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"What'ya mean?" Tej asked, as he faced a very pissed off Brixton.
"Don't act like I am stupid, Tej." Brixton sighed, not in the mood for playing games at the moment. "I knew something was wrong and what's worse is you, of all people, lied to me. Point blank." Briton took a deep breath, trying her best to not flip out on him.
"I didn't' lie..." Tej tired to turn on his charm and get out of the mess, but he knew that he had just been called out and there was not way to escape it now.
"You al did. Come on, Tej, I'm not stupid. We don't just pack up and go to Switzerland for nothing. Either tell me or I say we're done." Brixton laid down her ultimatum.
"It's not my place to tell.." Tej looked down at the ground, his expression grim.
"Fine, consider us to be over since you can't tell me." Brixton took off walking at a fast pace, her shoes scrunching in the tight snow.
"Brixton, baby, come on! That's' not fair!" Tej jogged up to her, keeping the pace beside her at the same time trying to calm her down.
"Really? Neither is keeping something so bad from me! It obviously either deals with me or Tyla. I have asked a thousand times! How could you?" She spun around on her heels, staring into her 'ex' boyfriend's eyes. He was silent, his mind rolling as to what to say. "Yeah, that's what I thought. I thought you guys trusted, me respected ,e, to tell me the truth. I guess I was wrong." Brixton's said in a disappointed voice, tears in her eyes.
""One sec, please." Tej looked at her with begging in his dark eyes.
"You got one minute and I'm packing and on a plane." Brixton warned. Tej nodded, knowing she was serious and was grateful. He walked away to call Brian.
"Brian, Man. I gotta tell Brix. She overheard me talking to you and she's hella pissed we al lied, she's threatening to leave, man." Tej didn't waste time for a hello, he just started talking as he knew his girl was watching her clock.
Bring her up here to me and I'll explain it all." Tyla said on the other end of the phone, not sounding too stressed over the secret leaking out.
"Damn, my bad, Ty, I'm sorry. I just talked to Brian. I didn't mean to wake you up." Tej said, feeling guilty.
"Don't worry bout it. Let me talk to her." Tyla requested. Tej walked over to his girl and gave her the phone.
"Hello." Brixton looked almost regretful, knowing Tej's expression meant it was something bad.
""hey Brix. It's Ty." Tyla said, her smile being heard through her voice. "I guess I should apologize for making them lie to you. If you let Tej bring you up here, I ll explain everything." Tyla offered, playing with Brian's hair as he slept, his head in her lap.
"Ok, no prob, Ty. Thanks." Brixton chewed her lip, her attitude gone. "Are you sure you don't mind?" She asked, getting reassurance. "I'm sorry I flipped on you, Tej." Brixton said quietly in her way to the facility Tej was taking her to.
"It's all gravy, baby. I would be mad too." Tej put his hand on her knee as he drove. She smiled and put her hand over his. "So, uh.." Tej coughed. "Do I still got a girl or am I a 'playa' again?" He asked nonchalantly as he drove through the snow.
"Yes, I suppose. FO now anyways." She hid her teasing smile.
"Yeah." Tej grinned as he focused back on the road.
"I knew she was sick." Brixton drew in a shocked, scared breath as Tej turned into a medical facility. Tej was still not feeling like breaking any of the eggshells he felt he was on, so he remained quiet. he got out and opened the door for her. He put his arm around her as the two walked into the big building.
"You got company." Tej rapped on the top floor door lightly.
"Hey." A sleepy Brian opened the door, looking rugged. "Come in, guys." He opened the door for the two and shut it behind them. "Come on, Tej. I need some coffee." Brian nodded after shutting it, remembering he was going to leave the girls alone. Tej nodded and patted Brixton on the shoulder as he left.
"You okay, Ty?" Brixton flew to Tyla's side, her throat feeling tight.
"I feel good, no worries. Don't look so scared, I'm ok." Tyla smiled, ruffling her hair.
"I'm sorry, I just...I knew something was up." Brixton stammered, messing with the rings on her hands out of nervousness.
"it's okay. I wanted to tell you but I was trying to spare you the stress and worry." Tyla sighed as she sat up to take a drink. "Tej tell you anything?" She asked, wondering where t start.
"No, I feel like a bitch because I took all my accusations and frustration on him." Brixton smiled sheepishly. Tyla patted the bed, motioning for Brixton to sit on the bed.
"Might as well get comfortable. It's a complicated and long story." Tyla admitted honestly.
"If you're too tired or sick..." Brixton climbed on the bed and sat cross-legged, opposite of her friend.
"I'm ok, Brix. I'll be okay. I'm in no pain. I just wanted to let you have some worry free fun so I didn't tell you. I know how rough your life has been and I wanted you to have a break." Tyla played with Brixton's long locks.
"I didn't' have that rough of a life." Brixton looked shocked and wondering if Tyla was a mind reader or how she would know that information.
"Brix, I gotta tell you something. I knew your mom. I worked with her and I remember babysitting you and I know how hard she worked to protect you and I know what happened after she lost custody of you. She spent many nights crying while we worked. She knew what you went through." Tyla sighed, her own eyes tearing at Brixton's mouth that was dropped open. "How much do you remember?' Tyla asked, settling back to get comfortable.
"Not a lot. I can't remember too much, really. I know Monica lived with our dad and hated me. You knew my mom? I lost her ..." Brixton trailed off.
"Her and I worked din the FBI together. I knew you guys lived on the street for a while she worked two get her schooling in. I knew a lot. She was older then me, but we clicked, She was almost like a mom to me at times." Tyla smiled at her memory.
"Sounds like her. If you were in the FBI, how is it Monica doesn't know you?" Brixton frowned, confused.
"She's in money laundering. I was in it a while ago and Monica has been in it for what, three years at most?" Tyla counted mentally. "She knows something's up but not what. I think she's using you to try to figure it out, though." Tyla admitted.
"How so? She wouldn't'." Brixton looked sad. "Never mind, yeah, she would." Brixton took a deep breath, wondering why she had such bad luck.
"Brix, do you know how your mom died? Or the cause? you were long gone before she did." Tyla coughed, hating this reality conversation, knowing it was hurting Brixton and bringing up painful memories.
"No, she died after they took me away and didn't tell me til a long time after. They took me away at 11 and I jumped foster homes and got beat here and there, the usual thing that happens with kids no on wants." Brixton stated, making Tyla's heart almost break.
'Well, I'll tell you your mom fought hard to keep you but she lost and she hated herself for it. i'ma warn you, the story isn't something you want to hear." Tyla warned. Brixton nodded.
"You babysat me?" Brixton asked, her brain doing the math of her age and still attempting to process all this information. Tyla had t laugh.
"Yeah, I had to make some money while I was in college, silly. I'm not that much older than you. I'm only 26." Tyla teased, making Brixton laugh. "I couldn't live on peanut butter and jelly every damn day, right?" She asked, capitalizing on the fact that she knew Brixton hated peanut butter and jelly.
"Right on. Okay, so tell me the whole story, cuz I'm all kindsa confused now." Brixton yawned.
"It goes like this..." Tyla took a deep breath. "We worked in a secret area of the FBI. It was the paranormal/disease area." Tyla sighed, not going into all the details. "We were working on this disease the government is hiding and is lethal, as bad as the plague. It was brought back from an astronaut. Now, don't freak out on me, please." Tyla held up her hands, her voice low. Brixton, wide-eyed, nodded.
"I won't, at least, I'll try not to." Brixton smiled, being truthful.
"There is this disease, it's still in the government's possession. The whole division became infected. Rather than try to help us and get us well, they killed us all off. Well, except for like five of us how had the day off the day they claimed there was fire. They tired to come after us. The disease has killed off three of them, your mom one of them. I am one of the last two. They are looking for me, because I could tell the press and call them out. I can't give it to anyone now. The quarantine period is over and im not contagious. "Tyla frowned, folding her arms.
"So why not just promise to not tell?" Brixton asked, not getting the whole scope of the case.
"They don't trust me." Tyla said as a nurse walked in, a bag of IV fluid in hand.
"How are you feeling, Mrs. O'Connor?" The nurse asked, putting the bag onto he pole and into Tyla's intravenous line.
"I'm fine, thanks. How much longer do I have?" Tyla asked, shifting her position in the uncomfortable bed.
"A few hours at the most. I'll be bringing your snack in soon." The nurse nodded and left.
"you doing, Ok, Brix?" Tyla asked, checking Brixton for any sigh of freaking out.
"Yeah." Brixton flicked her hair off her shoulder and slouched further down on the bed to get more comfortable.
"Ok, so the government, became worried because family members got concerned and launched an investigation. The United nation, the president, active rights groups, all of them are on guard now. The agency we worked for can't afford a leak of this." Tyla nodded as she yawned.
"Wow." Was all Brixton could say.
"They erased out identities and simply put us as non existent. That's how I got out of jail so quick." Tyla smiled smugly.
"SO, how did you marry Brian with no identity?" Brixton asked, confused even more now.
"We have friends in high places and I have a new identity that is clear and clean as gold." Tyla grinned impishly and winked at her friend.
"I'm just trying to keep a low profile and get cured. There is a cure, but it only works for certain people. They don't know if my system will take it and if it does, its' a long process. One dose takes one day and its every six months at a different place." Tyla explained.
"You're not gonna die, right?" Brixton sat up, now tense at the tone in Tyla's voice.
"Well, I don't know. The other guy was killed before the last dose. I have two more and if they find me, I will be killed. I have 24 months judging by the gestation period before it kills me. That's only by the research we were able to do." Tyla shook her head. "No one knows if the incomplete doses will keep it from ending at that period or if it'll extend my time." Tyla sighed.
"It'll work, it has to. you are the only good thing that has happened in my life, Ty." Brixton's eyes tired up as she shook her head. Tyla hugged her and the guys waked in as tears spilled over Brixton's eyes.
"Come on, Brix. She needs her rest." Tej pulled her outside gently, his arm around her.
"Thanks Brix, for not freaking out and for believing me." Tyla hugged her again.
"You'll be ok, you have to be. I won't have it any other way." Brixton whispered, her throat constricting as Tej led her out of the room. Then she burst into full fledged tears. Tej put his arms around her and rocked her gently.
"Baby girl, I'm sorry." Tej whispered, moving her hair back out of her face.
"It's not fair." Brixton cried, feeling like her heart was going to break.
"Nope, its' a fuckd up deal, aight." Tej sighed, frowning.