TITLE: The Sting of the Past (part 1 of 5 +epilogue)
AUTHOR: trista groulx aka dustyiger
RATING: T PG-13 same as the show
DISCLAIMER: these characters are not mine, i have lovingly borrowed them, and will make no money from this fic, they belong to their creator, NBC and the actors and actresses who portray them i also do not own the trademark of Starbucks, please don't sue all you'll get is debt!
TIMELINE: after Bobby dies, and Jimmy sues for custody of Joey
SUMMARY: Jimmy gets a call from Kim while trying to patch things up with Brooke telling him she's in trouble. He soon realises his gambling problems have put the woman he loves at risk. Can he find her in time, or will Brooke shoot him first?
AUTHOR's NOTES: This came from be after having a dream about being trapped, for whatever reason it made me think of Jimmy and Kim so here's what my brain came up with. I am trying my hand at suspense so bare with me. This fic is done, I'm just editing the other parts so I will NOT leave you hanging you'll get an end; promise.
"Jimmy," said the voice on the other end of the phone. "I'm in trouble. Please help me."
He knew it was Kim; he had the first time she had called. But he had ignored it because he was in the middle of trying to work things out with his new wife Brooke. After the third time her name popped up on his caller ID he knew something was wrong, and despite all of Brooke's objections he answered him.
"Kimmy?" he said. "What's wrong?"
"Dammit Jimmy!" yelled Brooke. "She calls and you drop everything! This is what I have been trying to tell you for the last hour! I always come in third after Joey and your ex-wife. I get that Joey comes first, always, but I can't come in after your EX-wife!"
"Brooke, not right now," Jimmy almost begged. "Kimmy's in trouble."
He knew just by the sound of her voice that she was in real trouble. This wasn't some ploy, there was something seriously wrong. He knew it was also not something with Joey. He and Kim had not been on good terms since he had started proceedings to get custody of Joey. He had regretted it after her realized how hard she had taken Bobby's death, and thought the damage was done. But now she was calling him when she was in trouble, and there was still hope for them, and he felt guilty about having lead Brooke on, again.
She slapped him. "I'll be upstairs when you want to talk. If you go after her I'm gone for good this time."
"Brooke this isn't choosing Kim. She's in trouble, something is wrong, and who else can she go to help her now that Bobby is gone?" He was didn't even get through the first part of the sentence before she was gone.
She stormed up the stairs, leaving Jimmy slightly stunned for a moment. He heard a small sob from the phone. He had never heard anything like that come from Kim before. She had always been strong, and that was what had made everything so difficult between them. Now he knew all he wanted was to help her not only get out of whatever she was in, but he also wanted to help her heal from the death of her best friend. He knew he would have to find her before that could happen.
"Kimmy, I'm here," Jimmy assured her. "Where are you?"
"I don't know. There was this guy, and I thought he was all right, and then he just turned on me. He left me in a cab with an older man, and then he brought me somewhere and I'm locked in a closet."
"Where do you last remember being?"
"The Starbucks a couple blocks from home. He drove me like five or ten minutes away going away from my place."
"I'll find you Kimmy. Did he-?" he wasn't even able to say it. It would hurt too much if he knew that someone had do that to her.
"No. But he might come back and I don't know what he'll do to me. I have no idea what's going on. Please find me, I'm scared."
"I'll find you Kimmy, I promise. I'll stay on the line with you until I do."
"My phone is going to die. I'll call you when I need you."
"All right, I love you."
"I love you too."
He put his cell phone back in his pocket, and ventured up the stairs. He knew Brooke was going to be angry, but Kim needed him. She was the mother of his son, and he couldn't let her down. He was glad that Brooke had gone upstairs and had not heard him tell Kim that he loved her. It just felt like the right thing to say at the time; he knew deep down inside it was the truth. He had never really stopped loving her.
He went into the room he had once shared with Brooke. She had her suitcase on the bed, and was re-packing the items she had taken out the night before after they had made up. He looked at her, whatever he had felt the night before wasn't there before. He knew it was because he knew his heart really did belong to Kim. She looked up at him, fire in her eyes, as she tried to hold back tears.
"So?" she asked. "Kim calls and you have to go running."
"She's in real trouble," he explained, knowing it was in vain. "I need to help her."
"What, she's horny and can't find someone who isn't her ex-husband to warm her up?"
"Don't talk about her like that!" he snapped. Part of the reason he was so angry was because she was in real trouble, but another part was because he didn't like when people talked about her like that; that wasn't who she was.
"See you do still love her!"
"I always will. She gave me Joey, and right now he could lose his mom, and dammit I'm not about to let that happen! She's in real trouble, and I have to find her. You're a cop you could help her; help me find her."
"Like hell I will! I bet she's at her apartment right now in some cheap black lingerie waiting for you to break through the door and save her. She knows we are working things out and she can't let you go."
"She's not at home! How could she possibly know what happened last night? As far as she knows you still want to shoot my dick off. She's somewhere else, someone kidnapped her. I have to find her, and I will with or without your help."
"I swear Jimmy if you go after that woman I'll never come back here. This is your last chance. I'll know where your loyalties lie. Jimmy Doherty you're not worth the jail time if I were to shoot you."
Jimmy sighed. "I need to help her. She's Joey's mother. I'm sorry Brooke."
He ran down the stairs, and got in his car. He needed to find her. Brooke sighed, and followed him down the stairs. She wanted to see where he was going. She still didn't trust him, and if he went toward Kim's she'd know she was right. After everything he pulled with her she still felt something for him, and wasn't ready to let him go.
She followed Jimmy, but stopped when he passed Kim's apartment complex, while Jimmy kept going. She knew he would end up there. He was probably going to pick up something up before going in to visit her. She decided to cut to the chase, and have a talk with Kim herself. She was sick of having to share her husband with his ex-wife, she was going to deal with her once and for all. Once she was done with her Kim would never want to look at Jimmy again.
Another tenant was leaving so she was able to slip inside. It didn't take her long to find the apartment she was looking for. She then knocked on the door. She was surprised when she didn't get an answer. She knocked again, and when she still didn't get an answer she started to hit the door with her palms so that it would be louder. She did that in the field and usually it would get a response.
"You got the wrong place!" a young female voice yelled, very timidly.
"Let me in!" she yelled. "Kim I know you're in there!"
"Kim's out tonight. Please go away."
"Bullshit!!"
The fourteen year old babysitter was terrified. Kim had told her she wasn't expecting anyone that night, and not to open the door for anyone. She didn't babysit often, and it was the first time she had watched Joey. He was in bed, but she knew it wouldn't be for long if this woman kept it up.
"I'm gonna call the cops!" she said, hoping her voice wouldn't crack.
"I AM the police now open this door and let me in!!"
Brooke was sure that Kim was in there, and didn't believe the voice on the other end was really some scared kid. She wouldn't put it past her to pretend to be the sitter. She was going to tell Kim what she thought about her if she had to beat on the door all night. She knew Joey was inside, and despite how much she cared for the little boy, she couldn't let Kim use him that way. She continued to bang on the door.
"Kim's not here! Just go away!"
"Not until you open the damn door for me!" Brooke knew she was being irrational but she didn't care, she needed to give Kim a piece of her mind.
She then heard a small voice. "Mommy?! What's going on?" Joey sniffled.
She was right, Kim was home. "Let me in right now!" she yelled, now almost slamming against the door.
Inside the babysitter was fumbling for the phone. When she saw Joey come out of his room in tears. It broke his heart to see him like that. She wondered what kind of person would scare a little kid like that.
"Your mom's not here right now buddy. I'm gonna call the police then I'll call your Mom and ask her to come home, is that okay?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "The police will make that person go away."
She dialed 911 and explained what was going on. She was asked to stay on the line and that she might have to talk to the police about what had happened. She wished she knew what was going on, and why someone was trying to break down the door while she was there alone with a seven year old who just wanted his mother.
End Part 1
