All Kinds of Love

Written by Dueler312

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OLTL

Chapter 11

The Christmas break flew by fast, and pretty soon, Andrew and Nick were back, and they were heading back to school. Nick and Hope were so excited to see each other when they got to school the next day, but Nick decided to hold off on telling Hope about what his dad told him at least till lunch time.

Meanwhile as they were heading to their vehicles, Andrew decided to fill Starr and Cole in on what is going on, though first checking that Maureen was not listening in. Starr and Cole were really shocked when Andrew finished his story.

"Wow, so I guess that's why," said Cole.

"What do you mean?" asked Andrew.

"You know that time when Hope and I came over for the first time?" Cole reminded Andrew.. "Well, I stumbled upon a photo album, on accident, when I was getting our coats."

"And I take it you saw the picture of Lauren, right?" asked Andrew. Cole just nodded. "I guess that's why that detective was asking me questions. "

"John McBain?" Starr quickly guessed. Andrew was impressed.

"He's been a friend of the family for a long time," said Cole. "Well for most of us," he quickly added, referring to Starr's dad not on good terms with him. Starr just smirked.

"Well, I just want to let you know, because this may affect Hope as well, and I didn't want her to be confused by this," said Andrew. "I'm pretty sure he already telling Hope, or could be later."

"Don't worry about it," said Starr. "If she gets confused, we'll talk to her about it."

"Well, I would thought the two of you would thought better to move somewhere else." It was Maureen, along with the mothers of Amy and Michelle. "What else do you-"

"Zip it, Maureen," said Andrew.

"Excuse me," she said. "but I was speaking to them-"

"Now in the way you are talking," Andrew interrupted again. "This little game you been playing is ending, and you'll see why soon." Andrew then nodded to Starr and Cole as a way that he'll see them later, and headed off in his vehicle.

"Well, now that he's out of the-" but Maureen never got to finished, as Starr and Cole got into their viewless and drove off.

"You better get this fixed, Maureen," Amy mother's said. "Because I don't like this."

"Don't you worry, Marie," said Maureen. "I'm not letting these freaks invade this place anymore. Just got to figure out how to show them that this town doesn't need creeps like these. Let's go," she said to the other two, and they headed out.

Nick didn't get a chance to tell Hope what he had found out till recess, and she was shocked, though not as much as the adults.

"Lauren's your sister? How?" asked Hope.

"Because me and her have the same mom," said Nick. They were playing around on the slide, and no one was coming there way.

"But why did your dad keep that from you?" asked Hope.

"I don't know," said Nick. "I guess he was trying to figure out how to tell me, but I don't think it was all his fault. It was probably all of my mommy's fault as well."

"Yeah, I agree," said Hope.

"What about us though?" asked Nick.

"What do you mean?" asked Hope.

"Are you going to leave me, because-"

"No!" Hope interrupted. Nick looked surprised when she said that, and she noticed that and the added in a calmer tone. "You're my best friend, and I wouldn't leave you for something like that. And my mommy and daddy wouldn't be happy at me for doing something like that."

Nick couldn't help but smile, and say thanks for that. Hope also smiled and then they continued playing, until they got distracted by something.

"I don't want to," screamed a familiar young girl's voice. Lauren was walking away from her friends, Amy and Michelle. It seems that they were trying to convince her to do something

"What is the matter with you?" asked Michelle. "You aren't being yourself, and you need to stop this. Just get over it. Its done.

"YOU DON"T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE!" Lauren screamed out.

Hope and Nick saw that trouble was about to start. Nick ran down the steps of the slide, to get a teacher while Hope went over to try to get this to stop.

"If you are going to let that bother you like that, then you are being a stupid person, and you should just be one of those freaks that should go away," said Amy.

"You two should go away," said Hope, who came up to them. Lauren looked at Hope shocked that she was defending her.

"Oh really," said Michelle. "Why would you defend someone that been picking on you?"

"Maybe because she a better person right now then you two are." Mrs. Ambers had arrived with Nick at her heels. But just then, Lauren started in tears and ran out of sight.

"Lauren!" Mrs. Ambers called out after her. Nick and Hope looked at each other with a sad look on their face. They knew Lauren was in a bad place, but it looked like it had gotten worse over the holidays. Mrs. Ambers had another aide take Amy and Michelle to the fence, and ran after Lauren. Nick and Hope wanted to follow, but thought it was best to leave it to the teacher to calm her down.

"I hope she's okay," said Nick, and Hope knew he was more worried about her since he knew she was his sister, but Lauren didn't know that yet.

"I hope so too," said Hope, and she really meant it. No matter how Lauren had treated her, she didn't want her to go through the same thing she did, and it wouldn't be right to just let those two girls treat Nick's sister like that.

Just then, Mrs. Ambers came back with Lauren, who was still sad but calm.

"Can I ask you two to stay with her while I take care of something?" Mrs. Ambers asked Hope and Nick.

"Yes, Mrs. Ambers," Nick and Hope said together. She then left Lauren with them collected Amy and Michelle, and asking another to teacher to watch her class, marched the two young girls inside the school to her classroom.

Hope and Nick were looking at each other, trying to figure out what to say, but it was Lauren who spoke up first. "Why did you do that?" she asked looking up slightly at Hope.

"Do what?" asked Hope.

"Why did you stand up for me?" asked Lauren. "I don't understand."

"Because they were messing with you, telling you who you should be," said Hope. "And no one should be treated that way."

"She's right," said Nick.

"But I been messing with you all this time, up to what happened to me at the restaurant," said Lauren. "I don't get it."

Hope and Nick looked at each other, not sure what to say, but then Hope said, "I don't know, but it needed to be done. Plus, you were in something really bad, that seems to be messing with you. No one can forget that."

"How do you know that?" asked Lauren, still calm but leaking more tears.

"Because my mommy and daddy taught me that," said Hope. "And to also help people that needed it, no matter who they are. "

Lauren didn't know what to say, but she wasn't able to as the bell rang, meaning that it was time for them to clear out so the next grade can have their recess time.

Cole and Starr , along with Patrick, were at Rodi's talking about the situation with their kids when trouble started to walk in. Maureen walked in, and she was not looking good at all.

"Where's the owner of the shop?" she asked the man who was managing the bar, who was putting stocking some beer under it.

"He's at his other job right now, Ma'am," said the barkeep. "If you need to speak to him, I can let him you know-"

"You can tell him that I'm going to get his badge and this place," said Maureen. "My daughter has changed into someone I don't like, and its because of places like these and people like him."

"I think its time for you to leave, right now," the barkeep said.

"Oh really, you think you can throw me out," said Maureen.

"I wouldn't threaten him like that, Maureen," said Starr. She had walked up to her.

"Really, and why shouldn't I?" Maureen sneered.

Starr pointed back at the barkeep and Maureen turned around. She had mistakenly judge him poorly, as he had some good sized muscles on his arms.

"This isn't over. As soon as this place is gone, I'll make sure that everything else is gone, that attracts freaks like you," Maureen said to Starr.

Cole looked to get up, but Starr seemed to gain a sixth sense for that movement and held her hand up telling Cole to stay where he was. "Yeah we may be freaks, but the only thing you are is a jerk." Maureen looked at she was about to say something, but then stowed away from the establishment. Starr then went back to her two boys. And the barkeep decided to make a phone call to John about what happened.

"I hope that Andrew is able to get this situation done real fast, because it looks like its getting real ugly," said Cole.

"I know," said Starr. "Hopefully though Lauren will be okay once she's away from that woman."

"You think she may become friends with Hope?" Cole thought.

"Who knows?" said Starr.

Starr went to get Hope with Patrick as Cole had to get to work. She knew that she had to see Maureen again, but she didn't want to start anything with her, because of Patrick. Hope and Nick were waiting patiently, though talking.

"Hi Mommy," said Hope, when she noticed her and Patrick coming.

"Hey, everything okay?" Starr asked, shifting Patrick around.

"I don't know," said Hope. "Something happened today with Lauren."

"What do you mean?" she asked, but she didn't get the answer from Hope, as Maureen started to round on Lauren again.

"You knock this attitude off," said Maureen. "This behavior of feeling down is not meant for anyone, and you should know that."

"That's enough, miss," said Mrs. Ambers, who walked over to her .

"This is my daughter, and I'll talk to her how I see fit, Mrs. Ambers," Maureen sneered. And just like that she picked up her daughter and carried her off like she was carrying her from something dangerous, which she was probably thinking, Starr thought.

Everyone started talking about what just happened when Andrew came in to pick up Nick. He saw Maureen having Lauren in that position and went to come in to make sure Nick was okay.

"What happened?" asked Andrew.

"Seems Lauren's mother is getting tired of the way her daughter has been feeling, but the way she's doing it, she's really not helping her at all.

"Lauren's friends were the same way to her," said Hope.

"They were?" asked Starr.

"Yeah, they were," said Nick. "I went to get the teacher while Hope went to tell them to stop."

"Well luckily I managed to get those papers filed, and pretty soon I can maybe get Lauren out of there, and into a stable home," said Andrew.

"I hope so," said Hope. "Because her mommy shouldn't be treating her like that."

"You are right, Hope," said Starr. The two adults then realized that they needed to get the kids home, so they decided to get them out of there, after letting Hope and Nick say good-bye to each other.

However, Maureen even looked more vivid when they got outside. A man had just delivered papers to her, and she was shocked, and looked up right at Andrew. She looked livid, and then got into her car and took off.

A/N: Wow. Lauren seems to have changed from the bully to the bullied because of what happened to her. And apparently no one seems to understand that, except for Starr and the others. Sounds like Maureen is getting even more dangerous. Will that be her undoing? And when will Lauren know that she and Nick share the same parents? Stay tuned.