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Author's Chapter Notes:
Hey there!

I'm sorry I haven't been as 'rain man' as usual when updating lol I know i'm probably throwing some of you off. I've just been kind of busy with real life etc...

I am going to try to update on Why next (meaning sometime this week), just for a heads up. :O)

Thanks for reading and reviewing!
27



A little bit of everything…








Kevin snuck back into his house at around 7:30 in the morning not expecting anyone to be awake to greet him. As soon as he left the hospital he made sure to put in his request to hear the 911 tapes and was told that they would be waiting for him at his desk first thing in the morning.



He thought about going to the office first, getting that over and done with before heading home but he realized that he looked like a mess so he went home first to change his clothes and jump in the shower before heading back to the office.



“Where the hell were you?” He actually jumped when he heard Nick say that as he sat on the stairs leading up to the bedrooms.



“There was a situation. Why, is everything okay?”



“I came down looking for you last night but you were gone and no one knew where you went.”



“Sorry buddy, I got the call in the middle of the night and didn’t want to wake anybody.”



“What happened?” Kevin yawned as he took off his jacket and placed it on the banister. He really didn’t know if he wanted to tell Nick about what had happened.



“There was a break in.”



“So they called you for something like that?”



“It was at Howie’s place.”



“Is he okay?” Nick stood up now and followed his brother into the kitchen like a puppy dog.



“He’s fine, just got hit on the head but seems like everything will be okay.”



“Good…what about his wife?”



“She’s fine too.”



Nick nodded and Kevin made sure to watch carefully for a reaction when it came to talking about Ariana. Sure enough his little brother put his head down as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself. “Howie said he thought you knew the kid who hit him.”



“Why?”



“He said something about your skateboard being stolen. Is there a reason I don’t know about this?”



“What?”



“Your skateboard being stolen…”



“No, I mean Howie told you it was the same kid?”



“Yeah, do you know him?” Kevin didn’t like how scared and unsettled Nick suddenly looked. “Nicky?”



“Kevin…I have to go.”



“Go where?”



“I have to go and see Patty.”



“Nick if you know who this kid is, I need a name so we can arrest him. He broke into Howie’s place and attacked him and stole something from you!”



Nick started for the steps, not wanting to say anything to Kevin either way until he talked to Patty. Suddenly he was scared for her and her safety, wondering if maybe she came to see him yesterday because she knew Charlie was going to do something like that. “Nick.” His brother’s hand on his arm broke his train of thought.



“Kevin, I have to go.”



“I need a name Nick.”



“It’s Patty’s boyfriend Charlie.” Maybe if he did tell Kevin what he needed it would keep Patty safe. That was his biggest concern at the moment.



“Charlie? Do you have a last name?”



“Yeah, it’s Branson, Charlie Branson.”



“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Kevin finally let go of Nick’s arm, so the boy shot up the steps to get dressed. “Are you sure about that Nicky? Branson?”



“Yes!” He yelled just as he closed his bedroom door.



“Jesus…what the hell is going on?”



“Now that’s a great question.” Kevin looked over at Brian who was standing in the doorway to the kitchen scratching his head. “Why are you guys yelling at each other? Can’t anyone in this house talk without screaming?”



“Howie’s house was broken into last night.”



“Is that where you were? Nick was having a fit because he had no idea where to find you.”



Kevin nodded, “And you know who did it?”



“Who?” Brian walked in and took a seat at the kitchen table.



“Nadia’s brother.”



“What?”



“Nadia’s brother Charlie.”



“That makes no sense; I mean why would he do that?”



“I don’t know Brian.”



“Is Howie okay?”



“He’s in the hospital but he’ll be fine.”



“So, what did this Charlie kid say, why did he break in?”



“We haven’t caught him yet.”



“How do you know...”



“Nick knows him.” Kevin walked over to the phone and dialed his office to let them know he had a lead.



~*~*~*~*~*~*~*




Nick walked into his room and accidentally slammed his door, forgetting that AJ was sleeping in there as well. His big brother jumped at the sound of the door to almost a standing position, his arms out as if he was ready to give a Karate chop to whatever invaded his space. He looked ridiculous actually but Nick was too focused on getting dressed and getting to Patty to notice.



“Where are you going?” AJ asked once he finally woke up enough to be aware of what the heck was really going on.



“To see Patty.”



“What time is it?” He watched as Nick frantically threw shirts and pants all over the room trying to find something clean to wear.



“I have no idea…early I guess.”



“Why the rush? What’s going on?”



“I just need to go.”



“Niiick.” He said slow and steady, his warning sign to his brother to let him know there was no way the kid was walking out the door without more of an explanation.



“AJ, it’s hard to explain but I just need to go, okay?”



“Is something wrong? I mean is there trouble?”



Nick paused from putting on his shirt and bit at his bottom lip, “I…I wish I knew…I mean I hope not.”



“Let me come with you then.”



“No, I mean how gay would that look?” He finished putting his favorite tee shirt on, the one with the happy face with a bloody nail through its head and went for his sneakers.



“If you think there will be trouble, I’d feel better knowing I was with you.” AJ had no clue what was going on, but he knew that look of urgency on his brother’s face and didn’t like it one bit. That look spelled trouble.



“It’s really going to be okay J, but thanks for your concern.”



“Nick, does this have to do with Ariana?”



He paused from tying his shoe, “No.”



“What does it have to do with then?”



“Look, I don’t have time to get into it now, but it’s not that big of a deal.”



“If it’s not that big of a deal then why are you rushing out of the house?”



“God, I thought you were the brother that didn’t interrogate people for a living!” Nick stood up and put his jacket on.



“Easy there buckaroo…I’m just worried about you, is that a crime now?”



“AJ, I’m just going to a friend’s house. That’s all.”



“At 7 on a Saturday morning?” He asked pointing over to the clock in disbelief.



“Yeah, I guess so.”



“You shouldn’t be going anywhere; I mean you passed out yesterday. You should stay in bed and rest for the weekend.”



“I feel fine.”



“But still…”



“AJ, I’m fine and I won’t be gone long.”



As Nick made his way to the door AJ thought about stopping him one last time, but instead he let him pass, “Nicky…”



The boy turned around, “Yeah?”



“Be careful and if you need me please give me a call, okay?”



“Okay.”



“Good, now I’m going back to sleep.” He said as he sprawled himself out on Nick’s bed making the teenager laugh as he walked out of the door.





~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~




Ariana waited until her husband was asleep before she snuck out to make a call. She made sure to tell a nurse that she was running down to the cafeteria for some coffee and something to eat just incase Howie were to awaken while she was gone. At this point she couldn’t afford for anybody to be suspicious of anything she chose to do.



Once down in the cafeteria she grabbed her cell and made the call she was desperate to make ever since that stupid kid broke into her house. She grew even more impatient when the phone went to voicemail. Where the hell was he at this time of morning?



She knew the answer to that question and it sickened her. He was with Anita, the other woman. She realized she shouldn’t be jealous because after all didn’t she end up marrying someone else just to fit in with her plans?



They made a vow to be together forever no matter what the cost. That’s what she had told him on the eve of her wedding night. Now she only wished she believed those words as she thought about her lover lying next to that horrid woman. A girl who meant nothing to anybody but yet he had convinced her she was an asset, a tool to get even with her father somewhere down the line.



“Hey it’s me…you need to give me a call as soon as you get this. Your boy screwed up and now we have a problem!”



She knew she sounded venomous but she couldn’t help it. She was mad and annoyed by the whole thing. Again thoughts about why in the world that kid ended up at her house bothered her. Maybe Jack was trying to double cross her in some way? He had no idea they would have been home at the time.



What if he was really working with her? That other woman…maybe in reality she was the other woman to this Anita person. ‘If that’s true I’ll kill them both’, she thought, just as her phone rang.



She smiled when she looked at the number, it was him. She let it ring almost to the point of going to her voicemail before actually picking it up. She didn’t want him to know how much she missed him or how much his little rendezvous with that tramp bugged her. In fact, the less he knew about her real feelings the better off she’d be.



“Hello.”



“I got your message, where are you? I thought you were camping.”



“If you thought I was camping why did you send the kid to my house?”



“What the fuck are you talking about?” Now it was his turn to sound venomous.



“I’m talking about that stupid ass kid who already messed the explosion up. He broke into my house and attacked my husband last night. I’m at the hospital right now.”



There was a pause; she made sure she stressed the word husband just to make him mad. She could tell by the heavy breathing on the other end of the line that it worked. “Is he dead, your husband? Did the kid at least do something right?”



She smiled, yup she got to him. “No, he’s going to be just fine. The thing is, he recognized the kid.”



“Are you fucking kidding me?”



“No, he said that it was the same kid who stole Nick’s skateboard. He’s a liability that needs to be dealt with. I don’t know what you were thinking stringing in a kid who already had ties to my brother. That was sloppy Jack and now you have to fix it before they arrest him.”



“Okay fine…I’ll deal with it.”



Jack found himself rubbing his hands through his hair. This was certainly a big mess now from start to finish. “Good and what about Anita?”



“What about her?”



“Hasn’t she run her course yet?”



“Not yet doll…especially now.”



“Why is that?”



“Because I can get to the boy through her daughter.”



“Well do what you have to do.”



“How come you aren’t camping? Did something go wrong?”



“The kid got sick…now do what you need to do.” She said hanging up the phone before he had a chance to ask her anymore questions.



“Who was that baby?” He glanced over at Anita as she lay naked in the bed, patting it, wanting him to come over.



“Just work stuff.”



“Do you have to go?”



“Yes, unfortunately I have something I have to deal with. I’m going to jump in the shower.” He walked over and kissed her on the lips, gingerly grabbing her left breast and squeezing it.



“Just be quiet, I don’t know if Patty realizes you spent the night last night.”



“She’s not a child Anita, I’m sure she has to suspect that even her mother is capable of finding love.”



“I know but still…I think she still gets upset about it from time to time.”



“I’ll be quiet then.” He smiled at her but as soon as his back was turned he rolled his eyes.



Nothing would make him happier than to get rid of that stupid kid of hers as well as her brat boyfriend. He was about to open the door to the bathroom when it opened from the other side. “Oh.” Patty said uncomfortably looking Jack up and down, disgusted with his presence in her home.



“Hi.” Was all he could manage to say, just wanting to get himself into the bathroom and avoid further confrontations.



“How’s your friend by the way?” No such luck he supposed.



“My friend?”



“Yes, the one that you were visiting in the hospital the other day.”



He quickly did his best to try to recall what in the world she was talking about, “Oh…he’s okay.”



“Good.” She smiled at him but he knew it was fake. He felt Patty looking through him and he hated it.



Once her mother’s boyfriend walked into the bathroom, Patty felt the need to say something to her mother. She stopped just shy of knocking on the door though and instead decided that finding Nick was more important. Looking at her watch, she wondered when he was going to get back from his camping trip. Time was running out and she knew that the only person she could confide in was her old friend.





~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*




“I’m going to the office.” Kevin said, after getting off the phone. “The police are sending a car over to the kid’s house to pick him up, although I doubt they’ll find him there.”



“Why are you going to the office? Don’t you have the weekend off?” Brian asked as he chugged on some coffee.



“Yeah, but I want to listen to the 911 tape.”



“Why?”



“I just need to hear something.”



“Kevin, what’s going on?”



“I just…” He stopped when he heard Nick coming down the stairs. “Where are you going?” He asked the boy when he saw him heading for the front door.



“I’m going to Patty’s house.”



“Nick…it’s early and you have had a hard night. Go back upstairs and go to bed.”



“No, I’m fine and I want to see Patty.”



“How are you going to get to her?”



“The bus.”



“Let me at least drive you there, okay buddy? I’m going to the office anyway.”



“Fine, but no butting in.”



Kevin pat his baby brother’s arm. “Fine.” He also wanted to see if maybe that Charlie kid would be hanging around there. Nine out of ten times when a kid is on the run, they end up hiding over at their girlfriend’s house. This was a fact he was counting on when he dropped his brother off.



“What’s going on down here? Why are you home?” They all turned to the sound of their father who to this point had missed all the previous night’s excitement.



Nick gave a warning look to Kevin. You could tell he was silently pleading that he leave the real details out of the story. “We have to go but I’m sure Brian will fill you in.” He said instead to which their father seemed satisfied.



As they walked out the door Nick whispered ‘thanks’ to his big brother before heading over to Patty’s house.





~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~




He waited in the bushes just outside her window, spying through the glass in hopes that when she walked back in, he’d be able to flag her down without making any noise. He had no intention of showing up there but he felt like he had nowhere else to go.



He was trapped and he hated it, and even though he was sure she was cheating on him with that stupid ass Richardson kid, he had no choice. She was his only hope.



When he saw her enter her room he lightly tapped on the window sill. She immediately looked over and than cautiously opened the window and let him inside.



“What are you doing here?” she whispered to Charlie, making sure she locked her bedroom door.



“I had nowhere else to go.”



“You can’t stay here.”



“I know…I did something stupid Patty.”



She shook her head, knowing she probably didn’t want to hear what it was he had to say. “Really, you just need to go; I’m confused about things Charlie.”



Hearing that made him angry, “It’s because of Richardson isn’t it?”



“What?”



“I saw you at his house.”



“You did?”



“Yeah…are you cheating on me?”



“No, it’s nothing like that…I mean…you have to go. My mother’s boyfriend is here and she’s in the next room.”



“So what?”



“So what? I can’t get caught with a boy in my room, that’s what!”



“Patty…” suddenly he looked furious, “You know what, forget I was even here! Have fun with that fuck up Richardson, I’m sure you’ll make a lovely couple!”



Charlie walked over to the window and jumped out just as a car turned into their driveway. Cautiously, her boyfriend stayed hidden in the bushed not daring to move. Patty wasn’t sure who it was until she saw Nick sitting in the passenger seat. “This isn’t good.” She mumbled to herself as the blonde got out of the car with his big brother, the FBI agent following close behind.