Never Judge

"Any news?" Cedric asked as his car pulled up to the third location they were visiting in search of Katerina.

His own wife had called him three times asking if they had found Katerina yet.

"No." Camilla said as she tried her best to hide her worry.

Cedric knew that Katerina and Camilla had a shared past, they were both abandoned by Camilla's parents after they had received the ransom money for Katerina.

She was Camilla's oldest friend and the only person that knew in the past that Camilla was connected to their fathers.

"Not at their shared home in Mountain View, not in Katerina's home, not in Eric's home, where could she have gone?" Camilla asked as she thought of the places Katerina could have run off to.

Suddenly Cedric sat upright.

"I think I know where she might be." Cedric announced as he asked his driver to take them to the school where the boys had all graduated.

Luckily, there was not much traffic since it was getting late.

While on the way, Ian suddenly called.

"Yes?" Cedric asked, surprised to see his friend calling him.

"Will you let me know when you find her?" Ian asked, his voice was cracking.

"Of course." Cedric said, not asking for a reason.

"I need to apologize, if I hadn't let them go. If I hadn't missed out on that small detail Eric would't-" Ian cleared his throat on the other line as he gathered his composure. "I need to apologize."

"I'll tell you when we find her. For now keep on searching as well." Cedric said as he dropped the call and anxiously watched as they approached an old familiar gate.

"Sir, the school is closed." A guard said as he came running up to Cedric's car.

"I'm sure you know who my passenger is, right?" Cedric's driver asked, as he tried to get them through the gates.

"Sir, I really can't let you in. It's for the children's security.." The guard insisted.

Cedric placed a hand on his driver's shoulder as he rolled down his window and smiled at the guard.

"Mr. - Mr. - Mr. Reyes, sir." The guard said as his voice trembled and he was visibly panicked.

Everyone knew who Cedric was, and everyone knew what he was capable of. The man was torn between his job and between doing as Cedric's driver had asked him.

"You can relax." Cedric told the guard. "My friend, I know you let her in. She's going through a tough time right now and I need to make sure she's fine. Could you let us in? I promise to give your bosses a call and explain things later on."

The guard still hesitated, worried about which option would get him in more trouble.

"Is it true sir?" The guard suddenly asked. "Did he really die?"

The guard looked heartbroken. Cedric knew that Eric had a lot of fans. It wasn't just women, but men who admired him, men who saw him as a model they should follow.

Cedric nodded and frowned.

"We just found out and we're searching for Katerina Sebastian. She ran off and didn't tell anyone where she was headed. I simply guessed that she might have gone here." Cedric admitted to the guard.

"Sir, he helped me get this job." The security guard told Cedric. "He saw me one day, begging, I was young, he sent me to school then when I said I was planning on working while studying he got the school to hire me."

Cedric's heart was moved by the story of Eric's kindness.

"I can't believe Mr. Eric is truly gone." The guard said as his head hung low. "Miss Katerina told me, but I just still couldn't believe it either."

"He was and still is a bright light to many people, but please don't tell anyone until Katerina has agreed to let the news go public, she deserves that at the very least." Cedric looked at the man, he could tell he was a good man. He knew the guard wouldn't tell anyone, but Cedric had to be sure.

"Of course, I would never go against their wishes." The guard said as he vigorously nodded and took a deep breath.

"So will you let me in now?" Cedric asked as he waited for the man to respond.

The guard looked around and nodded as he opened the gate so that Cedric's car could drive into the school.

As soon as they reached the football field, Cedric told his driver to stop and got out. He walked to the far end of the field where and old tree and some benches were.

He saw the frail figure of a normally powerful and intimidating person. She was sitting on a bench with her hair untied, flowing with the wind.

Cedric watched as Katerina wiped a tear from her eyes and looked down to touch the small bump on her stomach.

Her head hung low as she was clearly heart broken.

"Kat." Cedric called out in a small voice as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

Katerina looked up at him, her eyes, void of any emotions as she looked away once more.

Since she had not asked him to leave, Cedric sat down next to her, keeping her company as she looked up at the night sky.

Occasionally, she cried, but most of the time she simply carried a blank expression as she kept her hand on the small bump.

Cedric did not know how long they sat in silence, but he was surprised when she finally spoke.

"How did you know to find me here?" Her voice was shaky and clearly pained.

"Stories." Cedric's answer was simple, but Katerina nodded, understanding what he meant.

"I was fifteen, I think, and he was twenty one. He visited the school as a guest speaker. He called me and we were walking around the field when he first told me he loved me." Katerina chuckled awkwardly. "Of course it sounded so bad back then. Just the age difference was enough to make it awkward. But the funny thing was, I didn't mind, because I've always loved him too."

"I really thought things would be easier for the two of you after everything your relationship had gone through." Cedric said as he looked at Katerina, who was still watching the stars above.

"I've long stopped believing in happy endings, Cedric." Katerina chuckled.

It sounded sad, to which Cedric simply smiled and continued to listen.

"Plus, Eric and I have never really done easy." Katerina added with a smirk. "I just know that now he is no longer in pain."

Cedric and Katerina sat in silence for a little longer until another figure came running through the field, making Cedric freeze and feel uncomfortable.

He was actually worried about how Katerina would react if Ian arrived, hence he had not yet told his friend. And yet, somehow the man was now running across the field, ready to apologize.

"Kat!" Ian shouted as he fell on his knees.

"How did you find us?" Cedric asked, unamused.

"I pestered Camilla, but that's not why I'm here. I'm not here to explain or to give excuses." Ian said as he panted, exhausted. "Katerina, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. If I had made sure that everyone was dead Eric wouldn't have become a target. You wouldn't be in this pain, your child won't be-"

"You should be sorry!" Katerina shouted, much to Cedric's and Ian's surprise.