Hush little Sister 21

"Kaite," James scooped his crush up in his arms, "what you got there?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, holding up the item to the light. It was a knife, and he about dropped her.

"Katliyn Jo Jones!" he scolded her, jerking it away.

"What?" she blinked up at him with wide, scared eyes at his angry face. He set her on the bed and shook her shoulders.

"You can't play with this, you'll get hurt!" he wagged it infront of her face, "are you listening to me?" She looked up from her lap with tears pooling in her eyes, "Sure, cry it up. Gah, Katlyin! Grow up already!" He regretted it the moment he said it.

"Maybe if you had a brain, James, you'd understand WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH!" she grabbed the knife and threw it into the door, running out.

"Katie!" he rushed for her, but the door slammed him into the ground. Rubbing his bruising jaw, he went to tend to it and allowed her to cool down.

XXXXXXXXX

"Katie-Kat?" he peered through the keyhole, pushing past the others gathering around it.

"Go away!" she jabbed a pencil at him, and he yelped, falling to his back.

"Nice going, idiot," Kendall snarled, "she doesn't trust anybody now."

"I hope your proud of yourself," Logan snapped.

"I'm sorry..." tears were pooling in his own eyes, and Carlos sat beside him, trying to be understanding to both sides.

"What happened?" he asked gently.

"She got a knife, and I scolded her too harsh," he mumbled, pressing his knuckles to his eyes.

Kendall's face paled as Jackson gulped a bit. The blonde sank to the floor, and instantly the trio were around him.

"What did she mean, Ken?" James asked gently but firmly, "what's she's been through?"

Wiping something from his eye, Kendall told them everything. By the end, all four of them were bawling.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Katie?" James finally got her to unlock her door. When he entered, she was under her sheets, her lump that she looked like was shaking.

"It's Katilyn," she moaned weakly.

"Katilyn," he corrected himself, sliding beside her, "I wanted you to stay safe, and I didn't mean anything by anything I said. I didn't mean it, my big mouth got the best of me."

"That isn't a lie," big doe eyes looked up at him, and his heart went through his ribs.

"How can I make it up to you?" he got to her eye level and gave her his best aplogetic look.

"Well..." she tapped her chin and smiled, "make me famous like Kenny."

His eyes widened at this strange request. "He's not famous yet, Katilyn. I mean, it's going to take a long time, and it's a long shot anyway. I can try for you, but no promises. It's an even longer shot for you, okay?"

"I don't care, if he can do, so can I," she grabbed his hands, "will you really do it?"

Smiling weakly, he nodded and swung her around, "Love you, kitten. Of course."

"YEA!" she kissed his face all over, "I love you too, Jamie!"

"Katie-Kat, you little devil," he tickled her under the chin, "blackmailing...I didn't know you could do that."

"There might be more to be you didn't know," she smiled, and her eyes went back to another place. Respecting that, he waited for her to let him into her past.