Teenagers

Phil

I didn't like the idea of her being alone at the moment. I followed her out and watched as she ran to a bush. It sounded like she puked. She turned around and sank to the ground. I ran across and kneeled in front of her, "are you okay?"

She nodded, "I'm fine."

"You don't look like it."

"I just need some water."

I helpped her to her feet and nearly carried her back to the casino and into the workers bathroom, a unisex room so I didn't feel akward about it. She washed her face and sank down onto the floor.

"Maybe I should take you to the hospital?"

She shook her hand, "I know what's wrong with me."

"If you're sick you-"

"I'm not sick," she intergected.

"You threw up, you're sick."

"I'm pregnant."

Ouch, I didn't know she was married. "Why would your husband let you come around to a casino where you-"

"I'm not married."

Senra:

Senra jumped up and ran to the toilets again. She emptied more from her stomach before going ot the sink rinishing out her mouth again.

"Then your boyfriend shouldn't....." He started again.

"I don't have a boyfriend!" She said spinning around and looking at him. "I don't know who the father is, and I DON'T want to know." Tears pushed into her eyes again and she turned to leave everythign around her going black. Not now! She cried to herself. She passed out when she got really upset after being sick.

Kaleb:

Kaleb looked down at Rosie then back up at Colt. "What am I going to do?" He asked.

"She'll be back." He replied. "Don't worry."

"But if she did go to her dad's, what if he hurts her?" He demanded. Colt nodded.

"That would be bad. But she will take care of herself." Colt replied.

"I can'd take the chance, I hope Annie's friend can find her."

Colt:

Colt nodded. "Me tooo." He replied smiling. "She will, I'm pretty sure she is good at what she does. That's the only way a woman could last in that buisness."

"But why would she have come out here?" Kaleb asked.

"She had to talk to Annie, it seemed urgent." Colt shrugged. "I don't know what it was though."

Sybyla

I dropped the envelope on the table and pushed it to my dad. "This is what I've been up to."

He glared at me and then at the envelope before he bitterly picked it up and slid the pictures onto the counter. "You've had a kid?"

I nodded, "she's beautiful."

He smiled slightly, had I done it? "She is." He flipped to the next picture and his smile turned into a scowl. "Who is this?"

"Kaleb, my husband and baby's father."

I woke with a start though this dream hadn't ended like the others but it had scared the living daylights out of me just the same. I waited for Kaleb's arms to come around me and protect me, but they never came.

Thats what reminded me that I was in the hotel a mile away from my old home. I picked up my cell phone and dialed the number.

"Kaleb?" I said tentively.

"Sybyla!"

"How's Rosie?"

"She misses her momma."

I closed my eyes and whiped the tears away from my eyes, "I miss her too."

"Then come home love," he pleaded.

"I have to do this first."

"Do what?"

"I'll call you later, I love you."

"Love you too but Syb-"

"Goodbye," I breathed and hung up before he could finish.


Annie

"Did she just call you?" I asked in astonishment.

Kaleb nodded. "Yeah."

"Wow, this is going to be easier than we thought," Colt said.

Kaleb looked confused, "why?"

"We can track her cell phone."

Senra:

Senra woke up with a wet cloth on her forehead. She saw Phil and she groaned. She tried to sit up but he wouldn't let her. "Stay still, you fainted."

"I'm not a whimp who faints." She growled. SHe pushed herself up, bad move, it started to go black again. He must've known cause he gently pushed her back on whatever she was laigng on. It was a small couch in the bathroom.

"Course not." He replied. "How long ago were you raped?" She swallowed hard.

"Excuse me." She nearly whimpered. He just looked at her. "A couple weeks ago." She said looking away from him.


Kaleb:

"Your kidding!" He gasped.

"Nope." Colt replied.

"I'm sure your friend will know all about that." HE said smiling at Annie.



Colt:

Colt looekd at Annie she seemed hesitant.

"I'm not sure she should get in this." Annie said.

"Why not? She said she would." Kaleb said despratly.

"She's had a hard time." She said. "That's all I can say."

"We'll see what she says." Kaleb replied looking at teh sleeping Rosie. "She said she would, I hope she does."

Phil

I put another wet rag on her forhead. "Do you live alone?"

She nodded.

I sighed, "an alarm system?"

She shook her head. Now I was getting annoyed, she was far too beautiful and vunerable to live like that, how could she not expect something to happen? I didn't want to yell at her or blame her or whatever stupidity was gonig to come out of my mouth so I simply remained silent for a while.


Annie

"I'll give her a call and see how she's doing," I said and walked to a corner of the room. I dialed the phone but it switched right to voice mail. She probably had gone to sleep or something of that ilk. I sighed and pried my shoes back on.

"Where are you going?" Colt asked gruffly.

"I have to go back to work."

"Shift's over," he said.

"I have to work double tonight," I sighed, "oh well overtime." I started to walk away but he grabbed my hand and pulled me back, I lost my balence and fell into his arms again. This was starting to be a habit. I couldn't help but enjoy it though. I felt wonderful.

But Kaleb was in the room, I straightened myself back up smiled and said "I really have to go back to work."

"You have been working for 12 hours already."

"Thats my normal shift."

"What's the add on?"

I cringed, "another 12 hours."

"Annie!" He threw up his arms in exasperation I took the advantage to bolt out of the room.

Colt:

Colt frowned crossing his arms. That girl was getting to be a handful, where was Phil, he needed to do something tonight to get his mind off Annie, there was a bar in the casino, but he dispised drunks, he wouldn't get drunk though. HE chewed his lip, no, he was going to stay close to Annie. He walked out to the bar and sat down watching Annie, he ordered a virgin pinocolda and watched her work for the rest of the night anger boiling up inside of him. She shouldn't have to work so much.


Senra:

Senra could see the detaste in his eyes. Fury even. She wanted to shrink away. She slowly stood up and balanced herself. "I-I-I should get to my hotel room." She stuttered making her way to the door. His strong hand grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"What hotel?" He asked.

"The Baylor, down the street." She saw more anger rise in his eyes and she frowned.

"That's the most unsecure hotel in town!" He growled.

"It's the cheepest and I can take care of myself!" She hissed.

"Obviously." She froze, that had been low, really low. Tears pushed at her eyes, she wasn't about to even let him get to her. She had never let anyone else get to her why the heck was she letting him.

"Whoever managed to sneak up on me was really good at it and an idiot at the same time." She yanked her arm away. "Must've had bad tastes too." She spun around and stormed out the door her head feeling faint. She needed to sit down, but she couldn't, she had to get away from him. He made her feel weird.


Kaleb:

Kaleb rocked Rosie, he needed to get her home and fed, she was getting fussy. Colt would call him with that PI's number in a little bit. He felt lonely, real lonely.

Sybyla

I paced back and forth in my hotel room...

Rosie...

I picked up the phone and dialed the home number, he probably would be sleeping and didn't keep the home phone in the room.

The answering machine picked up.

"Hi, I just called to say I love you both and that Rosies formula is in the very back of the fridge, but you should know theres a whole bunch of premixed stuff in there. I love you bye."


Annie

I stopped by Colt's seat to refil his drink. "Why would they schedule you for a twenty four hour shift?" he growled.

"I...I asked for it."

His eyes widened and he scowled at the same time, "why?"

"I...I'm behind on a couple bills, and I'm saving for a vacation, I don't really mind the long hours."

"Twenty four hours is more than long."

Colt:

Colt was furious. He looked at her and shook his head. "Annie, you will kill yourself. Why not try you hand at cards or something, don't work yourself to death." He replied softly.

"Because this is more honest." She said softly.

"So is cards, your not going to be able to go on a vacation if you are sick."

Kaleb:

Kaleb got home as soon as the answering machine clicked off. He listened to it then message and grabbed the formula feeding Rosie. He wanted to talk to her, but he knew not to call her and push her. He needed to talk to that PI.

Annie

"I haven't even got it booked yet," I protested, "nor do I know where I'm going."

"So why are you doing this?"

"Because I know I want one, and I need to take control of my life."

I tried to walk away but he held onto my hand, "just try one round of cards?"

Cards was not the way to earn my right place, or whatever I had felt was lacking earlier. "I like honest work."


Phil

I caught Senra as she fell back, fainting again. I sighed and sat her back on the couch, putting the cold compress back on her head. She glared at groggily. I ignored it and whiped the sweat off of her forehead.

"I'm sorry I lost my temper," I said. "I just hate to see people put themselves in danger when theres no real cause."

She sighed skeptically.

"You're too beautiful to risk yourself like that."

She laughed wryly, "I am not beautiful."

"Oh really?"

"Yes."

"You are beautiful, probably the most genuinely beautiful person I've ever met. Inside and out."

"You only just met me."

"I'm a master at first impressions."

Senra:

Senra pushed herself up. She wanted to leave now. "YA, and I'm not pregnate." She pushed herself up and started towards the door. He picked her up and laid her back down on the bed. "If you don't let me go I'll hurt you!" She growled. He raised his eyebrows and looked at her.

"Oh really, cause last I checked I'm twice your size." He smiled.

"I'm sure I can still hurt you!" She frowned.

"No, you couldn't." Even though she should be flaming mad at him and should hurt him just for it, it didn't sound that bad. She couldn't figure it out. She felt protected. She took a deep breath.

"Please just let me go." She said. Suddenly she felt her emotions boiling, the side effect that she had figured out didn't help her on the job.

"Not until I know you aren't going to faint and that you aren't going back to that dump."

"I don't have anywhere else to go." She said tears pushing at her eyes. She fought them though.

"How about Annie's?"

"She's working double shift, she won't be there." She suddenly froze. She couldnt' let him be a gentlemen. "I could ask her though."


Colt:

Colt shook his head. "I'm of mind to tell the boss you aren't workin another shift and takin you home." He growled. "You'll work yourself to death."

"Why are you so worried?" She demande.d

"CAuse I like you, Annie." He admitted looking her in the eyes.

Annie

"I'm stronger than you think," I said starting to get annoyed.

"How many more twenty four hour shifts are you going to work this month?"

I counted up in my head, "Seven."

"Damnit Annie!" He growled getting to his feet. "I don't want you to get hurt."

I stared at him, I didn't know why I was so angry I just was. I was also terrified. I had the terribul tendency to mess things up.

"I won't get hurt," I said, I kissed his cheek and went back to work.

Colt:

Even though Colt's cheek tingled like all hell he was still mad. He stormed after her.

"IF you think that you can confuse me that easy your right. But I still don't think you should do this. Annie, for goodness sakes there has to be some other way to do the same thing, some other clean way." He crossed his arms. "I will not allow this."

"YOu have no say in it." She replied. He froze.

"No, but I'm good friends with the boss."

"YOU WOULDN"T!" She yelled at a whisper.

"If it keeps you from getting sick I sure as heck will!"

SEnra:

When SEnra saw Annie and the bigger man in a heated debate she walked over quickly even though it didn't help her feel any better.

"Something wrong, Annie?" She asked glaring at the man.

"No." Annie replied, a tad to quick for her likes.

"I need to talk to you." She looked at Phil and Colt. "Alone!"

Annie

I was more than willing to get away from Colt, at least for right now. I led the way into the female bathroom to insure the men wouldn't follow us. Scowling I leaned against the wall, "thanks I wanted to break his nose."

"Mind if I hang out at your apartment for today?"

I smiled, "you're more than welcome hon." I said pulling my keys out of my pocket. I wanted to go home with her and catch up but I didn't want to give Colt the satisfaction. But he was right, it wasn't healthy.

"Are you going to come back with me?" she asked hopefully.

I paused, she had asked, valid excuse. "Yeah," I said with a smile, "I'm working overtime now anyways."

She smiled, "thank you."

Senra:

Senra felt better that she wouldn't have to worry about Phil worrying about her. "Come on, let's go, it's a good walk." Annie smiled. Senra nodded and followed her out of the bathroom. The guys were waiting.

"Now, Annie, you can't...." Colt started.

"I'm going home, thanks, me and Senra have some catching up to do." Annie smiled.

"Good, but neither of you is walking." He said setting his jaw. Senra looked at him, he was probably used to getting his way.

"We can take care of ourselves. Being a PI means I know how to." Senra said firmly. Phil growled.

"We went over that." He said looking at her.

"Yes, we did. " Senra glared.


Colt:

"Well, doesn't matter one way or the other. Either we walk with you or you ride with us. You pick, you'd have to ride with Phil though, I only have my bike." Colt said.

"We're walking." Annie said firmly at the mention of the bike.

"Then we are too." Phil said firmly.

"We'll be fine!" Senra said. "I need you to get ahold of your friend anyway so I can start on trackin down his wife." She thought she had won.

"I'll call him once I know y'all are safely at home." He replied.

Annie

I glared at Colt and Phil, but truth be told I didn't want to be too far away from him. We got out onto the side walk and the first thing I did was pull my shoes off my feet. "Oh that feels great," I said suddenly feeling very lethargic.

I had nobody else to lean against than Colt.

"Told-"

"Don't you say it," I growled, "I'm still mad at you."

He chuckled. "You're going to step on something," he scholded.

I scowled at him, "oh well."