Joe had pushed Lauren behind him, his left hand behind him resting on her waist, assuring himself she was still there. The action wasn't completely necessary considering Lauren had taken to grasping his black tee with two closed fists, and resting her head against his back, her eyes were squeezed tight: everything had happened so suddenly. One minute they were standing at the glass counter:
"Could I see that bracelet, please?" Pointing a delicate finger, Lauren gestured to a silver chain with three sparkling crystals embellishing the simple piece.
He companion groaned loudly, causing the well-dressed middle- aged man next to the duo to glance over at him, "Lo, why am I here?" he sighed exasperated, pinching the bridge on his nose with two fingers and closing his eyes to extenuate his boredom.
"Thank you!" she smiled at the sales associate, "because you said you would help me..." she answered distractedly, toying gently with the jewelry in her hands and her eyes inspecting it critically.
"But you didn't tell me that I'd be helping you shop for your mom in a jewelry store!" she looked over her shoulder at him, one eyebrow raised and her mouth failing to hide a smirk at her own trickery.
"Come on, Wox, it's not so bad!"
Next thing they knew the doors of the small shop were locked, the two store employees had been snatched from behind the counters and forced into the center of the room, and three armed men dressed in regular business clothes and wearing black ski masks had gain control of the store.
"Everyone down on the ground! Now!" The tallest one wearing the red tie commanded. Everyone dropped like flies; Lauren pulled her knees up to her chest but kept a grip on Walker's arm. He sat up straight, ready to fight if need be. His one hand rested loosely on Laurens knee protectively.
The pink dress shirt stole jewelry from the glass cases, and the man with the long black hair sticking out from beneath his mask guarded the front door.
Finally the men in the red tie spoke again. His voice was unnaturally deep, sounding as though he was purposefully trying to disguise it, "Now, I want everyone to put their phones in this box. If I see any funny business… anything at all… I won't think twice before putting a bullet in your head." He shoved a box, that seemed to appeared out of nowhere, into the face of the high-class man sitting beside Joe and Lauren.
They watched as the man, with shaking hands, placed a black iPhone in the box and looked into the eyes of the perpetrator.
"All of them?" The deep voice spoke again. The middle-aged man reached to the back of his waist and a black beeper followed his phone into the box.
The masked man snatched the box away and it was Joe's turn. Joe stared coldly into the man's eyes, refusing to let fear show, even for the briefest of moments. Placing his own iPhone in the box, the masked man shift the box over, "And you, beautiful?" He demanded. Lauren thought quickly, reaching into her purse she grabbed her iPod Touch, still in its magenta case. Dropping that in, she prayed to God he wouldn't question it. Feeling Joe's grip on her knee tighten, she knew he had noticed too. They both let out silent breaths of relief when the masked man moved on to the old woman a few feet down. She looked over to meet her friend's gaze, she saw the fear. The fear he was refusing to show, but she also saw a bit of hope reflected in his sapphire orbs, and as she pulled out her beat-up Blackberry with trembling fingers, she felt him slide closer to her and his body stiffen.
Held hostage. Call police.
She didn't wait to see if the message had successfully sent to Julia before slipping it silently into her back pocket.
Taking a handful of tissue paper from behind the counter the masked man in the red tie, stuffed a handful into the box, and pulled out a small lighter, igniting not only the tissue paper, but the cardboard frame as well. A girl of about seventeen let out a small yelp of surprise when the box went up in flames.
Lauren watched her, her large green eyes were wide in fear. She had long, light brown hair, and had her slender arms wrapped around her knees in a fashion very similar to Lauren's. The girl was alone she noticed, and she was suddenly reminded of how thankful she was for Walker's presence.
She glanced over to him. He was a comforting factor for her even when they weren't being held at gunpoint. He was one of her best friends after all, but she knew her feelings ran deeper than that. She never allowed herself to ponder on what those feelings were, though, never allowing herself to face the truth.
Everyone sat in complete and utter silence. Each hostage turned to face each other, wondering to themselves how they had all gotten here. Lauren looked around her, first to the man on Joe's left, the same man that had given him the disgruntled look when Joe had complained what seems like hours ago, he had dark hair that was thinning, he wore expensive looking clothes, and seemed to have a sad aura about him, but then again, they all probably all had one.
She looked to Walker, his eyes hadn't left the man in the red tie, his muscles were flexed and he watched unblinking. She would admit it, he looked intimidating.
To her right, resting against a perpendicular counter was an old woman of about 70, she, like the man next to Joe, seemed to be more than well-off financially. Pulling out an old lace handkerchief, Lauren watched her dab tearful eyes before she straightened out her matching rose-colored blazer and skirt set.
Next to the woman sat a young couple, about the same age and Joe and herself, sitting in a very similar position. The young man leaned over and pressed a kiss to the girl's blonde hair as she looked fearfully around the room. They were seated in front of the counter that had held the engagement rings, she noticed, and her eyes instinctively shot to her own left hand, only to find it grasped in Walker's much larger one.
Lauren returned to glace around the room, taking note of the very blonde woman who kept muttering to herself in what sounded like Polish.
And to a 30-something year old man in a pair of worn-out blue jeans that was looking at a picture in his wallet, from her line of sight she could assume it was of the man's children.
Finally, she glanced over to the green eyed girl again, and found she was looking at her too, the girl's gaze held a spark of recognition, and then she gave the StarKid a very small, comforting half-smile. Lauren reciprocated, looking over to notice Walker had done the same.
Lauren snuggled closer to him as two of the men began arguing, his arm wrapped around her and her head pressed against his shoulder.
Walker looked down at his best friend; she was the single reason for his strength right now.
"Lo..." he whispered, to his disgust his voice sounded as helpless as he felt, but he needed her to know, incase their situation worsened, "Lo, I need to tell you something!"
The serious tone of his voice caused her to look up at him with scared eyes, "what is it?" she whispered back; the warmth in her voice, forever present no matter the situation.
"If something happeneds I just want you to know that I-"
And suddenly the sound of a vibrating phone resonated through the room, its source distinguishable... Lauren.
The still room grew stiller and there was a brief moment when the two friends prayed it was all in their heads, but after two very long seconds the masked face slowly turned to the pair.
"Was that a phone?" his voice was cold and menacing, walking slowly and deliberately towards the small girl. Joes grip strengthened and pulled her even closer, moving his arm so it was over her waist as a feeble barrier.
"It wasn't her!" he spat at the perpetrator.
Laurens hands were shaking but she kept a steady glare on the man. He crouched in front of her and pulled her to her feet, twisting her wrist in back of her, they group heard a snap. Lauren cried out in pain, but bit her lip hard, cutting it short. The man was not going to tolerate disobedience.
The moment a hand was laid against the tiny brunette, Joe was on his feet and, to everyone's surprise, the green eyed girl also took a stand, before the young father tugged her back to the ground.
A fist curled and stormy eyes burning, Joe was about to strike when the man in the red tie snarled at him, and placed the gun against Lauren's temple.
Lifting his mask ever so slightly he exposed a cleanly shaven jaw and thin lips. Leaning down to her level the man place his lips against her ear, she closed her eyes and tried to maintain even breathing, as he spoke to her, wanting Joe to here.
Joe's hands dropped to his sides and his eyes softened.
"Well, would you look at this, beautiful? It seem boyfriend here, doesn't like to share." the man teased, and placing burning lips on the side of her neck. Her doe-like eyes were wide with fear, and she was screaming at Joe to sit down, to keep himself safe.
Now Joe was the tortured one.
The man pulled away, and, lips twisted in a poisonous grin, admired to pain etched in Joes face.
"Please... Please..." he begged, "Just let her go."
And as the masked man cocked the gun against Lauren's head, a series of blue and red lights flashed through the curtains and the whining of a siren sound from the other side of the door.
Lauren was thrust into Walker's arms. And as she cradled her broken wrist and buried her face into his chest, he wrapped his strong arms around her and kissed her head, whispering sweet condolences and thinking silent prayers.
"Fuck!"
The masked man peered through the blinds to the wall of men in blue. All the accomplices loaded their weapons and stood ready at their designated posts, and soon the phone in the store rang. The man with the red tie answered sounding calm an almost expectant.
Nary a word was spoken from the masked man, when he calmly hung up the phone and strode back to the center of the room.
"Damn them..." he mumbled through clenched teeth
"We need to send out one hostage." He spoke to the other masked men.
"Let her go." Joes voices was strong now, not a falter to be detected. His blue eyes never wavered as he gestured to the teenage girl.
Lauren, the young father, and the engaged couple all voiced in agreement. Joe's courage seemed to awaken their own.
The man in the red tie grew restless, he disliked the rebellion he saw stirring amongst the hostages. He reached out a white hand and took a fistful of the seventeen year old girl's long hair. She yelped but stood. Trebling slightly she did her best to appear unabashed, though her lip quivered and hands shook.
"What is your name, girl!" he spoke close to her, and with her hair still tangled in his fingers she was unable to provide a larger gap between his face and her own.
"Kelsey." she squeaked.
Lauren wanted nothing more than to snatch the poor girl away, but she didn't dare move. Joe's muscles twitched, she lay a calming hand on him to keep him from acting on her wish.
"Do you want to go, Kelsey?" pointing the obtrusive weapon at the young girl.
"Yes... Yes!" she whimpered, quiet at first, before eventually crying out.
"Let her go!" Lauren shouted, forgetting her own dangers. The man turned and shot the gun in her direction. Purposefully letting it fly above their heads, but scaring the petite into submissive silence.
"That is the second time, you have been a nous cense o me."
He had let Kelsey go and took a step towards Lauren, pointing the gun again, this time he wasn't to miss.
A shot sounded and there was a cry of pain, closely followed by four more shots.
But it wasn't Lauren who fell on a bent knee. It was the man in the red tie, and his accomplices who also dropped to the ground as police men broke through the back door, guns ready, and eyes searching.
Lauren had been snatched into Walker's arms, and he pulled both of them to the ground, to safety.
Their heads bowed together and gripped each other tightly, and listened to each others heavy breaths, thankful to hear the sound. The pair's eyes locked, and suddenly they were ripped apart and escorted to ambulances and roped off crowds.
"This is stupid! I'm fine!...Ow!" Lauren growled to the young EMT trying to set her broken wrist.
"You should stop moving so much, it'll only make it hurt more, and take longer" the fiery brunette turned to the innocent voice to her left.
It was Kelsey. Her face was pale, and stained with dry tears, and her voice was surprisingly calm for someone who just survived a hostage situation.
"Kelsey, right?" Lauren inquired, somehow the girl's voice had subdued her enough for a stint to be secured.
The younger brunette nodded, "And you're Lauren Lopez." she stated confidently, "I'm a huge fan." the green eyed girl blushed, and the whole situation made both girls laugh.
"Lauren!" a winded Julia Albain appeared, looking wild with frizzy curls and wide eyes, and hugged her dear friend tightly, "Hh my god, I was so scared! Are you okay? Shit, I was terrified!" hugging the sitting Lauren's head against her body again, Julia said a silent prayer of thanks.
"I'm fine, Juls!" She looked to her friend with relieved yet tired eyes, " This is Kelsey..." she motioned to the teenager, "she with us when it happened."
Kelsey brightened at the introduction, and smiled and waved at the other StarKid. Lauren let out a breathy laugh, "she also is a fan."
As Julia began talking to the girl, Lauren took it as her best opportunity to sneak away. So as the EMT went to talk to his captain, the tiny brunette hopped out of the truck and scoured the crowds for her friend.
"Lauren?..." she heard his voice before she saw him, turning she hurried to the back of another ambulance.
"Shouldn't you be getting your wris-" his questing was cut off by the amount of Lauren penetrating his senses; the sight of her bright smile, the sound of her relieved sigh, the smell of vanilla and coconut, and the feel of her warm arms wrapped tightly around him, and her soft cheek resting against his own stubbly one.
And suddenly, she began crying. Her grip on him never loosened but he could feel her tiny body convulsing in sobs against his own.
"Lauren... Lo... It's okay! Shhh... It's all okay, now." His hand wrapped tighter around her waist and pulled her in closer. The other ran soothing patterns up and down her spine. Joe could feel his shirt dampening against his chest.
"You're alright... I'm alright. It's all over." He kissed the top of her head affectionately, "It's all okay now, Lo."
He could feel her body relaxing, and her breathing began to slow. Finally she stopped, but she didn't pull away, not yet. And he didn't want her to.
"Joe..." he voice was small and muffled by his shoulder.
"What is it?"
Her head finally popped up from its former position. Her whiskey eyes were red-rimmed and her high cheekbones were still damp with salty tears, "What was it you were going to tell me?" she sat down next to him, and then motioned to the small jewelry store buzzing with the CPD, "In there... You said 'if something happens, I want you to know that...'" and you didn't get to finish. Her hand instinctively flew to the side of her neck, to the place the still burned like red coals.
"Oh, well..." He looked away from her. He had thought about how to tell her so many times, and now that the time has come he was at a loss for words.
"The thing is, Lo, I -"
"Lauren Elizabeth!" the wild albain appeared again, this time with anger in her eyes instead of concern.
"I thought you left the sneaking away in your teenage years!" Julia gave her roomy a stern talking too as she hugged and fussed over her other good friend like the mother hen she was.
"I'm so glad to see you two okay... "And, much later than they would have expected, the famous Julia tears appeared, and Lauren wrapped her good arm around her friend, smiling softly. Some things never change.
It was at the hospital later that night that Joe and Lauren finally found themselves alone. The two sat in the plastic chairs while Julia talked to her doctor about how to take care of her roommate's freshly casted arm.
"I think we can agree that this has been the longest day I'm the history of the universe!" Joe complained, he managed to slouch his long frame so his head could rest comfortably on top of the back of the chair, and people had to step over his outstretched legs.
The young woman next to him agreed, "and I still have to get my mom a birthday gift." She thought aloud to herself.
Joe opened one off his resting eyes, to give her a really? look, settling himself back into his former relaxed stare he spoke, "let's not go for jewelry this year, kay?"
She smiled tenderly down at him, allowing herself this moment to stare; it's not like he would see, his eyes were closed. And, feeling particularly bold, she laced her fingers with his. Letting the warm, worn, hand swallow her own cool, smooth one. And treating herself in the silly grin that came when he took hold too.
Looking down, out of habit, to hide the slight blush coloring her cheeks. When she looked back, she was surprised to see his ocean eyes trained on her. She always felt so exposed when he looked at her this way, she was sure he could see straight into her heart with those eyes.
"What is it, Wox?"
"You know that thing I was going to tell you?"
"Yes?"
Joe took a deep, shaky breath, "Well, I just want you to know that I completely understand if you don-"
"Alright, guys! Let's go."
The two conversing friends both gave each other apologetic looks, and cursed their friend under their breaths.
"Joe you are going to be staying at Brian's tonight, that okay?"
He opened his mouth to retaliate, but Julia knew what he was to say without even looking, "I made sure Mere wasn't staying over too!"
The trio rode in silence to the two respective apartment buildings, and each fell, rather ungracefully and uneasily, to sleep.
At around 3 in the morning, Julia awoke to a persistent banging on the front door, checking the door with bleary eyes, she let a frazzled Walker into the cozy apartment, followed by a half asleep Brian Holden.
"Joe, wha-"
Without saying a word he disappeared down the unlit hallway. Julia turned to the second visitor, wanting answers. She gave Brian, who had fallen asleep standing against the door frame, a light shove and pulled him into the room in order to shut the door.
"She has woken up twice; if he gets her up a third I am blaming you!" Brian nodded lazily.
"Why is he here anyway?"
"He woke up screaming, and when I asked, he just said 'I have to see Lauren. Is Lauren okay? I need to tell her!'" and he would not quiet down, so I did the only thing I could think of and came here!" he defended himself.
Julia turned and walked down the same black hallway that had swallowed Joe, and when she looked into Lauren's purple room she saw two shadows. One much smaller, feminine outline sat up in the bed, a pink cast, so bright it seemed to glow in the dark, laying comfortably on her lap. The other masculine form sat on the edge of the bed murmuring in quiet tones, one hand resting on the first shadow's knee.
As Brian came silently up behind Julia, the two outlines leaned forward and caught each other in a gentle kiss.
The friends in the door watched with soft, knowing smiles on both of their faces. It had been a long time coming.