhaps that was their downfall. But she didn’t want to think about that now, or about points- though John had surely just earned about three hundred of them. She smiled after he spoke, running her fingers down the bottle of wine. “Well. I suppose that means I picked a splendid place to live, then.” 

Rachel hummed gentle, and turned briefly to acknowledge the Lieutenant before reaching for a bottle opener. The end nearly pricked her finger because she hadn’t really been paying attention, but instead regarded him. “I always wondered if that kind of influence was bad or good. Come to think of it, I’m trying to figure that out about myself as well. There are many things I can thank my parents for, but I also think they might have put some of the obstacles I face in my way to begin with.” She gave a light shrug as their eyes met again and she peeled back the metal surrounding the cork nestled deeply within the bottle of wine. Perhaps most women would ask for a man’s help opening the bottle of wine, but Rachel was not one of them. Instead she began doing it herself. With the salad in John’s hands being placed on the table and the cork popping off gently in Rachel’s it seemed the night was going smoothly. At least for now, anyway. 

“Oh of course. I didn’t think I’d be getting any special treatment. I am a civilian, after all. Was just making sure you were doing all right, actually.” In his line of work, she could see his workload being rather stressful, and the deaths might lay heavily on his shoulders. Rachel certainly couldn’t do it. “I admire you for being able to keep your emotions at bay in a situation like this. One of the fires was not all that far from here, actually, and I keep thinking that well…what if this building is next? We honestly have no idea.” 

The Lieutenant smiled after her remark. Not that he had been expecting to ‘get points’ for it, but the light-heartedness and honesty in which she showed her appreciation were enough to make him feel content. “I think you did. And we’re lucky to have you in the neighborhood” he said, which could sound as if he somehow was welcoming her on behalf of all the neighbors. That sentiment was there, of course, but the truth was he was appreciated Rachel and was glad they might see each other more frequently now.

The salad bowl was in place and he glanced up meet Rachel’s eyes as she spoke. A light smile tugged at his lips as he listened to her, feeling he could relate to such a question. “I like to think of it comes down to choice” he told her, getting a little closer to get the open bottle from her to settle it at the table as well. “The good influence is what I choose to keep doing, the things that feel right. The bad influence is usually the kind of things I can’t choose because they’re just... too ingrained in me, I suppose. The things I wish I didn’t do but can’t really help but keep doing as force of habit”. His hand lightly brushed against her as he took the bottle. It wasn’t intentionally done but it certainly wasn’t something that would ever cause him to recoil and pull back his hand.

John nodded, appreciative of the concern. He was alright and he was safe, even if that hadn’t been the case not long ago. “I try to keep them in check, otherwise I can’t really do my job well. But don’t worry about it, Rachel. The seems to be a sort of pattern with these fires. I have reason to believe there won’t be fires of that kind around this area”. He was still wrapping his head around the actual situation, not the police case but the supernatural element to it. But at the very least it seemed like the fiery entity had a range and most burn sites were recurring. “So you should be safe here”.

[jonathan-preston-blog]

soulstream-npc:

The flame advances toward the Lieutenant, hissing and twisting like it had its own life. But between a sliver of time, another shadow steps in between the azure fire and John. Except that this time, it has an actual body– and a voice that whispers, “Don’t worry. You will see your daughter again.” A giant is the term suited for the man standing like a mountain. He stamps his foot in such might and strength, it feels as if the ground roared. A burst of life-force deflects the march of flame, leaving ugly scorch marks on the ground but him and John unharmed. “Are you alright?” the man asks. His eyes never leave the spirit, but his hand reaches backward to John. “I need your help to vanish it… so could I borrow your gun for a second? I promise I won’t use it.” He pleads politely, but there is a tempered command in his baritone. 

His thoughts stayed with Norah when he was certain it would all end, and even as the flames crawled impossibly fast towards him, the Lieutenant didn’t close his eyes to brace for the end. He was standing tall and staring at them. John didn’t even blink and there was a figure shielding him from the fire. Few things truly were surprising for a man like him, but the sudden appearance of the imposing stranger definitely was. “I am. Thank you” he managed to let the words out, his pragmatic side taking over again after the moment of shock to make him stay focused and ready to act even if he had no understanding whatsoever of what had just happened. Normally, the Lieutenant wouldn’t just hand out his gun. But John had always been a perceptive one and with time he’d only become better and better at reading others. He could see in the stranger someone that carried himself with a similar authority and discipline that he did himself. Someone willing to help and someone John could trust for this. Without wasting another second, he slipped his gun out of its holster and gave it to the man. 

[jonathan-preston-blog]

rachel-delacroix:

The wine was in good taste, Rachel could appreciate that. He’d picked a fine wine, Malbec was one of her favorites. Most reds, especially ones from France had a soft spot in her heart. They reminded her of home when her parents took her wine tasting on her sixteenth birthday. She had many fond memories of home, but less of her parents. Though they cared for her, the Delacroix did not show affection the way other families might. “You have good taste. I’m assuming you know its origins are from France.” Rachel felt a small smile spread against her lips as her fingers moved over the bottle’s surface. It had been hard to smile lately with the fires around Port Asbourne and the heat levels rising. Many people had been injured or had died, and she was trying to the best she could to aid those in need. This was probably the first time she’d smiled all week. Actually, it made her wonder how John was doing. He must be busy with an investigation into who the arsonist was. 

“Really? Incredible! No wonder we’ve been running into each other constantly. I’ve probably past you many more times in that very park. There’s a trail I like to run in the mornings before work, I’m there quite often.” She’d thought about purchasing a dog to accompany her and perhaps keep her company when she worked from home, but realized she was never terribly fond of pet. The dander, probably. She enjoyed them from afar, even liked to pet them occasionally but in the house? Never. They moved into her apartment then, and Rachel turned a bit so he could follow her to the dining room. “So you’ve got impeccable timing, I suppose I’m not used to someone being on time, I uh, was around a lot of people who weren’t as punctual as you are. But I just finished setting the table if you’d like to help put the food out,” Rachel paused, handing John a large bowl filled with salad. “Hopefully that’s all right.” She smiled, nearly forgetting to ask how he had been with the fires. “How has your unit been taking care of the fires around town? I imagine you’re on the hunt for the arson by now.” 

“I do. I figured you might appreciate that” he said with a nod, content to see she seemed to like his choice of wine. His father had made sure he knew a thing or two about this sort of thing, even if it didn’t play out much in his day to day life. Luckily, it was useful knowledge now. “I was surprised to learn I live this close to you. And that’s exactly what I thought when you sent me your address”. They had run into each other a few times already running errands around the neighborhood and John could only hope they would continue to do so. Talking to her during those encounters was always rather pleasant.

The Lieutenant was indeed a very punctual man, all thanks to his diplomat father. “My father’s influence, I’m afraid” he responded with a neutral tone, not really giving away whether Alaric Preston’s habits rubbing off on him was a good thing or not. As she suggested he could help out by setting the food on the table the man nodded and went ahead to accept the salad bowl from her. “It is” he smiled briefly and then turned to set the bowl at the center of the table. “It’s keeping us all very busy, for sure. It’s turned out to be more complicated than expected but... well, we’ll keep working to solve it. I’m sorry, that’s all I can say. You know I can’t disclose information about the cases I’m working on”.

[jonathan-preston-blog]

soulstream-npc:

The growl grows louder as it advances. It speaks no words but the malice in the noises is clear. It is obviously in pain, even without a form, even without life. And it doesn’t have any other way to express its anguish but through anger, the desire to hurt others. It raises its finger– or what’s left of it, and points at its next victim. The Phantom lets out a beastly howl, the kind of scream that carves primal fear into one’s soul. It sets itself ablaze in unnatural blue, bright enough to light up the entire street. The flame, it extends its tongue like a great serpent, scorching everything in its way. 

In the midst of all that darkness he perceived the creature more clearly, a being that wasn’t of this world. Its screeching sounds were piercing the night and bringing dread to the Lieutenant in a way he didn’t recall ever feeling. But fear doesn’t freeze him, not after the dreadful things he’s seen humans commit against humans. Jonathan Preston is determined to get out this place alive, if anything because there’s a little girl waiting to see her father when she wakes up in the morning. But in mere seconds flames are thrown his way and it seems like hellfire is rising from the ground towards him to engulf him whole.

[jonathan-preston-blog]

rachel-delacroix:

It may seem silly, but it’d taken her well over an hour to decide on an outfit. She’d even begun fussing with her hair until she left it loose around her shoulders, pushed back just enough so it wouldn’t get in the way of cooking. It seemed silly to try on this many sweaters and blouses for a man she barely knew. But Rachel was nervous. She hadn’t been nervous in quite some time, she’d almost forgotten the feeling entirely. When it came, deep seeded in her chest, she frowned in the mirror, looking at herself with a creased brow. “What the hell are you getting yourself into?” Rachel sighed gently, giving herself one last look before going to the door. The deep green blouse and pencil skirt would have to do

He’d been right on time, something Rachel took a liking to. She loved punctuality, even if her parents had instilled that in her at a young age. As the door opened, the first thing she noticed was the bottle of wine resting in John’s hands, then her eyes began to scan over him. He looked nice, a little more dressed down than he normally was when she’d seen him. “What? Not at all, you look perfect.” Actually, she rather appreciated he hadn’t come so formal, it meant he was comfortable with her at least. She smiled brightly, gesturing to the wine. “And you brought wine. I love a man who doesn’t show up empty handed. My father would adore that.” Rachel joked aloud, taking it from him as she let him in. Her new place didn’t feel as homey as the apartment she’d shared with Lucas, but it was rather lavish and neat compared to the way Lucas threw about his shoes and trousers when he got home. “Hopefully you found the place all right, it’s kind of tucked away behind that park out front.” 

Being who he was and moving around in the sort of hostile environment that was his line of work meant that John was extremely careful about what he expressed on his face and about his body language. Everything was a sign and a clue, so the Lieutenant always was in control so nothing was accidental or inadvertent. With Rachel, though, he felt he could be a little less in control of all that. He allowed himself to smile and seem more relaxed when the young woman opened her door. “You are in charge of dinner, I thought I could at least bring something to accompany our meal. I had a major debate about which wine to bring. I hope you like Malbec” he said as he handed over the wine to her. Hopefully he’d chosen correctly when he picked this bottle instead of a Pinot noir or a Cabernet sauvignon.

“It was very easy to find. Norah actually liked to play in that park. Turns out we’re almost neighbors, I live just four blocks down the street” he spoke as he tucked his hands into his pockets in a relaxing manner, looking around the apartment as he followed her inside. She had a lovely place, tastefully decorated and well organized.

[jonathan-preston-blog]

soulstream-npc:

When the shadow engulfs the streets, the night turns itself into something foreign. The darkness speaks to the primal fear in human minds. There is no light, no sound to measure distance or direction. The air feels suddenly heavy and hot, almost tropical. But nothing is as peculiar as the strange figure.  Whenever it takes a step forward, its leg– if you could call it a leg, repeats crumbling down like it was made out of sands and then growing back to take the next step. It glows in the dark, leaving what looks like fire sparks. It has no face, but grotesquely twisted skin and two empty holes where eyes could have been. It had no mouth but it moans and grunts. And it slowly but surely approaches the only person on the street.

It was all blackness around him, not a sliver of light could seem to filter through it. His eyes tried to adjust to that darkness. Nothing at all could be seen. His gun in its holster, stapped to his belt but the Lieutenant made no attempt to reach for it. He had a feeling bullets could do nothing against this. His mind immediately went back to the 2016 Blackout of New Year’s Eve, he remembered the foreign presence in the sky. He couldn’t really see it but he had sensed it. Since then his perception of these strange things had sharpened but it wasn’t sharp enough to be able to tell right now just what was in front of him.

John squatted down to touch the ground, his palm pressed to the concrete. His Psychometry could reveal to him what his eyes couldn’t see. A myriad of images played out in his mind, rushing in and ending in meres second, showing him people and things that had moved over this very street today, yesterday, a week ago, months ago. All he needed was what was here right now. Perceiving through his power allowed him to get a clearer image of the being, the entity, that was just meters away from him. It was sheer darkness leaving behind subtle sparks of fire.

He stood up again, perceiving as some hazy image the creature moving towards him. John knew what it looked like now, but he didn’t know how on Earth he could face something like that if it were to attack him.

[jonathan-preston-blog]

soulstream-npc:

The streets after midnight are completely deserted. There is not even one or two drunkards stumbling back home. With the moon hiding behind clouds, streetlamps are the only light. Just as the air begins to feel as if it shivers, a slender figure appears at the end of the road. The lights flicker violently before the darkness deepens in the street.

A call from Commissioner Norton got him out of bed. A crime scene, of course. A rather gruesome one, he found once the Lieutenant got there. All in all his unit worked the scene quickly but there would be plenty of work to do at the precinct when day came. John left the scene and made his way back home when the lights of the street flickered and died. It was all left in complete darkness. He remained composed even as he noticed there was someone else out there. He had no reason to think he was in danger. Not yet.

[jonathan-preston-blog]

@rachel-delacroix

Rachel had texted him the address with plenty of time to plan how to get there. He ended up walking because as it turned out, they didn’t live far away from each other. That would probably mean he would continue to run into her at the nearby supermarket. Perhaps in other places around the neighborhood as well. The prospect of it pleased him in some way.

Last time he had dinner with Rachel it was at one of Port Ashbourne’s finest restaurants so he’d worn his best suit. This time he’d been invited to her place but Rachel Delacroix was an elegant and classy woman, so it was hard to guess what the dress code was for dinner at her apartment. No jacket and no tie was his choice, losing the top button and rolling up his sleeves. All in all the Lieutenant still looked polished enough. And of course, having been raised the way he was meant that Jonathan Preston showed up with a bottle of wine for her and knocking on her door at exactly six thirty. “I hope I’m not underdressed” he man said as she opened the door.

[jonathan-preston-blog]

rachel-delacroix:

Rachel snapped her fingers in a triumphant manner, proud of her English still after all these years speaking it fluently. She still found herself thinking in French and falling into it when she became angry, after all English was her second language. Still, it made her happy to know she had gotten it right. Small things like old phrases or certain slang words tended to trip her up from time to time. She hadn’t meant to slip into the whole sob story with her and Asher. Years and years and years of talking about it with a therapist and Luke wore the topic thin. Perhaps now that he was back in her life and they had more or less mended things, it could stop. That was her hope, at least.

 A small smile pressed against Rachel’s lips and she chuckled lightly, waving the Lieutenant’s apology away with several flicks of the wrist. “No need to apologize John, I was just about to agree with you. I’ve…well, I’ve grown tired of talking about him and our problems. I mean it’s been six years of this constant pain and doubt, and I’m thinking now that we’ve sort of just…cleared the air I can finally damn well move on. And thank god. I’m exhausted.” She laughed again, feeling like a small weight had been lifted from her chest suddenly. It made her frown in the midst of her laugh, but not in a bad way. It just felt strange to relieve such a heavy burden. It felt good. No, it felt fucking great. 

Her hand rested on the side of the red basket she’d been carrying, shifting its weight from under her arm. These damn potatoes were getting rather heavy. His smile was reassuring though, and she was glad she’d asked. For a moment, his silence gave her pause. John Preston was a hard man to read, much like other men she’d known and she couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps she too like other women had a type. Actually she wondered if the feelings she felt towards John Preston were more than platonic ones. Rachel blinked, smiling, but with her brows creased. “Of course. Oh come on now, that’s why they invented dishwashers, and I’ve got a nice one. Wouldn’t mind the help in putting the leftover food in containers, though. Then you’ve got yourself a deal.” All right, now the potatoes were cutting off circulation to her wrist. She better get a move on. “Come to my place around six thirty? I’ll text you the address- oh wait! I haven’t actually gotten your phone number.” Rachel’d been walking away when she realized it, quickly rushing back to him phone in hand. She extended the device out to him, ready for the phone number. 

Her smile and the soft chuckle that followed were enough of an indicator for him to know she wasn’t offended by his comment. That relieved him, the last thing he would have wanted was to upset her in any way. It came as a bit of a surprise that she was even inclined to agree with him. “Good” he said with a nod, a kind smile appearing on his lips “We can even toast to that tonight”. Moving on was never easy and just as Rachel said, it was exhausting not being able to. But it sounded like now she could do it and that took a whole lot of strenght and bravery. It was definitely something worth toasting.

It didn’t occur to John that she might own a dishwasher because he didn’t, and the whole ritual of washing the dishes after dinner was very much a habit for him. “Good. We’ve got a deal” the Lieutenant agreed with a smile. Well, he was smiling a bit more than usual, wasn’t he?

Six thirty sounded perfect and he let her know so. When Rachel handed over her phone their fingers brushed briefly. It was hard not to notice the softness of her skin. “There you go” he said as he gave her back her phone, having registered his number. “I’ll see you later, Rachel” John spoke in his usual polite tone but there was a subtle hint in there somewhere that he was looking forward to it.

[jonathan-preston-blog]

rachel-delacroix:

Rachel offered the Lieutenant a small smile though her brow was raised in a sort of knowing way. “Ah well, what’s that American saying? ‘This isn’t my first rodeo.’ You and I have been here many times before, and if I’m correct, which I usually am, this is where we first began.” For some reason she had always been drawn to those who couldn’t give her the full story. Whether it be about their job or their personal lives, something was always a secret. Sometimes she wondered if people hid behind that, like a wall or a barrier they’d put up to remain safe. It was so much easier to be unknown than it was to be loved or remembered. But she liked Lieutenant Jonathan Preston. There was just something about him that reminded her so much of home. She thought she might hate that about him, but it only drew her in. 

There was something hidden behind his so casually put together demeanor that seemed a bit…well off to Rachel. The man standing in front of her was near perfection from the top of his well crafted hair all the way down to his polished loafers, but it was something in his eyes. Something that just seemed…uneasy. Rachel was definitely one to pry, though in this case she did not. John’s personal life was not her business, especially when it came to his daughter. That was far out of bounds and a special place to be. Though she didn’t know if talking about her relationship with Asher qualified as in bounds as well. The CFO tried to be as open as possible, and she really had to with tabloids constantly posting unrealistic news stories about her, but Ash might as well have been forbidden fruit. Especially now that he remained on thin ice with her. “Well, uh, better but obviously not yet mended. We’re talking but I’m positive it won’t go farther than that. I’ve been there once and trust me when I say I would not like to go back.” 

It was obvious she was far from ‘okay.’ She was constantly apologizing for things she didn’t need to apologize for or things that were out of her control. Rachel had been put together in entire life, groomed to perfection by two very prestigious doctors, but it took a group of three men, three men she was very close to, to break down those barriers she’d so meticulously put up. First, it had been Noah. Noah died so suddenly in such an unexplained way that it had left Rachel’s heart shattered. Just as she had begun to pick up the pieces, Asher left her. He walked out the door, left his wedding band on the counter and didn’t even look back. Of course then, six years later she’d learned that not only had Ash been keeping Noah’s existence alive, but Luke had lied to her as well. It was toxic, it was irrefutable and yet these idiots all remained in her life right now. Rachel blinked a couple times, trying to come back to reality and hold a proper conversation with a nice man. John was a nice man, probably better than the three- or two, really, she currently had in her life. 

“You know what, you’re right. I think it seems we could both use a little bit of pleasant in our lives, yes? And you’re alone for dinner this evening assuming Norah is with her mother?” He might be able to see what she was getting at, but she had not yet finished. “I would love to invite you over and cook you a nice meal. I haven’t cooked for two people in a while, but I have been regardless as a force of habit. Might be nice to have someone actually enjoy it other than myself for a change.” 

“Yes, that’s it” the man said with a nod after her mention of the phrase. The parallel clearly didn’t go unnoticed by her either as she even spoke of the night they met. The Lieutenant couldn’t help but wonder how many more times they would meet like this in the future, with her asking him things he couldn’t answer even if he wished he could be more open to her. It silly and most likely not that probable, but here they were, proving that perhaps it was probable.

John listened intently as she explained what her situation what with her ex-fiancé. Such situations weren’t always easy to deal with and there was a lot of confusion entangled with maintaining relationships with people who hurt you or betrayed your trust in the past. At least such was his own experience with his ex-wife and he could see that oftentimes such was the case with exes. “Yes, well, toxic relationships have a way of drawing us back in so it’s good to hear you’re set on not going into that again” he mentioned, admiring her choice to keep a certain distance while also working to not fully cut off a man that clearly meant a lot to her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say your relationship with your ex is or was a toxic one. That was out of line” he said with a polite tone, awfully aware that he’d given an opinion where his opinion wasn’t asked.

‘Pleasant’ sounded about right, but it wasn’t something the Lieutenant expected to get. Not in Port Ashborne. Not in his line of work. And not with his ex-wife trying to take his little girl away from him. “That’s right” he confirmed, as he was alone for the rest of the day and night until Claire drove Norah back in the morning. Rachel’s offer was unexpected but not unwelcome in any way. A light smile slowly graced his lips and the man found himself nodding. “That’s very kind of you, Rachel. Thank you”. There was genuine gratitude in his smile and in his words. “I promise I’ll do the dishes afterwards. Seems fair, if you’ll be cooking dinner”.

[jonathan-preston-blog]

rachel-delacroix:

She tried not to look as surprised as she felt by hearing the words, ‘it’s nice to see you again,’ leave the Lieutenant’s lips. “It’s lovely to see you as well.” The last time they’d seen each other may have been in passing, as it always seemed to be, but she did recall some odd night’s ago they had sat down to a meal at her favorite french restaurant in town. That must have been weeks ago, had it not? Maybe even a month… Rachel approached the man as she adjusted the small black basket she had slung under one arm. “Ah, well, I would ask what’s troubling you at work, but I already know the answer. That’s classified. Isn’t that always the case with your line of work?” It seemed to be with Asher’s as well. She recalled her ex-fiancee hardly talked about his job at all, mostly because it involved quite a lot of death, which she assumed Johnathan’s did as well. She was glad when the topic moved on to his daughter, who she did hope was doing well. 

“Oh yes, that’s right, Claire, her mother. Well I suppose she is in good hands for the day then, and it must be a lovely treat to get to spend it with her daughter as well.” Rachel didn’t know much about Claire, though she didn’t know much about John or Norah either. She knew Norah was seven, and that her favorite ice cream was raspberry swirl, but she only knew this from constantly running into John in his moments off. Rachel was starting to think perhaps the universe was trying to tell her something, though she hadn’t the faintest idea what. Stuck in this thought, she nearly forgot to actually answer John’s question. “How am I? Well, it’s been…a little strange. After the accident, a lot of things changed. I moved into a new apartment, and it’s a little strange being alone in such a bid space. I can’t recall the last time I lived alone, actually. Oh, and if you can believe it, my ex-fiancee and I are on speaking terms again, which is the last thing I believed would happen…” Rachel trailed off, eyes a little wide and her lips slightly agape. Hell, it had been quite the month. She sighed gently, laughing a little as she looked back up at the Lieutenant. “Sorry, I’m busy rambling on and I completely forgot to ask about how that case of yours is going. I believe you were hung up on one that last time we talked.” 

“You know how it is” the Lieutenant nodded, finding parallels between this moment and the night he met her. Rachel asked her questions and he couldn’t tell her much because it went against protocol to talk about certain aspects of his work. She sounded resigned to be kept in the dark and the man figured he wasn’t the only one who didn’t speak openly to her. He wished he could, but on that matter he simply didn’t allow himself to breach those rules.

He hadn’t said much about Claire to Rachel and he had no intention of talking about his ex-wife right now. Perhaps another time. He was more inclined to push thoughts of Claire away now that he’d run into someone as agreeable as the CFO of Kinnections. “It’s the least I could do” he stated back, his tone neutral and his expression somewhat serious. Things were rather tense between him and his ex-wife at present but John could be civil enough to allow a mother to spend a special day with her daughter. He preferred listening to hear and learn how things had been going since he saw her last. By the sound of it there had been quite a few changes, mostly for the better, even if they took some time to adjust. “Sounds like your relationship is mending. That’s good” he mentioned in earnest because he could tell that former fiancé of hers was an important person in her life, but he didn’t know just how important.

Jonathan Preston had always been rather good at reading people and that particular skill was greatly enhanced after his studies of applied psychology. Her expression was so telling even if it was a subtle one, with lips softly parted and eyes a little more widely opened than normal. Things had not been easy for her as of late. He was about to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but Rachel deflected the topic by offering an apology and aiming towards his old case. “Please, don’t apologize” he shook his head, too aware that his hand had stayed still by his side. “It’s a cold case now, that hasn’t changed”. His mind still went back to the death of that peculiar man even after all this time. If only because his mind still continued to pull him to it by throwing cryptic imagery belonging to the John Doe into his own dreams. Clues continued to reach him in that way, but they were never easy to decipher. Eventually he would crack the case, even if everyone else had long forgotten about it. “But my work is hardly something pleasant to talk about with others” he mentioned, offering a slight smile to the woman.

[jonathan-preston-blog]

rachel-delacroix:

@jonathan-preston

Ever since Rachel had moved out of her shared apartment with Lucas, dinner hadn’t really been the same. She was now cooking for only one, but still making portion sizes for two. Often times she’d just bring the leftovers into work and left them in the fridge for Lucas to take home. Their friendship and partnership had been a little…well, it was a bit rocky when she found out he’d been lying to her this whole time. Some part of her wanted to understand by, but the majority was angry. She was angry he and Ash had decided what was best for her, and failed to mention that their best friend was still out there in…Asher’s body…she was still a bit fuzzy on that. 

Her grocery shopping was done every Wednesday afternoon, but this week she had been booked solid all day and opted to go grocery shopping on Thursday instead. Needless to say her schedule was a bit off. Rachel held the basket in her arms, humming to herself as she looked at various boxes of cereal. Wait a minute…why was she even in this aisle? Rachel hated cereal- ah. But Lucas had loved it. She sighed lightly, turning to move on when she ran into a familiar face. “John, is that you?” The philanthropist’s eyes narrowed, trying to get a better look at the man standing to the side with a cart in front of him. He did look an awful lot like the Lieutenant. “It’s been so long. I can’t remember the last time I got the pleasure of running into you somewhere. Though it’s always a bit random. How are you? How’s Norah?” 

Claire had picked up Norah for the day. It was unusual for his little girl to spend a Thursday with her mother but it was Claire’s birthday, so of course he’d allowed that special concession to let his ex wife spend part of her special day with her daughter. The Lieutenant had plenty of things going on at the precinct -but then again when didn’t he?- and his mind was still reeling at times with the memories of that deadman. It had been months since he used his power to obtain information from the John Doe, and while the aftermath of it all had lessened considerably, it wasn’t entirely gone. He still wondered if those after effects would ever wear off or if they would forever stay with him.

After a busy day at work Jonathan Preston headed out to get some greocery shopping done. He needed to get various things but most importantly, he needed to buy Norah’s favorite cereal. He was putting two boxes of Cap’n Crunch in the cart when a familiar voice spoke his name. “Rachel” the Lieutenant smiled politely, as he did every time he ran into her “It’s nice to see you”. It was also nice to see she seemed to be doing well, considering all those things she was dealing with the last time he saw her. She looked radiant, really, which was unfair to the rest of them who were just gorecery shopping and battling to make it through the week. “I’m doing okay. Still dealing with some uh- complicated things at work” he responded, sparing her details which he couldn’t really give anyway. “And Norah’s great. She’s actually with her mother today. It’s Claire’s birthday, so... I let her spend the day with her today”. The Lieutenant offered a small smile before he went on to ask “How are you?”.

[jonathan-preston-blog]

gil-reyes-hernandez:

“Well, I honestly don’t know the difference. You’re a cop as far as I’m concerned. Forgive my mistake, Lieutenant.” Gil flashes a utterly unapologetic smile. He sits back on his chair. He begins tapping the table. There is a certain rhythm he follows like he is playing a drum part of a song. “No? You force my hands, good sir. Guess you should except a bad Yelp review.” He pokes his tongue out. “Whaaat? But I was told not to speak without my lawyer present– nah, just kidding. I just wanted to say that like in a crime show.” He chuckles. “Ask away.”

Everything from the tone of the kid’s statement to the way he smiled at him were clearly untrue. Not that it mattered, John was not here to establish appropriate ways of addressing him. “Look, mister, in your place I would consider getting a little more serious about this, considering that the way you were found in the crime scene shows that you willfully and purposefully tampered with the evidence”. John’s voice was calm and collected, but everything in his tone gave away the severity of the situaiton. “And you should understand that altering, destroying, concealing or removing pieces of evidence in a crime scene can amount to 20 years for felony tampering with evidence, or in the best case scenarion, paying $10,000 on state conviction”. The Lieutenant slipped his hands out of the pockets of his trousers and moved to take a seat, calmly placing his hands on the table, fingers laced together. The kid had been drumming on the table and the second John also came in contact with it, he allowed his Psychometry to do its work. Guillermo Reyes. That was the kid’s real name, confirming his theory that the ID they had been given was fake. Some more images and pieces of informations flowed through his mind, but John couldn’t quite make sense of all that yet, “I’ll start with an easy one, and I would advise that you answer truthfully, Mr. Reyes. Why were you there in the first place?”. 

[jonathan-preston-blog]

gil-reyes-hernandez:

@jonathan-preston

Gil hums a cheery tune, sitting back in the chair of the interrogation room. His wrists are shackled to the table, but he doesn’t seem worried at all. This afternoon, he heard an interesting case from police chatter– a couple found dead in their apartment. No sign of forced entry, no sign of struggle, no wound, no health issues… they literally just dropped dead, it seems. He knew it was risky to check out an active crime scene, but like always, curiosity got the best of him. Like he suspected, he found a trace of an interesting spell, almost elegantly draining a life out of its victim. He was so fascinated, he didn’t even realize a cop walked in on him. He ended up getting arrested. But this is not the first time he had to wiggle out of handcuffs. Technically, he doesn’t have any prior and his IDs are of course fake. Worried is the least thing he is. He will get out of here in no time. 

“Good evening, officer,” he grins as a man with a badge enters the room. “Can I get a lemonade? I’m rather parched.”

“Lieutenant” he countered to the way the kid greeted him, closing the door to the interrogation room “It's Lieutenant Preston”. John didn’t take the seat opposite this fool who had singlehandedly messed up a crime scene. Instead he just slipped his hands into the pockets of his trousers in a calm manner and stood behind the chair he was supposed to take. This would not take long, so why sit down? It was obvious this young man was not the person he was after, but he was responsible for tampering with the evidence that would lead him to the real criminal. “No, I’m afraid not. You’ll just have to ask a few questions first”.

[jonathan-preston-blog]

rachel-delacroix:

Rachel stepped back away from the Lieutenant and smiled. “Thank you, John.” That was very generous of him to say, though Rachel hadn’t done anything quite different than she normally had.  Ma Petit’s strict dress code met her everyday standards and yet she’d still felt far too overdressed.  Ah, such is life, she supposed.  “Of course. I tend to hear my mother’s voice in the back of my head saying, ‘stay poised, do not give so much of yourself away to others, Rachel.’” The CFO was far more open than her mother ever was, and even her own daughter knew very little about her past. It seemed strange that Rachel hadn’t known many members of her family, but most had died early on. Some in war, others from sickness. Her father was an only child, so of course there were no aunts or uncles to be met.

That was what it was. The relationship, that bond she had once had with Asher had severed many years prior to their visit at the hospital. Though it seemed quite rude that after five days of waiting by his side without a proper night’s sleep day in and day out, that he would dismiss her in such a way. Perhaps he was not the man she once knew. John’s words seemed to surprise Rachel, that reaction was quite visible. With the menu in her hands, Rachel let her fingertips smooth along the edges, a gentle smile gracing her lips. “That’s quite kind of you. It’s been six years now, and I hadn’t heard from him until Lucas- uh, his brother and my business partner, brought us here. I believe it was some grand act to push us back together, but Ash just likes to push away. He’s always been like that.” It had always been rather hard to decipher just what it was Asher wanted. With his life, with Rachel, their future and everything in between. There was something so disconnected in him, and perhaps Rachel was a little too good at ignoring it until it blew up in her face. “I’m sorry I’m rambling. I usually don’t share this much in one sitting.” It did surprise her that she’d been so open about her troubles with Asher. So often Lucas had to pry and push at her before she’d finally break down over a glass of wine. Was this a new Rachel? One that was put up with the shit these men had caused in her life?

“Great, it’s settled then.” Rachel’s attention had diverted from the menu to John briefly, but could see the case he’d been working on hadn’t gone any further. The look in his eyes mixed with the dismissal of the topic was enough to change the subject. “Ah, well you’ve come to the right person for recommendations. I come here far too often, they actually serve various French dishes and they remind me quite well of my hometown.” Humming to herself Rachel looked down at the menu again, narrowing her eyes as she read over the small printed text. “Let’s see…the Beef Bourguignon is one of my absolute favorites. Also the Spinach Quiche is very good, and I can’t say you could go wrong with the Cassoulet. If you’re up for dessert afterwards their Crepes are to die for.”

He could relate to some extent to her words since he had experienced that with his family. What was it with rich people of high society and wanting to appear as stoic as possible? His father was that way and his wife as well to some degree. John was never as good at it as they were, mainly because he didn’t actually try. Not anymore, anyway. He wasn’t the most extroverted and expressive person but that didn’t mean he didn’t allow himself to feel things. He had a hardened and serious exterior but Jonathan Preston was deeply empathetic as it turned out. It was evident in his interactions with Rachel, because even if he was a man of protocol and could be as commanding as his position of Lieutenant demanded, he was a man who cared. “You apologize a lot for things that you really shouldn’t have to” he pointed out with a subtle and kind smile “I don’t want you to feel like you shouldn’t talk, Rachel. If you want to I’m more than happy to hear you out, maybe offer support or advice if you want it. I like to think we can be honest with each other” he spoke in that calm way he had of speaking, with resolution and that cadence that was even pleasing to the ear.

“Lucky me, in that case I hope you can give me a recommendation for what dish to order” the Lieutenant closed the menu, deciding to look no further and trust Rachel’s expertise about this restaurant. “Beef Bourguignon sounds good” he decided, trying to recall when was the last time he had such a dish. Probably during that trip to France with his father and Anne Marie. They specifically went to Bourgogne because the woman wanted to try that dish in the land where it originated from. So the food served here reminded her of her home. “And what part of France are you from?” John asked, curious about that detail since she just mentioned how she remembered it.

[jonathan-preston-blog]

rachel-delacroix:

“You look lovely, Lieutenant.” Rachel said near the man’s ear when they came in close. When John walked in, she’d seen him eyeing the other man around him, most in Versace. They had a strict dress to impress policy at the restaurant, one that required all men to wear suits and women to dress in business casual or everyday formal wear. Rachel figured John might be used to a place like this growing up the way he had similarly to her own upbringing. Though it didn’t matter to her if his suit was made of designer fabrics. “Ah, yes. Last time we ran into each other I must have looked rather distraught.” The CFO sighed gently, folding the napkin gently over her slightly bare knees. Asher was indeed a topic that gave the woman pause, considering she’d hired a strange, mysterious man to follow him around town. She no longer trusted either O’Conner after she’d found out they’d lied to her for quite some time. Noah wasn’t alive, psychically, but spiritually he was here with them. That was enough to twist Rachel’s arm into going against their own trust with her. 

“He’s doing well, or at least he was when I saw him last. We haven’t spoken since the day he woke up. Unfortunately he made it very clear he no longer wanted to see me.” The tight lipped smile remained, but her gaze faltered from his briefly to look down at the menu sprawled out in front of her. It was indeed still a very fresh wound. “Ah you know how relationships go. They’ve never been easy.” Understatement of the year, she supposed, but regardless Rachel pressed on. Wine. Worry about the wine, Rachel Marie. Looking back down at the menu, she flipped through the wine list, finger pressed against a rather familiar aged French wine. “I’m thinking a bottle of the Chateau Lafite Rothschild. It’s a very fine wine, it comes from my hometown, actually.” Rachel looked up and met John’s gaze once more, trying her best to stay positive and polite. “So how have you been with the John Doe case? You seemed quite distraught over the matter when we last spoke.” 

“I could say the same about you” the man said in earnest, since the CFO looked as poised and graceful as ever. He’d found over their encounters that it wasn’t a matter of mere appearance, it was due to the way Rachel carried herself. “Your ex-fiancé was in a complicated situation, it was to be expected” he replied since it was perfectly understandable that she was feeling that way. It wasn’t something to be ashamed of, something for which she should give explanations or justifications. Someone she loved was at risk of never waking up, after all.

“I’m sorry to hear that” the Lieutenant told her with honest sympathy. He didn’t mean to pry but he could see right past her facade of that lingering smile and why she had to avert her eyes to the menu. He had no idea what her ex-fiancé’s reasons were for not wanting to see her, but John found it hard to even comprehend “I find it hard to believe that anyone would want that”. He had to agree relationships were very complicated at times. People sometimes loved each other but that didn’t necessarily mean they were right for one another or that things could work out. His marriage to Claire was a testament to that. Once toxic patterns appeared love could begin to fade, as he’d learned. “It sounds good. I’d love to try it” John replied with a polite smile, reaching for the napkin to place it on his lap. The case of the mysterious man wasn’t something the Lieutenant wished to discuss. A short reply would do before a change of topic. “It’s a cold case now” he said with an air of finality, like nothing else could be said about such a case. It was the truth, after all, the case had indeed been closed and deemed as unworthy of further investigation. “I’ve never come to this place before, do you have any good recommedations?” the policeman glanced up from the menu after giving it a quick scan, looking at Rachel.