WHAT ROOMMATES ARE FOR
AUTHOR'S NOTE/DISCLAIMER
Takes place after "The Whole Point Of Being Roommates" with the idea that Kelly and Gabby had to go home after a while. Belongs to Dick Wolf and NBC.
Kelly tossed and turned on his bed. Damn, can't shut my mind off, he mused. Not that he was surprised. This whole thing with Bria had brought up some old memories for him. Memories that he had buried deep within him a long time ago. Sixteen-year old Kelly went over to the couch.
"Mom? You okay?" he queried and the woman let out a moan. Great. She's totally wasted again, he thought to himself. It was the last thing he needed and yet, here they were.
"Hey." Hearing Stella's voice, he turned. "From the sound of all that tossing and turning, something's on your mind."
"Yeah."
"So, what's up?" Kelly let out a sigh and he shrugged, causing the woman to sit on the edge of the bed. "Whatcha thinkin'?"
"That I know what it's like to try to take care of your parent because they can't take care of themselves." At this, she nodded. "My mom was-after she found out that my dad was sleeping with my history teacher, she pretty much lost it. Turned to drugs to cope." And I hated it. I hated that I couldn't help her, he thought to himself. He had tried though. Oh, how he had tried.
"And you tried to take care of her."
"Yeah." Oh, Kelly, she thought to herself. Why did he think that he always had to take care of everyone? Not that she was going to say this out loud. After all, she hadn't known him back then, so it wasn't like she had any knowledge of what he had gone through.
"I'm sorry."
"Thanks."
"So I'm guessing something brought this back for you?"
"Bria."
"The girl Gabby's trying to help?"
"She's sixteen and taking care of him because she loves him and doesn't want to lose him." I remember how that felt, he thought. He had felt the same way about his mother.
"And you can relate."
"Yeah." At this, she reached over to take his hand and he took it, smiling at her.
THE END