Chapter 2: Dew Drop Inn: Take 2
Once they were in their motel room, Kate collapsed onto the bed with a weary and tired sigh. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander, trying to remember exactly what had happened here.
Deciding which memories, she wanted to keep and which ones she wanted to change. Swimming, she had gone swimming and that's when she had met Richie. Standing up abruptly, she turned.
"I am going swimming" she said grabbing her bathing suit from her bag, heading towards the bathroom to change.
Stepping from the bathroom, she closed the door behind her and turned towards her father. "Daddy make sure you lock the door, and don't answer it for anyone" she said, hoping that would keep the Gecko boys away.
But if it didn't, then at least she would be in position when Richie showed up. The conversation they had at the poolside had been an important one. It had allowed her to see his human side, and he in turn had seen her as a person.
"Katie, I am the parent here. What are you so worried about?" Jacob fuller asked.
"Nothing I just don't want you to do something stupid" she said, knowing it was no use, her father would never listen to her.
Maybe, she couldn't change the past after all. Maybe it was fate. What was that saying about throwing a pebble into a stream and the current correcting itself? Regardless what if she couldn't change the past, what if it was inevitable?
No, she couldn't think like that. Otherwise Amaru would win.
Walking down the steps, she headed towards the pool, setting her towel on the chair. She went towards the poolside and dove in. Feeling the cold wash over her, from the water. She brought her head up. Her arms gently gliding through the water.
"You okay" A voice asked suddenly, startling her slightly even though she should have suspected it.
"Don't know, do you always stand around watching girls, creepily?" she bit out, surprised at the venom in her voice. Where the hell had that come from? Did she still hold a grudge from what happened during her death?
Whatever it was, she needed to get it under control. "Hey, I meant no harm" Richie said holding his hands up with a smile. This only made her blood boil more. She hated this man.
Climbing out of the pool. She turned moving to grab her towel, and like before, she found him watching her. Why had she never noticed that before? Well, she was a naïve girl after all.
Reaching into his coat pocket, he pulled a pack of cigarettes out. "Hey, can I have one of those?" she asked, remember that she had said this last time as well.
"Didn't your daddy tell you never to do this?" he asked.
"Do what?" she said.
"Talk to strangers"
"My daddy says a lot of things" she said, trying to piece together what she had said the last time.
"You on vacation or something?" he asked.
"Does this look like a vacation to you?" She snapped, her anger slowly rising back up to the surface.
"You sure you're ok?" he asked, looking at her as he took another puff of smoke from his cigarette. Sighing she went over to the chair plopping down, and leaned back. The cigarette resting between two fingers.
"Everything is so messed up right now" she murmured.
"Why's that?" he asked, going over to stand by her.
"If you had the chance to start all over, get a reset on life. Would you?" she asked, looking up at him.
"You can't change the past, you can only move forwards and hope you don't make the same mistakes twice" he said, leaning back. She let out a sigh and put the cigarette out, not wanting it anymore.
"What if you knew you were going to die?" she questioned.
"Can't change your fate, if you were meant to die, then you're going to die. Might as well except that" he said.
"No!" she yelled, standing up abruptly. Glaring at him, he couldn't be right could he? She refused to believe, that it was her fate to die.
"Your wrong, I can change it. If I know what's going to happen. Then I can stop everything" she said, shoving past him and headed up the stairs and back to her motel room.
Throwing open the door. She ran in, slamming hard into a firm chest. Looking up, she found herself staring straight into the eyes of Seth Gecko. She should have seen this coming.
Backing up she turned. Nearly bumping into Richie, who leaned against the door. Looking at her.
"Something I said" taking a step forward he backed her up until she was back in the room.
Glaring at Seth, he smirked at her while grabbing the clothes she had left on the bed and tossing them at her.
"Get changed, we haven't got all day princess" he said clasping her upper arm and dragging her slightly to the door. Opening it, she gritted her teeth and yanked her arm out of his grasp. Stepping in, she slammed the door behind her, fuming slightly.
Quickly getting changed into her clothes. She stood there looking in the mirror, rubbing her hands tiredly over her face. What if Richie was right and she couldn't change anything. So far everything had remained the same, minus a few unimportant details. Did Amaru know this was going to happen, is that why she made the deal.
A knock on the door broke her from her concentration. "Times up princess" Seth's voice said, muffled from behind the door. Opening the door, she walked out making her way towards the bed, sitting down.
"Ok ramblers, let's get rambling. Now we can't all go rushing past the door. So, here's how we're going to do it. You're going to go first" he said waving his gun at the pastor. "Alone, you're going to get into the motor home, you're going to start her up and bring her around front" he said, waving his gun and waiting for them to catch up.
"Richie and boy wonder are going to go next, they're going to bring our bags, then me and you are going to go next. Now everyone should have their hero switches in the off position"
"I make the plan everybody executes it, simple as sesame street" he said. Sitting there, Kate glanced at Seth, watching him peer out the window. Jacob standing up went over to the window and began to say something to Seth in a quiet voice.
Over to her right, she could hear Richie and Scott talking about Bruce lee, and then Seth made his way to her, standing right by her left side. Glancing up at him their eyes met for a brief second, before he glanced down at his watch.
"Almost time" he muttered, as Richie peered out the window again. Nodding his head, he turned towards the pastor.
"Alright, it's show time" he said, opening the door and motioning for her dad to move. Getting up, her dad walked out closing the door behind him. With just her, Scott, Richie and Seth.
A few minutes later both, Richie and Scott left. Leaving her alone with just Seth. Moving back the curtains, he stared out the window for a few minutes, before pulling away and glancing at his watch.
"Ok, its time, you ready" he said look at her for a second. Hesitantly waving his gun he said. "Listen, um… did my brother… do anything to you?" he said softly, and in a quiet voice.
"No, aside from the whole, watching me swim like a perv and kidnapping. He was a perfect gentleman" she said, sarcasm dripping heavily from her voice.
"Hey watch your mouth, told you don't try anything stupid. Bravery gets you killed. Don't you know that princess" he said. Balling her hands into fist. She glared trying to contain the anger waiting to explode.
Glancing down at her lap, not wanting to meet his eyes. This Seth wasn't the one she knew. This Seth was nothing more than an act he put up to hide the fact that he was a nice guy underneath.
"Look at me" he said, ignoring him, she didn't want to meet his gaze. For fear that she would blow up at him, unfortunately he didn't give her a choice. Grabbing her chin roughly, he pulled her eyes up to meet his and repeated.
"Look at me, you remember what I said. You do what I tell you, when I tell you and you'll get out of this without any bumps or scrapes" he said, yea until she ended up dead, shot twice in the back by Carlos. Seth Gecko was a liar and she wouldn't let herself be fooled by him again, not a second time.
"Come on" he said, waving his gun at her to stand up. Pressing his hand to the small of her back, he sighed. "Here goes nothing" he said, as they walked out. Stepping out first, Kate turned her head. Her eyes meeting Freddie's.
Seth stepping out behind her, following her gaze, as Freddie lifted the gun and let out a yell. "Hey" he shouted, Wrapping his arm around Kate's neck. He pulled her back, just as Freddie fired the gun.
Two police officers were coming down the opposite hall at the same time. Whirling, he fired the gun at them pulling Kate with him back into the room.
Leaning with his back against the door. He let out a tired sigh. Lifting the gun towards the closed door. He could hear gunshots, coming closer and closer. The door blasted open and Richie was stepping in. Seth was pointing his gun right at him.
"You having fun brother" he said, looking over at him.
"Jesus Christ Richie, you know a little 'hey it's me' would go a long way in keeping you alive"
"I moved the RV around back" Richie said in an answer.
"You what?" he exclaimed.
"I told you, it wasn't safe. Look we have to get out of here before ranger Ricardo makes his way in" he said.
Watching the two brothers, she wasn't worried. She knew they would make it out of there alive. No, death would be much later.
Hearing gunshot. She turned her head, knowing it was Freddie, and feeling Richie grab her around the neck they ran outside, with the ranger hot on their tail. Turning the corner, she heard more gunshots, before Seth let out a shout, having been shot in the arm.
Turning Richie looked at him with a question in his eyes, before Seth waved at him and yelled, "Go! Go!" he shouted. Running down the steps, they had made it to the RV, running inside. She let out a huff collapsing onto the couch.
She knew that it wasn't over by a long shot though, and so far, she hadn't changed a single damn thing, and that was what bothered her.
A thump from the roof caused her to look up, and she knew it was Seth, struggling with the ranger. The struggle didn't last long and a second later there was a knock on the glass.
"Go" Richie said, sparing her father a glance.
Once Seth had gotten back into the RV, Richie smirked. "Did I call it, or did I call it"
"Alright, alright. You're a genius" he said, cutting Richie off from saying anything else.
"Yea, yea we are back" he said, making his way over towards the Preacher. "Alright make a left right up here" he said pointing his gun.
Richie who had been standing moved to sit in front of Kate. "I didn't mean to scare you at the pool earlier…"
"You didn't scare me" she snapped, not wanting to have this stupid conversation with him.
"About what you said, at the pool" he paused and she took that opportunity to cut him off.
"I don't remember what I said, and besides we are all entitled to our own opinions, it doesn't mean you were any righter than I was" she said, effectively ending the conversation.
She couldn't let him be right, because him being right…. meant the end for them all.
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