Disclaimer: House of Anubis belongs to Hans Bourlon and to Gert Verhulst.

Summary: When that Jerome kid had come offering his services, Rufus was very far from imagining the journey that was about to start.

Author's note: Please note that my first language is not English, it's French. If you find any mistakes or weird sentence, let me know, so I can better myself. While I know I am almost fluent and while I do read after myself and use Grammarly to help, sometimes, a mistake can pass by.

Second note: I'm so sorry for a such a long hiatus, life got busy and I got writer's block on this story despite having crafted a chapter guide! But recently, I've been doing some workout at home while rewatching HOA so, it kinda helps!

Twists of Fate
Chapter 6

Just one glance at Jerome had been enough for Rufus to understand that he had done his homework and confirmed their parentage. The young man had that mask, that faked aura of confidence, the image of an unshakable teenager, yet, as soon as he saw him, his eyes betrayed what his heart was desperately trying to conceal. He looked tired, destroyed.

"Hello, Jerome." He greeted him, his face and voice neutral

"Hello, Rufus."

Jerome had tried to compose himself again, determined to not let himself appear weak. A little too late, though the Betrayer appreciated the effort.

"Before you ask." His son started. "I don't have any pieces yet. I'm sorry for it."

The adult simply shrugged it off. To say Jerome was surprised was an understatement.

"I... I thought you were in a rush!" He stuttered

"I am." Rufus replied. "But, you are my son. I guess I can be a bit more lenient."

What worried Rufus the most was that he actually meant it. Had it been another person, he would have battled his urge to murder him, trying to threaten him to scare him so bad he'd lose sleep trying to collect what he needed. And somehow, just because that kid facing him shared his DNA, he found himself softer. More patient. While he had known him for just a few weeks, having met him twice or thrice. Family was dangerous, one of the many, many reasons he hadn't sought one. Family made people weak and he couldn't afford it. He knew all of that and yet, here he stood, facing a teenager he had fathered one night with a woman he had seen once or twice in his lifetime, giving in what he feared the most. Jerome took the files from his backpack and handed them over.

"Keep them." The adult said.

"I'd rather not. The Scooby Gang is noisy and they tend to search into people's stuff. Nina managed to even steal a key from Victor. If she managed to do that, she can definitely access my bags. I doubt you want this data going public. Who knows what they'd do, what Victor would do if he knew?"

Rufus couldn't help smirking.

"You're sharp. Even though you don't know why Victor's after me."

"I just know that the Scooby Gang believes he's a villain and they are wary of you too."

He took them.

"I had them double-checked." Jerome continued. "You... You were right. I... I also confronted my adoptive mother. She told me everything and beyond."

There was bitterness in his voice. The adult felt it. He also noted the "adoptive". That meant Jerome's biological mother had given him up for adoption or she lost custody when he was very young. Yet another blow he had inflicted on his child and he still could not understand why it upset him so much.

"Apparently, my birth mother gave me up as soon as I was born, after naming me." Jerome explained.

"You still got a family." Rufus casually remarked

The teenager had a bitter laugh.

"Oh yeah, what a family! My adoptive father disappeared from my life when I was four, my adoptive mother dumped me here at five, only taking me back during summer holidays and her only reason is that, once she had a child born from her womb, I became a burden, a doll she got bored of but couldn't throw out anymore. Those are her own words."

The adult scoffed.

"Still better than being an orphan."

"Yeah, after all, I was raised by Trudy, the woman hired by the school she expensively pays for her peace of mind. Joan Clarke left me here to rot and that's exactly what I did."

It explained things. It definitely explained things. He had thought Jerome a bit too mature for his years, he guessed he now knew why. And, for some reason, he found himself loathing that Clarke woman. He was no saint, far from that but at least, he did not adopt a child until he had one of his blood, then discarding the one he had taken in earlier. Children were the few people he considered untouchable. If he had to kidnap one to gain what he wanted, he'd do it. He would not like it, but he'd do it. However, he would not hurt him. He didn't start a family for many reasons and one of them was the fact that he knew he wouldn't have been able to manage his fatherly duties alongside his quest for the cup of Ankh. Jerome being born was a surprise, something definitely not planned at all. But that woman, she simply broke a little boy's heart because she got tired of her toy she had once craved. Pitiful. Families definitely were overrated.

"Nina and her group talk of pieces or puzzles." Jerome confessed. "If it's any help."

Rufus' eyes lit up.

"Do they have any?!" He exclaimed

"I... I think so." The student replied, a bit intimidated by the sudden change of mood. "I heard Patricia calling Alfie to help them solve a puzzle. I think they try to solve riddles that lead them to clues then to puzzles. I have no idea of the finality of it."

The man chuckled, giving Jerome the creeps.

"They're already so far!" He thought. "Definitely doing better work than Victor and his stupid society!"

He looked at the boy.

"Try and steal them from them. Even just one."

Seeing his hesitation, his expression got hard and stern.

"Listen carefully. I can show patience and tolerance, considering what we learnt and who we are to one another. But there is no way out for you. You're in until the whole thing is over. You know what too much for me to let you go."

"What do you need them for?"

He was scared, definitely scared but he had tried to face him. Rufus actually liked that.

"Those might lead me to what I am searching. I need them so I can study them."

"If I steal one, they'll notice. And they'll search. I might get busted. I'm off Victor's radar but I'm Alfie's roommate and he's in their stupid fraternity."

"Jerome." Rufus told him. "You are a boy with a good brain and actual talents. I just need a way to study them."

Their meeting ended and Jerome hurried back to school, he was running late for Mrs Andrew's French class. And as his son was going away, Rufus couldn't help staring as he left. His son... It still felt weird to think he had a son. A son who was so much like him in so many ways. And he still couldn't understand why he cared so much about him. It was annoying. As soon as he had learnt Jerome had his blood in his veins, he had started to suddenly care, to worry, heck, at some point, he had even considered finding a way for both of them to become immortal through the cup! Families were burdens, crutches and as soon as Jerome appeared, he had let him in under the pretext that he had conceived him one day. While he would not have even bothered if he had been a stranger. That was pathetic, hypocritical and he hated it. He had been alone for decades, he had been absolutely fine with it, so why was he getting attached to a teenager he'd leave anyway once his goal reached, son or not?! He couldn't even say he loved the boy, he didn't know him enough to be able to affirm he did. Rufus was capable of love. Deep down, he had never stopped being able to love someone. But this was a feeling he had buried a long time ago and then came Jerome and his eyes, inherited from him, exhuming the heart he had left behind long ago. With the simple fact that he was his child. A child who was his heir, in body and spirit, the child he used to be before all of this mess. Was this a sign from Fate? He didn't believe in coincidences. He sighed. Jerome would be the death of him but he too was too far involved now. He knew they were related and the boy had crept into his life with no warning. Rufus would win this war, he'd get eternal life, and he'd get it for Jerome too. He'd protect him until father and son would defy the Grim Reaper's expectations.

Because, now that he knew, now that he cared, there was no way he'd bury Jerome once his time was up.

He wasn't even sure that the remainder of sanity would survive this.

To Be Continued