Teenagers

Colt:

Colt cleaned the dishes as Kaleb absentmindly rocked the sleeping Rosie. Annie was still asleep but there was food left for her when she woke up.

"Why would she go home?" Kaleb asked out of the blue.

"Maybe she wanted to show her dad pictures of Rosie or something."

"That doesn't make snese though, she hates him."



Senra;

"We'll take my car though." He smiled. She shrugged and they got in his car zooming out of the city and towards Chicago. "We'll fly too." He smiled. When they got to the airport he got tickets and the boreded the plane.

"So, why did you come?" She asked.

"You were starving and dehydrated back there. I can't trust you to keep yourself alive." He smiled. The smile took the sting from his words, at least most of it.

"I can take care of myself." She replied.

"Right." He laughed, "Now you look half dead. We'll be there in an hour or so. Get some sleep." She didn't argue. He was soon shaking her away. When they got a rental car she called Kaleb and got an adress for Syb's dad's place.

"Let's go." She sighed to Phil.

Phil

We browsed the lot looking for a good car. Finally we gave up and went for a truck with two rows of seats.

"I'll go from here," Senra said. The look on her face said that she knew she was just trying to be difficult.

"I have to protect you," I said simply.

"I can take care of myself."

"Normally you can I don't doubt that, but you're stressed about your own life, and about somebody elses, some things are going to be easily over looked, I am here to both defend you against the bullies and make sure those things aren't overlooked."


Sybyla

He didn't look happy to see me, of course that was to be expected.

"What did you want to show me?"

I held the envelope out to him, "these."

He opened it and pulled out a picture, from the size of it it would be the one of me Kaleb and Rosie in the hospital.

Senra:

Senra looked at him. "No, I can take care of myself." She replied firmly. He just smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders helping her into the truck.

"Where to now?" He asked starting the engine.

"West chicago." She replied. SHe gave him directions stopping when he slowed down and pulled into a fast food resturant. "What are we doing?" She demanded.

"You haven't eaten in a while." He replied. "You need to eat, and you will eat." HE replied ordering her some food. She ate it finishing just after they got to the house.

"Stay here." She said climbing out of the truck. He laughed getting up out of the truck.

"Nope." He smiled.

"You never listen do you?" She demanded.

Phil

I grinned, "nope."

Just beyond the door we heard a scream of rage from what sounded like a male and a scream of pain from a female.

We ran to the door.

Just on the other side Sybyla was sprawled across the floor and her dad wasn't anywhere in sight. We could hear him though, he was throwing things around on the floor above.

"Sybyla?" I asked kneeling next to her head, "It's Phil from the casino, remember me?" She nodded weakly. "Where's your dad?"

"Gun," she gasped.

"Oh crap."

Senra:

"Get her to the truck now." Senra hissed walking towards the stairs.

"No, you come too." He growled.

"GEt her to the truck." He walked over and grabbed her around the waist throwing her over his shoulder then walking back over and picked up Syb jogging towards the truck. He laid both girls in the truck and took off.

"He's gonna come find us." Syb cried. Senra pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sure he won't be a bother. Kaleb seems fit enough to take real good care of you. He's very anxious to see you." She siad softly.

Sybyla

I pulled out my phone, I wanted to call him but I knew I'd be crying. Wow I felt stupid. "are you going to call him?" Senra asked.

I shook my head and put my phone in my pocket, "I'll just..wait til we get home."

Senra nodded.

Senra:

Senra smiled, "He'll be so happy to see you." She smiled. Her stomach started to turn. "Phil pull over." She said. He slammed on the breaks and pulled over. She jumped out empting her stomach in someone's trashcan . Thank goodness for trash day. Phil walked up behind her rubbing her back.

"You ok?" He asked. She held up a finger and empty the rest of her breakfast.

"Now I am." She said weakly. He picked her up and carried her to the truck after she wiped off her mouth. He walked around the truck to get in.

"You pregnate?" Sybyla asked gently.

"Ya." She nodded.

Colt:

When Annie woke up Colt quickly got her some food. "Eat, I called in and your not going to work."

"WHAT!" She demanded.

"Annie, you slept for twelve hours." He repleid. "Senra, Phil, and Syb should be back any minute. But you need your rest." He said firmly.

Annie

I glared at him, but took the food, I was hungry anyways. "I'm going to work today," i insisted, "I'll lose my job."

"No you won't."

I sighed, "I'm borderline losing it on a daily basis, I'm too klutzy and spazzy to be a good waitress."

He sighed, "you need to rest, how many twenty four hour shifts did you work this week?"

I mentally counted, "only four."

Colt:

"Theres only been five days in this week already." He replied. "Come on, Annie, your gonna kill yourself."

"I'm fine." She replied.

"Annie, please, I can't let you do this. You won't lose your job."

Annie

The hurt and worry in his eyes made me give up, "fine I'll stop with the twenty four hour shifts okay?"

He sat down next to me, "good."

I started to eat, "this is good," I said idly.



Sybyla

Phil and Senra stopped in front of my house. The car was barely stopped when I unbuckled myself and hopped out.

I opened the door and heard Rosie crying in the livingroom and Kaleb trying to sush her.

"Let me see her," I said with an attempt at exasperation but I knew my voice held the tears and happiness that I had.

Kaleb:

Kaleb jumped up with Rosie in his arms and pulled Syb into a crushing hug keeping Rosie safe from being smashed. "Why did you go?" He asked tears rolling down his face as he kissed her hair breathing in her scent then kissed her lips. Rosie had stopped crying and was looking at Syb.

Senra:

"We can go now." Senra said looking at Phil, "They'll be fine." He nodded and drove back to Colt's apartment.

"Why were you going to go up to him when he was getting a gun?" Phil asked seriously.

"Because, I had to protect her." She replied.

"You have to protect you and your baby, then you can worry about others." He replied firmly.

"No, it's my job to protect the people I am looking for." She replied.

"YOu are carrying a baby, I don't care what your job is you protect the baby!" He hissed.

"Yes, sir." She said mockingly. "I won't put it in danger, but I have to take care of others too."

Colt:

"Well thank you." Colt smiled. He looked towards the door, had something gone wrong?

Sybyla

I started crying too, "I don't know, I'm sorry." Rosie didn't like us crying apparently, she started to scream. "Awwo," I said rocking her gently back and forth, "shh honey it's okay it's okay." I kissed her temple. "It's okay honey, momma's home."

Kaleb's arms came around me and smiled at us. When Rosie fell asleep I put her in her crib and joined Kaleb on the couch. I'd have to explain myself now, but I didn't really care. I was home. Home.

I snuggled into his arms and sighed happily, "I'm so happy I'm home."

"Don't leave me again," Kaleb whispered into my ear, "please."

"I won't, I promise. It nearly killed me, I missed you both too much."



Phil

I sighed, "I'm going to have to keep an eye on you aren't I?"

She didn't seem to like that question, "I can take care of myself."

"Humor me?" I pulled to a stop in front of Annie's place.

"No," she said flatly and got out. This woman was amazingly exasperating I didn't understand her at all.

"You can trust me you know," I insisted.

"I probably could."

She went to open the door but I put my hand on top of hers, "after here would you go out to eat with me?"

"I-I...Okay."

I smiled and let go of her hand letting her climb out.


Annie

"I was supposed to work a double shift today, I'll go in for the second one," I thought out loud before realizing what I'd done.

"You need-"

"To go to work," I insisted.

"Not today."

"Tonight."

"Annie-"

There was a knock on the door, I got up and answered it. Senra and Phil. "Find her?" I asked.

"Yeah she's home with Kaleb and Rosie," Senra said with a smile.

"Come on in," I said.

"Sorry can't," Senra said shyly.

"WHy not?"

"I'm taking her to lunch."

"Oh."

They left, I turned around to Colt. I looked at the clock, there was about an hour before I had to be to work for my second shift. "I need to take a shower and get ready," I said going towards the bathroom. Colt grabbed my arm and spun me back around crushing me against him.

"Annie you need to rest."

"I'm going to be okay."

"What if you pass out at work? You go back into the freezer to get more ice and collapse back there and nobody finds you for god knows how long."

"Then I'll admit that you're right."

"Then you'd be dead."

I yanked my arm away from him, "What do you care?" Before he could respond I stalked off to my bedroom.

Colt:

Colt clenched his fists. "Because I think I love you!" He said knowing she probably didn't hear him. He stalked to the living room and sat down. She wasn't getting out of here without him answering that question. He wasn't going to yell it at her either. He sighed, she was really starting to make him jumpy. He couldn't lose her, not when he was getting close to really feeling whole.

Senra:

Senra felt like a teenage girl going to prom as he led her to the table. Her gut was twisted, she hadn't been on a date sense she was in highschool. She looked up at him after they ordered their food. "Why did you ask me to come eat dinner with you?" She asked.

"Well, I figured it could count as a date." He smiled sheepishly.

"But I'm pregnate." She replied looking at him confussed.

Kaleb:

"I missed you too, and Rosie did too." He said not wanting to ever let her go. He sighed. "I'm so glad your home."

Annie

I leaned against the wall fighting off tears. I went back and locked the door. I curled up on my bed and closed my eyes, hoping that would hold the tears inside, it didn't work, it just provided for a smaller hole for them to seep out.

I was so confused, how could Colt care so much about me? How could I care so much about him? And if I did care about him why was I acting like I was? The confussed mass that I was slowly drifted off to sleep. Maybe I was more tired than I was.

Sometime later there was a banging on my door. It was loud, annoying, and frantic. I ignored it for a moment, "Annie!" Colt's voice called, "Come on Annie!"

That registered as something that would make me move. I threw the covers off of me and rolled over to stand up, the door broke down.

"Thanks for breakin down the door," I said groggily.

"Jesus Annie," Colt said in relieved exasperation, he sat down on the bed and pulled me into his arms.

"What happened?" I questioned slightly concerned.

"You screamed at me and stormed into your room, about five hours ago."

"Five hours?"

"Give or take half an hour."

"Wow, I must've fallen asleep."

"Scared the crap out of me when you didn't respond," his grip tightened on me. "You're a heavy sleeper."

"Oh, I'm sorry."


Phil

I shrugged, "I don't care."

"Why?"

"Because...I don't know...I just don't care." She sighed. "Want to change the subject?"

She nodded. We started talking about everything and anything that came to mind, she smiled and laughed and I floated all the way to cloud nine.

Senra:

Senra looked up at him relizing they had finished their food a long time ago and had been talking for forever.

"Ummm, I hate to do this, but can y'all leave?" THe waitress asked walking over. "YOu've been here for several hours." Senra felt a blush cover her face.

"Sure, sorry." Phil laughed standing up and leading her towards the front. He paid, ignorig her protests, and led her back out to his car.

"THanks." She smiled, "I needed tonight."


Colt:

"Annie, your still exhausted, you look dead on your feet." He said walking over to her and feeling her head. "And you have a slight fever." He shook his head.

"I'm fine." She protested.

"NO, no your not." He replied. "Why don't you believe me?"