Stars of the day - a modelling show

Chapter 22

Felicity continues to try to get a few more words than just five out of Barry about his date with Hope. Somehow, she finds it amusing to see his creative ways of avoiding conversation. Flora cleans up the couch area and has therefore kicked everybody into the kitchen. Eric has made some coffee for everybody. Sebastian is still uncomfortable moving around too much because every wrong step or move makes it feel like earthquakes are going all through his back. Rosie tries to take his mind off of things by trying to guess the next challenge they all have to endure. So far, all she has managed to do is making Sebastian laugh at her stupid suggestions. Even Eric laughs now and then. "Come on! It could be joggling with eggs," Rosie smiles excited. The others shoot her idea to the ground with their laughing. "You're all such buzz kills," Rosie says annoyed but with a smile. Sebastian sends her a couple of loving eyes. "Maybe. Or you're just terrible at guessing games," he smiles. Rosie would have slapped him – lovingly – for that remark if it had not been for his back. "You're lucky you're disabled for a couple of days," she answers back in a cheeky tone. "Okay love birds, time to hit the sheets. Flora's about done cleaning the couch. Maybe we should lend you a shirt?" Eric interrupts. It is true. Sebastian's clothes have been so damaged by glass splinters and blood stains that it was right for the trash can. Until now he has not had a shirt on, but the bandages cover up most of his upper hot body. He is a model after all. "I think you might just be the same size as Barry," Rosie jokes. Of course, they are. They are practically identical which is what makes them doppelgängers. Just then Barry comes with a clean shirt for Sebastian making the others burst out into laughing. "Just on time," Sebastian laughs and receives the shirt. When the mood has become more neutral once again, Rosie tells the others goodnight and gives a Sebastian a quick kiss on the cheek before disappearing into her room.

Once the door is closed to Rosie's room, Sebastian's face darkens. Barry notices the sudden change in his doppelgänger's face and asks about it. "The fire seems too convenient to be caused by coincidence," Sebastian says in a dark thinking voice. Barry looks at him with a sinister look in his eyes. "I think you're right. Besides, it's ridiculous that a candle should have started that fire. I mean and the window! The fire was growing but it wasn't powerful enough to blow out a window and normally windows don't blow inwards. Assuming that the windows are regular, it would take an enormous pressure to break the glass like that. A small air canon would be my best guess as of right now," Barry says contemplating the outcome. "Wait! Let me understand this correctly. You, my dear cousin, think that someone was behind the fire and exploding window? Okay, say you're right, what would be the motive?" Felicity interferes. The doppelgängers had not thought of that. "How come Rosie always ends up being involved?" Flora asks. The others had not noticed her coming. "What?" Sebastian asks confused but her words start to make sense. The elevator, Robert, drowning, the fire. Rosie was the common denominator for all. "Is it possible that she would be targeted?" Felicity asks to set words on what they were all thinking. "Could this be connected to the murder of Linda Blackwell?" Sebastian says for himself thinking through every detail. Rosie's story about the disappeared research. Her coming here being a victim for all the horrible things that has happened. "Could it just be possible that the murderer is inside the walls of this building?" Barry asks. Sebastian cannot believe it. Rosie could be in constant danger and they first realize that now? Something does not add up but what? "Whatever that is possible or not, Rosie cannot know. She has experienced enough these last couple of days and we can't send her back into a mental cage of fear," Sebastian declares. The others agree unanimously. "Is it even possible to figure out if the murderer really is inside the building?" Eric asks. He does not sound hopeful. "There's only one place on the entire ground that holds the answers. My father's office," Sebastian says distantly. He is not looking forward to breaking into his father's office, but he is more scared of what he might find. "We have to break into his office but until we manage that, no one can know anything. We have to keep on acting like nothing is up. Nothing is wrong," Sebastian adds. The others agree without discussing it further. The others think that Mr. Smythe might be keeping the unleaked footage in his office which might be able to explain something, but it is not what Sebastian intents to find. His eyes are locked on another danger. "I better get to bed. Alana will kill me if I oversleep. Goodnight everybody. Oh, Felicity, you're allowed to leave the grounds, aren't you? Then maybe you could drive to the nearest town tomorrow and get some pain-relieving. Sebastian isn't leaving this room until I know that he's been taking care of," Flora says before disappearing into her room. Eric leaves soon too. Felicity says goodnight to both men and leaves with a smile. Sebastian expects that Barry would go to bed too but he is not going anywhere. "Okay spill it. What is it that you're not saying?" Barry says. Sebastian smiles. Of course, the CSI would be on to him. "Okay listen CSI, you can't tell me that you don't think something is off in this whole case about Linda Blackwell. I mean, her husband being accused of planning her murder? There's no way that is true," Sebastian says trying to stay off the real topic. "I've giving that a lot of thoughts too. I mean, it's not unusual that spouses kill each other because of the life insurance but Rosie's father didn't need money. However, the officers handling the case thought so. I mean, I've been looking through the case files so many times now and each time I get more confused than the former. So many things don't add up accordingly to a typical murder case. You're right that something isn't right about it, but I don't have the authority to dig into so old a case. My father reopened it hoping to find some clues other than the way of impact from the bullet going through the murderer's skull. So many things were covered up," Barry says. Sebastian raises an eyebrow. "Sounding familiar?" he asks. It takes a second for Barry to understand. "You can't be serious. Thinking that it has something to do with your father," Barry says struggling not to raise his voice. "Think about it," Sebastian says, "My father has covered up so many things just in the week we've been here. He has the power and the money to do so. Besides, where did he even get those money from in the first place? All he does is owning building and sponsoring different things. He can do that now, but he must have had something to start off his business. What if that was the money from the scientific research stolen from Mrs. Blackwell?" Sebastian argues heavy at heart. He knows how it sounds, accusing one's own father of committing murder. "That's insane. Thinking that your own father would do something like that," Barry says but he is not rejecting the idea. "Just... think about it. Rosie is terrified by him. She doesn't say but you can feel it on her. She gets tense whenever he is around and the way he looked at her tonight. There was so much hatred in his eyes. The only time I've ever seen him like that was when I told him I wouldn't take over the family business but focus on making a career of my own without having to be in the shadow of my family's name. My father has never been a nice man. He takes what he wants no matter the cost of others. It might just be possible as horrible as it sounds. Would you please help me dig into it?" Sebastian says. Barry is severely surprised, but he has noticed a lot of the things Sebastian was telling. "Fine, I'll help you, but this stays between you and me," he demands. Sebastian nods understandingly. He would not want to bring Rosie into all of this. "Thanks Barry. I owe you one someday," Sebastian says. Barry smiles flattered. "That day will come soon enough," he smiles before disappearing into the dark. Sebastian finds it hard to lay down but somehow, he manages to. He thinks of Rosie right before he is taken into a deep sleep.

Rosie wakes up feeling cold. All the drama of yesterday is finally sinking in. A memory flashes through her mind like a razor: Her mother smiling at her, taking her to the lake near the city to see the wonderful landscape and swim in a sapphire blue paradise. That's when she decided to become a swimmer. Her mother was there at her first competition. She won and her mother gave her a blood red flower. 'A rose for a Rose,' she had said smiling to her daughter. Rosie gets tears in her eyes. She never dealt with her mother's death. Never accepted it. Only knew she was not coming back. She dries her eyes and slips into a pair of slippers that Flora insisted on her wearing to avoid getting cold feet and ruin her pedicure. She wraps herself in a dressing gown before going out her room. She feels empty inside when she walks out in kitchen to make coffee for everyone. "You're up early," Sebastian says from the shadows. The coffee machine is still warm. Sebastian has already made coffee. "Couldn't sleep any longer," Rosie says trying to fake a smile. Immediately, Sebastian is able to see that something is wrong with her. "You okay?" he asks. Rosie smiles vaguely looking into an empty coffee mug. "Memories," she says, "They are a joy and treasure and a prison and price to pay... Some days are hard to come by. Some days I don't even want to get out of bed, but I do. I have to... otherwise I would drown," Rosie says emotionally. Sebastian does not know what to say. "I didn't know you felt this way," he manages to say. "I'm not good at dealing with feelings and emotions. That probably why we've had our ups and downs and we haven't even known each other for a week," Rosie says still staring into the mug. "Well, what do you feel?" Sebastian asks. He knows himself it can be difficult to open up to someone about one's feelings. "I don't know. Emptiness. Sebastian, yesterday I almost drowned and you got a window attached to your back. You'd suppose I'd feel something, but it doesn't seem real. When Robert had a gun pointed at my head, it didn't feel real. Nothing really has for the past 15 years," Rosie confides in him. Sebastian is surprised to discover that she never dealt or accepted her mother's death. "Nothing?" Sebastian tries. He is not mad at her for thinking that all this has not been real. When Rosie does not answer, he changes tactics. "Why won't you be called Rosalinda? Why always Rosie?" he asks. She is surprised that he would ask about that. "Rosalinda seems so awfully formal, don't you think?" she says avoiding to really answer. Sebastian lift her head up by her chin making her look at him. Tears are streaming down her cheeks, but her voice is not sobbing. He looks at her expecting another answer. She realizes her answer was not good enough for him. "Every time I hear my name, I think of her. 'Rosa' isn't even heard. All I hear is my mother's name and it tortures me because I know she isn't there. I can't come to her for advice. I can't feel her arms around me when I'm sad... because she's gone." Rosie starts crying. She always pushed her feelings aside but now she let them in, and they were drowning her. Sebastian puts his arms around her to comfort her. She buries her face against his blue shirt. "It's gonna be alright. It's gonna be alright," he comforts her, stroking her over her hair. Rosie cannot see the end of these tears. "I miss her so much... I miss her everyday... God, how I miss her," Rosie sobs into Sebastian's shirt. Sebastian is a little short on words. He has never really lost anyone close to him so he is not entirely sure about what Rosie is feeling but anyone can imagine some sort of grief, right? "How about your father? Do you ever see him?" Sebastian asks thinking that it might take off some of the crying. Rosie pulls herself out from he shirt and looks at him with confusion written all over her face. "Whenever I can. But with the court case and all this... I haven't been seeing him for almost two weeks. Does that make me a terrible daughter?" Rosie asks terrified. Sebastian is overwhelmed that she could even get that idea into her head. "Of course not! It just means that you are a busy woman. I'm sure your father would respect and accept that. Wouldn't he?" he asks encouragingly. Rosie nods. "Yes. He does, actually. But how am I supposed to visit him when I'm stuck in this prison?" Rosie asks. Her tears have dried up. "We'll figure something out. They can't keep us here forever," he smiles. Rosie is cheered up by his warming words. "You're the best," she says and hugs him cautiously so that she does not tear up his wounds or just touch them so soar as they are. "We'll figure something out. I promise," Sebastian promises. Rosie smiles and pours up a mug of coffee for both of them. She is truly grateful to have Sebastian at her side.