Quinn POV

"Quinn what's wrong with you? Bella didn't mean what she said, she was scared. He obviously threatened her somehow. How could you hurt her like this?" Jeremiah growled at me while cradling Bella in his arms.

"You don't get it. She may not have meant what she said, but it really hurt me. Neither you, or Jerome, or even Bella know what I had to endure while trying to find out what happened to her. I searched for her for years only to come up with nothing time and time again. I joined the sirens and agreed to work for Barbara believing that might help me discover what happened to her after your Uncle took her away. I thought that perhaps working for a crime net I might actually learn the truth. They promised me that they would help me find her but they lied. They never cared about finding her."

Flashback
"There must be something that you want."

"There is one thing. Could you help me find a friend of mine? Her mother sold her to her Uncle as a slave when she was a toddler."
Upon hearing this Barbara's eyes flashed in anger as did Tabithas and Salina's. "I've tried for years to learn what happened to her. I've tried everything I can think of to find her but I keep coming up empty handed and it's frustrating."

Barbara smiles and places a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Of course we will help you find her. What's her name?"

"I don't know, but her Uncle's name is Zachary Trumble. I never learned what he wound up calling her. Her "mother." I growled "never gave her a name. In fact she tried to kill her on multiple occasions."

"Sounds like this woman needs to be taught a lesson." Tabitha replied her eyes sparkling with the idea of getting to kill someone.

"No need. She's already dead. At the hands of her son Jerome."

At this Barbara cocked her eyebrows "your searching for Jerome Valeska's baby sister?" I nod. "Huh." Tabitha whispers something into Barbara's ear and Barbara nods. Then whispers something in Tabitha's ear. Tabitha smiles and nodded before leaving the room. I frowned wondering what it was that she had said to her.

Continued flashback but from Barbara POV

I wanted Quinn to join the sirens but she seems reluctant to do so. Perhaps if I offered her something that she couldn't obtain legally. "Is there anything that you want? Anything at all?"

"There is one thing. Could you help me locate a friend of mine? Her "so called" mother sold her to her uncle when she was just a toddler." Upon hearing the word sold my eyes flashed in anger as did the other girls. "Of course we will help you locate her." Originally I wasn't going to help her find her friend at all. That is until she told me that the child had been sold like a piece of property.

"Her Uncle's name is Zachary Trumble. I'm not sure what he wound up calling her after he bought her. Her "mother" never gave her a name."

"Sounds like someone needs to be taught a lesson."

"Lila is already dead, at the hands of her son Jerome Valeska."

"Wait. As in Jerome Valeska's baby sister?"

Quinn nods and Tabitha whispers in my ear "perhaps finding this girl is in our best interest. If we get to her before her brother we could use her as leverage against both Jerome and Quinn."

I nodded then whispered "Jerome's Uncle works at a diner not far from here. Do whatever is necessary to obtain the girl." As she turns to leave I grab her arm "your not under any circumstances to harm the girl understand?" Tabitha nods and turns to leave but I whisper in her ear "Oh and Tabitha, burn your brother's file on Jerome. Knowing your brother, he probably had some leverage against Jerome."

Quinn POV

I wondered what they were whispering as Barbara continued to smile at me. I didn't like that smile. It almost felt evil as well as insincere.

"I'll check my brother's files. Perhaps there's something in there that could possibly help in locating her."

Tabitha returned a few minutes later "sorry, my brother's file on Jerome contained nothing of use to us. It's a dead end."

"Same here. No one seems to know anything about this girl or if they do they aren't talking. Those who have offered to give me information concerning her have proven untrustworthy in the past. They want a price that I'm not willing to pay. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help to you Quinn."

"How about you Barbara? Have you had any luck finding anything concerning Her?"

Barbara sighed "are you still hung up on that? I've been rather busy you know building a criminal empire. I don't have time to waste searching for someone who's probably dead. Just forget about her already and move on with your life."

Turning to Tabitha I frowned "and I bet you didn't look through your brother's files at all did you?"

"Smart girl. What made you think that I'd ever help you? You assisted in murdering my brother not once but twice." Tabitha hissed at me.

"You mean the brother who threatened to kill you and who stabbed you when he came back as a crazy undead assassin? That brother? Done make me laugh. Face it Tabs, you were just a sidekick to him just like all you are to Barbera is a lap dog." With that I stormed out of the office and I sighed in frustration. If Tabitha wasn't going to search her brother's files then I'd do it myself. I had just found the file on Jerome and placed it in a satchel when a whip wrapped itself around my wrist.

"What made you think you had the right to search through my brother's things? Put it back."

"I don't know what your talking about."

"Don't play dumb with me girl. The file put it back."

"Not going to happen. Why do you care about this stuff anyway? It's just going to sit here collecting dust. Why not put the information to good use."

"Oh we intend too. Helping you solve your stupid mystery is the last thing these files are going to be used for. Now be a good girl and put the file back. I wouldn't want to have to punish you."

"I'm not going anywhere until I find what I'm looking for."

"Fine. Then let me give you a sample of what will happen if I ever catch you trying to steal from Barbara or I again." With that I felt the sting of Tabitha's whip on my back. She continued to assault me until Barbara held to her hand.

"That's quite enough Tabitha."

"Thank you Barbara."

"Oh don't thank me darling. You see, like Tabitha, I can't have you sneaking around behind my back. Her brother's files on Jerome are a temptation. One I intend to rid you of. Hold her for me." Tabitha bound my hands using her whip and then roughly pulled me upwards so that I could watch what Barbara was doing.

"No!" I screamed as she lit the file on fire.

End of flashback.

"I have always fought for Bella and she has the audacity to say that she hates me because I betrayed Jerome by remaining friends with Gorden."

"Oh do stop whining Quinn! Jeremiah's right, You are being childish. So what if we had to endure a little hardship trying to find her. That's besides the point. The point is that she's scared. Her brother just died and your buddy buddy with the men responsible. Of course she is going to say things that she doesn't mean. She's scared and angry and most importantly, she's hurting." My conscience scolded me.

"What she said hurt."

"What hurt? Her questioning your love for me or the fact that she said that she hated you? If that's the case then you really are naïve Quinn. Bella wasn't talking about you when she said she hated you. She was talking about the others. Here let me show you." The voice of Jerome echoed in my head.

Flashback to a few minutes ago.
"I hate you! I hate all of you." Then quietly whispers "except Quinn. I could never hate her. I am however, angry with you Quinn. Even if you did love Jerome, you betrayed his memory by remaining friends with the men responsible for his death. How can I trust you knowing that after everything that's happened, you still trust men like them?" Bella asks me.

After seeing the flashback I groan. "She has a valid point. Why do we still trust Jim after everything that's happened?"

"Your my conscience aren't you supposed to know the answer to that?" I reply with a frown and I hear Jerome laugh in my head.

My conscience sighs "Because, in the same way Bella is like the sister you never had, Jim's like the father you never had. Yet, my trust in him has been shaken. I can't trust him with doing what's best for Bella. At least based on his actions, I know Jeremiah will do what's best for her."

"What makes you think you can trust Jeremiah?"

"His actions have shown that he's changed. At least, I hope he has. I mean, he does seem to want to do whatever it takes to rescue Bella away from Falcone and crazy hat. That, and it's not like you sprayed him with a special insanity toxin that would make him go insane." I replied with a slight laugh semi kiddingly.

"Ummm yeah about that. What if I did? Would you still trust him?"

"Please Tell me you didn't."

"Sorry Dollface, no can do. I had no choice. I knew that it would be just s matter of time before good old Jimbo managed to kill me. I had to leave something behind to continue my legacy. What better revenge then to turn him into the thing very thing he despised the most?"

"Jerome you... You!!! I'd call you a bad word but I don't want Bella learning it. If you weren't already dead I'd kill you!"

"You mean the word prick? Yeah, I have to agree with you on that. You are one Jerome!"

"True, but admit it, you always thought that I was a cute and ruggedly handsome Prick."

"Don't flatter yourself Gingernut!"

Bella POV

Despite not trusting Jeremiah, I let him pull me into an embrace. I sobbed into his chest. "Shhh little one it's alright. Everything is going to be alright. I promise."

"She angwy wifth me. She no like me anymowa." I reply in a whimper.

"Shhhh. That's not true little one. Quinn loves you. She will always love you no matter what. Isn't that right Quinn?" Jeremiah asks as he strokes my hair in an effort to comfort me.

Jeremiah POV

Quinn didn't answer me right away and it was beginning to irritate me. Holding Bella in my arms I walked over to where Quinn stood and grabbed her arm spinning her around to face me. "I asked you a question Quinn. You will Answer me!" I semi growled at her.

Quinn's eyes went wide in what seemed to be shock and fear. "I'm sorry Miah. I was deep in thought and didn't hear you. What was the question?"

I sighed irritatedly "I said you will always love Bella no matter what right?"

"Why would you ask me a question like that? Of course I'll always love Bella."

"She thinks you hate her because of what she said earlier and because of your response."

"Yeah well, I don't. I never have and I never will. Like I told you earlier, you don't know what I went through to find her. I've always fought for her and I always will."

"That's why I love you." I whispered under my breath.

"I'm sorry what did you say?"

"I said you'll have to tell her that yourself because I doubt she will listen to me."

"That's not what You said. You said something about love."

"I have a girlfriend and I have no intention of dumping her just because your back in my life. You mean nothing to me Quinn. You haven't for a long time."

"Dats not twue Miah. You poligise wight now!" Bella replied with a frown.

I couldn't help but chuckle at her cuteness. "She's lucky that's all I chose to do. She made you cry Bella. No one makes you cry and gets away with it. Good friend or not. It's getting late. Way past a little girl like yours bed time. Let's go home."

"No! Not till you pologise to Sissy. You made Sissy cwy. You a big meanie!" Bella replied pushing away from me and running to where Quinn stood.

"Pwease don't cwy Sissy. Miah just being mean. Me sowwy Me said such mean fthings too You. You fowgibe me?"

"Of course I forgive you. I want you to listen very carefully to what I'm about to say to you. Nothing you could ever do would make me stop loving you. Ok?"

"Otay. Me wobe you Sissy."

"I love you too Bella. I'm sorry that I lost my temper earlier. I'll try not to do that when I'm with you. It's just that I've been searching for you for so long. I thought that we could finally be together you ran away and I find you your with crazy hat over there. I was jealous and hurt that you'd want to stay with him over me."

"Jewlous? That's  silly. Me want to stay wifth you, but me not think me be awoud too. That's why Me wan away. Me sowwy that me make you sad. Me didn't mean to make you angwy. Me just didn't want him to huwt you."

"Hurt me?"

"Jawbis said dat if me chose to leabe him dat him would make suwa you got some of his sista's blood. Me know what hewa blood does to people and me Nu wanted you to get huwt."

"It's alright Bella. I'm sorry too puddin. I guess I was being a little silly." Quinn replied bopping Bella on the nose. Turning to look at me Quinn sighed. "So what now?"

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