He never saw it coming

Trigger warning - mentions of gun violence, illegal activity, and gang violence , and death

You know if you were to tell Cole Connor six months ago that he would be serving a life sentence for 15 different crimes, he would've laughed right in your face. Well, that is now his reality, if only he would have known looked closer maybe he would have seen it coming.

You see it all started that day he was taken off desk duty at work. "Connor the Sergeant wants to see you in his office now says it is important"Brian called out to him on the way back to his desk. Cole got his cane and limped to the office. "Hey Sergeant Brian said you wanted to see me?". "Yeah listen Cole I know your still healing up after the the shooting but I think I have a case that I can put you on" The Sergeant said to Cole. Cole was one of the best detectives on the force. After the shooting he didn't know if he could rely on him again. " Ok what's the case?" Cole sat down and propped his cane against the chair. "So do you remember last year when we busted that gang The Sparrows?" He asked "Yeah how could I forget, we busted in got half of them and then their leader Bullet Santiago shot me and escaped never to be heard from again". Cole told the story with nothing but malice, because of that psycho he was out of work for months could barely walk, lost fifty pounds making him to look like a teenage boy and when he did return he got benched. "Yeah I know,anyway turns out that Mr. Santiago has decided to make his comeback" The Sergeant said as he handed Cole the case file. Cole opened it, and read what they had so far "Looks like he is coming back with a bang, a bank robbery, jewelry heist and drug deal, but from what I'm reading here it seems like you have enough information to make an arrest" Cole said closing the file looking at the Sergeant in his huge eyes ,the Sergeant resembled a chubby frog with his pot belly and huge features ."We do and I would love nothing more than to put that satanist behind bars it is just all too obvious, I mean come on this man managed to escape once there is no way he would be dumb enough to be photographed at the heist with the money" The Sergeant said pointing to the countless incriminating photos. " True and we can't bring him in a man like Santiago there is no way he is gonna snitch, but in one of the photos it seems like there is one guy ,and here he is again he seems to always be with him" Cole said he had to admit the case seemed interesting. " Yes little sparrow the pride and joy of Santiago, and for a damn good reason this kid is the best with a bow and arrow he can shoot an apple out of a pigs mouth" the sergeant said impressed . "Odd choice a bow and arrow but effective, if these photos are anything to go by, alright serge I will look into it " Cole said as he walked out he grabbed the file and left for home.

Later at home Cole poured over the evidence in his office while it was clear that Santiago was involved, the serge was right, there was no way he ran this gang. "Hi hunny what are you up to?" Cole's wife Lauren asked kissing her husband. "Nothing hunny the serge just wants me to work a case" Cole said looking at his wife. She was so perfect,innocent ,virgil even with her gorgeous dark hair ,pale skin, and blue eyes she was so beautiful, he loved her more than anything. " Really hunny that is great you got this, by the way Violet is at a sleepover at her friends house" Lauren called out and went to bed. "Ok I'm gonna go I have a lead on the case" Cole said calling the Sergeant to tell him where he was going , after reading over the file he knew exactly who it was he just needed a way to get them talking.

"Well ,well ,well if it isn't my favorite pig, what can I do for you Mr.Connor?" Santiago asked leaning back in his chair and puffing on his cigar. "Listen I know about the bank robbery I also know that you aren't the ring leader, so lets make this easy ok bring out the little guy and I can try to get the D.A to cut you a deal" Cole said. Santiago put out his cigar smiled showing off his yellow teeth , Santiago was not an attractive man. He was short and skinny and looked like he needed a bath. " Connor you have balls but I will indulge you, LITTLE SPARROW COME HERE" Santiago yelled loudly. With little to no sound a boy who looked all of thirteen came down the warehouse stairs and stood next to Cole. "Hi boss" he said looking Cole up and down. "Hi could you please show Mr. Connor here who runs this place or maybe why he should keep his pig nose out of our business" Santiago said. Before Cole could say anything Santiago snapped his fingers and everything went black.

Cole opened his eyes only to realize he was tied up to a chair with an arrow sticking out of his arm. "Rise and shine cupcake, so you think you know everything huh ,what are you gonna do call your little pig friends to lock me and my boys up to rot, all cause you idiots figured out he is running this place" He said leaning in Cole's face. Cole struggled against the binds and winced when he hit his new wound. He couldn't believe this Santiago basically just gave him a confession not that he needed one he knew that it was the the kid since he saw the file. Santiago was smart but not smart enough to pull all this off . "Well seeing as though you just confessed yeah, but if you attempt to kill me the D.A and Sergeant will know it's you ,everyone knows I came to see you" Cole said smug despite the pain. " I guess you're right" Santiago said "Except you're not " a female voice cut him off. "Hi baby how are you?" she asked softly he looked up at the women only to realize it's his wife.

"Lauren what how?" Cole stuttered "Oh hunny don't look so shocked, what you thought a women couldn't run the gang I am honestly offended baby I always thought of you as open minded, Santiago you can leave now" Lauren said shooing him and the boy away. "ok since they left and you keep looking at me like I've grown another head I will let you ask any three questions you want" Lauren sat down in front of Cole her pathetic excuse for a husband. "Ok how long have you been in the gang?" Cole asked trying to understand the women in front of him"Run sweetie, I run the gang, but about 17 years I took over after my mother and every female leader before me just like our Violet will" Lauren said smiling at her husbands shocked expression from the mention of their daughter. "Don't you dare think I'm gonna allow you to drag her into this she is 16, what you chose will not be my daughters life" Cole yelled struggling harder ready to burst with anger. "Oh baby you are too late, do I have a surprise for you, you see she is already in, VIOLET SWEETIE COME SAY HI TO DADDY" Lauren called behind her. Then in came his daughter the spitting image of her mother just as beautiful if not more. "Hi dad nice arrow I'm a good shot aren't I?" Violet asked laughing and looking at her dad's arm. "What are you talking about good shot?" Cole asked flabbergasted . "You didn't actually think that shrimpy boy was the great little sparrow did you? , Cole come on I get men are innately sexist but really you're a detective" Lauren said looking at her husband in disgust. " Not a very good one I might add" Violet said behind her mother. Cole couldn't believe it the two women he loved most robbed a bank, jewelry store, and dealt drugs all under his nose. "So you're telling me that you two have been running the biggest gang on the east coast, so I'm assuming that means you shot me last year and sat in my face and cried with me in the hospital not even an hour later?" Cole questioned looking at his wife for the first time since he met her with the desire to hurt her. In this very moment he hated her and his daughter something he never thought he was capable of. "You know while that would have been a solid plan no... my son did" Lauren said looking and waiting for the realization to hit Cole. "What do you mean son we don't have a son, and if we did I would know?" Cole was starting to feel dizzy from blood lost and anger. "You're right baby we don't have a son I do, before I met you I gave birth to a boy and while he would be a sufficient heir I couldn't break tradition the head Sparrow has always been a women" Lauren crossed her long legs and smiled. "Would you like to meet him the other little sparrow?" Cole just stared at her he would never had guessed that there are two little sparrows. He had to admit it was smart putting men in the fore front having two little sparrows and making one a 16 year old girl it was genius. He looked at Lauren with a hint of admiration he always knew his wife was strong albeit he never would have guessed gang leader strong. "Well since you won't answer and I'm getting bored I'm gonna send our darling Violet to go get him , while we wait why don't you use your last question, and ask quickly I have business to attend to". "Ok are you gonna kill me?" Cole looked her in the eyes praying their whole relationship wasn't a lie and for a split second he saw it ,in her eyes the women he loved, longed for even was there. Just as quickly as he saw it the flicker was gone, Lauren wouldn't admit it but deep down inside she loved Cole if she didn't he would've been dead last year. Her son was a good enough shot that she could have insured his death. She just didn't think he deserved it. "No while that would solve this little issue I can't make Violet kill her father or watch him be killed, I love her too much" Cole breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh don't relax I'm not done with you yet while you will live you won't be free" just as Lauren said that a man appeared. "Here is my son, son please remove the arrow from Cole while I tell him the rest of the plan?" Lauren handed him a cloth and pliers Cole never saw her get them . " yes mom" he said walking over to Cole, Cole looked at the boy he was her son alright he looked just like her and Violet only with blonde hair. The boy methodically removed the arrow out of his arm as Violet returned with a syringe. "Now that we fixed that I'm sure you're wondering what my plan is, It is clear you have no evidence I'm the head sparrow so I won't go to jail and neither will my babies but you know to much so I will give you a choice either you leave the force and come join me as my partner or I will be forced to put you in a cage" Lauren looked Cole dead in the eyes she really hoped he would join her. She didn't want to hurt him, but if that is what it took then fine she was the leader for a reason. "No I love you but you will pay, I promise I won't hurt Violet or let her go down but I won't help you" Cole said he looked at his wife and daughter and felt like his heart was ripped out of his chest though she got him shot, and lied to him, and even through the blaring hatred he felt for them, he couldn't deny the fact he wanted his family back. "Well then you leave me no choice Violet go on ahead" Violet walked over and jabbed the syringe she was holding into his neck. "I love you Cole and I promise to visit you in your new cage, I will keep Violet safe" was the last thing he heard and she was the last thing he saw before everything stopped.

By the time he woke up some how Lauren had stuck the cops on him, and pinned about fifteen crimes the sparrows committed to him. As he sat in front of the judge waiting for his sentence he saw her out of the corner of his eye blow him a kiss and walk out of the courtroom. Naturally he freaked and started yelling that it wasn't his fault. The judge ended up sentencing him to life for everything. Six months later as he sat and waited for his weekly visit from Violet and Lauren, who made it a point to keep tabs on him, and to keep Cole safe in prison. He got the shock of his life. "Sergeant what are you doing here?" Cole asked looking at his old boss and good friend. "Hi Cole I came here to tell you Lauren recently brought to my attention you know about her leading the gang, and our son" The Sergeant waited for Cole to respond, he knew Lauren never told him that it was his son he liked the shock value. "So he is your son, are you here to help me?" Cole said questioning the man still, in shock . "No I'm not stupid Lauren is dangerous, I came here to say thanks you saved me from her hit list" The Sergeant smirked. "What are you talking about" Cole asked confused why would The serge help Lauren when he wanted The Sparrows behind bars just six months ago. "Look it was you or me, and when Lauren found out last year before you got shot that I was putting you on the case of the sparrows. Lauren came to kill me, I offered you she agreed only she didn't follow through. So when I found out she didn't kill you I put you on the case again, knowing that you would get to close and she would be forced to handle you I thought that would involve an arrow to the head not hard time" The Sergeant looked at Cole through the glass he really was a good man just got mixed up with some bad people. "Wow so you set me up twice" Cole was so confused, why would he do this they where friend, and on the same side" Cole was so tired of being double crossed by everyone in his life. " I care about you, but I love Lauren always have ,she was suppose to be mine but she met you and fell in love and you got her pregnant with Violet, The prodigal daughter, future leader of her precious gang she tossed me and Lucas aside for you, and I vowed to get her back seeing as though she is still married to you that didn't work I realized maybe if I couldn't get her back I could get rid of you, but again her love for you stayed strong so I decided to let it go, I can rest easy knowing you will be behind bars and can't have Lauren so goodbye be careful I put money on your books" The Sergeant left and as Cole sighed and went to get up the lights went dark and all of sudden he was being shoved into a private room. "Hey baby I missed you" Cole knew that voice it belonged to the love of his life, the women who put him behind bars. "What the hell do you want Lauren to hurt me , you already had your side piece, stalker whatever he was show up here?" Cole screamed he just wanted to go to his cell. "No I didn't, I don't know why he showed up here he will be dealt with, but I came to tell you I think you served enough time your punishment is over" Lauren smiled at her husband. "What I have life sentence for all your crimes?" Cole looked at Lauren this women has been the best and worst thing to happened to him. Lauren came and sat on his lap " I know baby but I miss you and remember you had a choice but I decided that I am gonna choose, now let's go baby we have an empire to rule" Cole stood up he took her hand and they set off to rule the underground crime world. As he sat in the back of her car and looked out the window he thought back to everything. The car stopped he got out only to come face to face with Brian a gun and his wife smiling. “Hunny meet my brother right hand man of the sparrows“. Cole thought he figured it out but he never saw it coming.