At just after 6 am, the small pitter patter of feet began in Robbie Germaine's room. The moment his eyes opened, his head was off his pillow and he was excited it was a new day. mommy had told him shortly he would be going to school so he wanted to make the most out of the time he had left at home and play with his toys as often as possible. He quickly surveyed them to decide which one was coming to the breakfast table with him before he bound out of the room and down the hall for the living room. He stopped in his tracks at the sleeping couple on the couch, turning his head to look at them as they slept. He tried to determine their relationship, thinking Uncle Adam must be Aunt Julie's baby's daddy before he turned to run for his Mother's room. It was often that he had to wake her in the morning. The soft creak of the floor boards under his small feet had awoke Guy for his restless slumber when he bound out of the room moments before. He sighed, wanting a few more moments with Connie. The warmth of her skin was something he had forgotten felt so nice on his and he pulled her closer to his bare chest to keep the feeling going. She grumbled something in her sleep about dinosaurs and cuddled more against him, a chuckle escaping his lips as he looked upon her. She face felt extra hot that morning, Guy thought finally opening his eyes to the girl wrapped in his arms. Her face was red with exhaustion and her forehead was covered in sweat when he reached his hand up to cup her cheek. She grumbled again when Guy readjusted them so he could be face to face with her and examine her ailment. He ran a hand over her cheek, collecting perspiration as he went and looked at it on his hand. She was hot as fire, he noted, touching her forehead with the back to see if that was the same. It was fire hot to the touch.
"Connie?" He asked, a hint of worry in his voice, wondering if she had been sick the day before. She mumbled his name in her sleep before pulling him close again, she didn't want to wake up if this was a dream. He let her tug his shoulders back into her arms, silently wondering what could be wrong with her? Did she pick something up at the hospital? He wondered. His mind didn't have time to process anymore thought as the door flew open a second later and Robbie came full force at the bed, his arms outstretched. Guy braced himself for the impact when the boy jumped for the bed, landing more on top of him than Connie luckily for her.
"Daddy!" He cried happily as Guy let go of Connie, who was now waking up and looking around with worry. She relaxed when she saw that it was only Robbie, whom Guy now had wrapped in his arms tickling him.
"You want to coming in here and wake us up?" Guy joked taking to Robbie's knees for his most ticklish spot. Robbie cried out in laughter on Guy's attack.
"No, Daddy..." He let out a loud cry of laughter trying to push Guy off without success.
"What, big man can't take it?" Guy joked again before letting Robbie up, who immediately attacked him back, pushing him back on the bed and trying to tickle him. The two laughed with playfulness as Connie watched, tucking herself against the wall to avoid the swinging hands and feet. She almost wanted to cry at the two of them. They were so much alike. They were her boys and she didn't want to leave them. The giggling tapered off and they lay there, Robbie on Guy's chest as both fought to catch their breath. Guy let a laugh or two escape his lips, looking down at the little man and ruffling his hair the way his Dad used to do before his parents divorced. He would not let that happen to Robbie. He would not be an on the weekends Dad the way his had been. He smiled down at the boy with pride that he and Connie had made such a cute kid. Robbie smiled happily up at him.
"Why you here?" He wondered, his head cocked to the side. Guy tried to think of an explanation that Robbie would take, looking to Connie for help. She silently watched, her eyes glazed over with tears before he caught her eye. She opened her mouth to form a response before Robbie asked another question.
"Ummm... Daddy had bugs in his apartment and had to stay here last night." She said, knowing he'd probably all but forgotten the scene outside yesterday, considering she hadn't let him watch them take either stretcher out. Robbie looked to Guy for confirmation, who nodded.
"Yeah, big bugs..." He added, emphasizing with his hands. Robbie eyes got wide with curiously, trying to figure something out.
"Why you not live here, with us?" Robbie asked now, looking to Guy again. He looked to Connie, who looked down at the blankets with interest. She would let him handle this one. He guessed he was on his own when she didn't look up. He sighed, reaching up to push the hair off his forehead before he answered.
"Well Robbie, sometimes Mommies and Daddies don't live together anymore." He started, seeing Robbie's mind forming another question before he continued, "It's not that we don't still love each other and you, we just can't share space..." Guy tried to reason, looking to Connie again. She still had her head down.
"But Mommy always tells me to share... Isn't sharing a good thing?" Robbie wondered confused as he looked between his parents. Guy nodded, not wanting to give his son the wrong message.
"It is Robbie, it is but sometimes adults make the choice that's best, and sometimes that means not sharing. When you're older you'll understand..." He promised, brushing the same hair out of Robbie's face that had been in his own a few seconds before. it was amazing how much they were alike. Robbie nodded only slightly, looking down at the rise and fall of Guy's chest, thinking of a response.
"I want you to stay..." He said a bit of defeat in his voice. Guy sighed, pulling him against his chest.
"No matter where me or Mommy are, we're always thinking about you and always wondering if you're okay. That's what families do and we're a family. We don't have to be together all the time for us to love each other." Guy said looking to Connie who took his hand that had been laying on the bed. He smiled reassuringly at her. She felt the tears behind her eyes thinking that Guy would probably never love her the way he had before. She was the woman that gave him his son now and maybe a friend. She had confessed she loved him and he hadn't said it back, she thought still looking down.
"I love you Daddy..." Robbie mumbled against his chest. Guy smiled,
"I love you too, little man." He said, placing his cheek against Robbie's head as he pulled him in for a hug.
Les Averman walked up the last flight of stairs coming to stand in front of his apartment door. The police tape had been taken down and everyone was gone, so the hall was silent. He figured he'd come home and survey the damage before anyone else did, it would be hard for Tammy to see it if there was still a mess left. I knew Portman was at Belle's and Fulton was currently curled up in a hospital chair next to Tammy but he didn't know where the other three occupants had managed to sleep last night. He shrugged his shoulders first notating the crack in the door as he entered. The lock still worked but the chain had been busted from its screws on the wall and dangled against the door as he entered. He'd have to fix that, he thought now looking to the hall in front of him. The book shelf to the right of the door looked to have been hit against, it stood upright but the DVD's that had been inside lay all over the floor. He could only assume Tammy or Linda had been thrown into it. Adam's hockey stick lay next to it on the floor, the faint trace of a hand print laced around the handle in blood. He wondered who had managed to get that in the struggle. Since it wasn't the murder weapon the cops had left it but hopefully it had helped the girls. He looked now to right in front of him where a section of the floor had been blenched almost white. He knew immediately that that's where they had found the body. An eerie feeling washed over him knowing someone died in that spot and he quickly grabbed the area run from the living room and pulled it further into the hall. it didn't matter that the man who died was a rapist, Averman still felt weird walking on that spot. With the spot covered, Averman now looked to the rest of the apartment. It looked like all the fighting had occurred in the main hall because the rest of the living room and kitchen were spotless. Looking down the hall, he saw much of the same. Tammy must have been cleaning when all this happened, he thought with a nod. All the beer cans had been cleaned up and the pizza boxes. Even the dishes were done, he thought coming to stand at the counter to survey the free space. He looked over the area and saw the knife set setting off to the side, one large knife missing from the bunch. He shuddered at the thought of running that through someone and turned the set away from his eye line to focus on something else. A couple bags of garbage sat waiting to be taken out but besides that there wasn't much to do. He sighed, picking up the garbage first and going to take it out.
Averman ran into Dean Portman on his way down the stairs as he was coming up, a nod of acknowledgement passed between the two.
"Hey..." Averman said, trying to wave slightly, Portman actually smiled back, stepping out of the way of the man with the garbage.
"Need help?" He offered but Averman shook his head no before continuing down the steps. Portman made it up to the apartment a few seconds later and was surprised at how clean it was, minus the little bits of mishap next to the door. He casually strolled to his room first wondering why his Metallica poster was hanging on his door with a rip down the middle. He grumbled, pulling it the rest of the way down. He had really liked that poster, he thought balling it up and walking to the kitchen to throw it in the garbage. Averman had returned now and realized that Portman hadn't been home since Ashlee Banks tore apart his room. He was just looking to go hide in his room when Portman looked up at him.
"Yo, Ave, how'd my poster get ripped?" He asked, holding it up in the air before dumping it in the garbage. Averman laughed slightly nervous, if there was ever a time for the old Portman to return, it would be now.
"Um, Ashlee was here..." He mumbled, nervous about being the one to tell him. Portman looked at the ripped poster and thought about the girl he'd betrayed before his eyes widened and he marched towards his room with anger in his step. Flinging the door open Portman looked upon a mess. The bed sheets had been ripped off, every poster on his walls had been ripped down. His stereo lay on the floor and his clothes were thrown all over the room. He didn't have words to say what the mess in front of him meant to him but deep down he knew he had deserved it. He sighed deeply and hung his head in defeat. Averman watched him as he was silent for a few moments, his eyes searching the floor in contemplation. Averman flinched a little when he came back to stand next him.
"I tried to stop her..." Averman said, his face tucked into his chest, his shoulders up to block the blow. The punch never came though, Portman just shook his head in defeat, still looking at the floor.
"Did she say anything while she was here? Did she tell Adam about everything." Portman wondered. Averman slowly let go of his stance and looked to the man standing next to him, opening one eye first then the other. Portman's face was not one of anger but disappointment when Averman's eyes met his. Averman stood straight up now, feeling a little foolish for assuming he was going to get hit.
"She said she was upset with you... Adam did come home when she was doing it." Averman confirmed. Portman sighed, turning to go back to his room and clean up the mess. He knew he'd have to deal with the older Banks sooner or later so might as well make good use of the time before. Averman watched him go, wondering what the hell was going on with him?
Downstairs Guy had managed to get Robbie to the kitchen table for some breakfast. The kid wanting to play instead in the living room. The noise had woke Adam and Julie who had took one look at the other and casually separated to the ends of the couch. Connie had hung back, silently dropping in the bathroom to return the contents of her stomach without Guy knowing. She kicked herself for forgetting the take her pill, she would be feeling the after effects for the rest of the day. This was not good, she thought before she ran some cold water, splashing some on her face before looking in the mirror. She nearly stepped back at the sight before her. Her face and neck was breaking out in red spots under her skin and her eyes seemed to have been taking on a yellow tint in the whites. She closed them and shook off the image, this could not be happening, she pleaded with herself, she just needed her pills and everything would go away, she thought, steadying her hand enough to open the bathroom door slightly.
"Julie..." She asked a bit of nervously. The blonde heard her call without detection from the two men in the apartment who were talking with Robbie in the kitchen about breakfast. Connie heard footsteps coming and hid behind the door in case it wasn't her best friend but Adam or Guy.
"Yeah..." Julie mumbled, still wondering how she had ended up on the couch with Adam.
"I need my vitamins..." She said, a tremble in her voice as she said it. Julie's eyes perked up, almost trying to look around the door to see Connie and make sure she was alright. She couldn't see so she headed for the kitchen to grab the bottle. Guy was at the stove beginning to make breakfast when she walked in. He looked up at her as he started a pan for eggs.
"Everything okay?" He asked, knowing Connie wasn't feeling well. Julie nodded,
"Yeah, just getting my pre-natal vitamins... I'm going to go check on her now." She lied, grabbing the pill bottle from the drawer and turning to head back to Connie. Adam had been coming up behind her to grab the bread off the counter for toast when they almost ran into each other. He instictively reached out to grab her before she could run into him and ended up with his hand on her stomach. She smiled nervously, patting his hand where it rested and avoided his eyes.
"I'll be right back." She said breaking Adam's hold on her and rushing down the hall. She went into the bathroom quickly and closed the door behind her. Adam looked at Guy for a moment,
"Isn't Connie already in there?" He asked, confusion marking his face. Guy shrugged,
"Yeah, it's a girl thing... they always go in packs to the bathroom..." He confirmed, not seeming too worried about it. Adam shook his head, grabbing the bread before going to the refrigerator to get the milk and pour himself and Robbie a glass.
"Here..." Julie said handing her the pills and sitting on the tub edge as Connie swallowed two pills down with water from the tap. She looked again in the mirror at the red dots lining her cheeks and sighed heavily.
"It's getting worse..." Julie said behind her, looking down at her hands. She knew Connie would lie and say that it would clear up but she'd done some research of her own. Connie didn't say anything, what would there be to say besides the obvious that it wasn't going to get better. She didn't look at Julie before she began to rinse her face again to avoid Julie's questioning eyes when they met hers. Julie scoffed at her.
"You know there's treatments now... There's antibiotics and ways that we could fight this. it's not over." Julie told her with hope in her voice. Connie stood and looked in the mirror at her best friend. it was true they had been making strides towards curing the Hepatitis C but it was only in very early stages so far. She shook her head in defeat.
"Yeah, I know but mine's too far now..." Connie said, placing the towel she had grabbed back on the hook. Julie shook her head,
"Don't you want to live? For Robbie, for Guy?" She asked with annoyance. "For me?" She added, looking down at her belly. Connie looked down at the water slowly draining from the sink, trying to think of a response.
"Of course I do but I have no health insurance and hardly any time left in me, Julie! This yellowing means my liver is shutting down." Connie snapped, turning around to face her. Julie stood to meet her eyes.
"Well, you better get some fight in you, or, or..." Julie stammered, not ready to lose her friend, "or I'll tell Guy!" She threatened. Connie's eyes narrowed at her in anger.
"You wouldn't..." She challenged. Julie almost laughed, when had Connie ever won this argument? Julie would do just about anything that she had been dared to do.
"Watch me..." She said with anger in her eyes, going to open the door. Connie blocked her,
"Alright, alright... So there's treatments... I have no health insurance..." She argued again.
"Go get some... Tell Jake, your employer that you need some..." Julie said with a determination in her voice. Connie looked at the floor, she would not ask another thing of Jake.
"No, it's not like a legit business where he needs to offer me a benefits package. I'm a stripper for God's sake." Connie said, turning back to the sink.
"Then go on one of those programs, you've got Robbie now, you should qualify." Julie said, never believing in government aid but knowing it could save her best friend. Connie sighed,
"I'll look into it, okay?" She asked into the reflection. Julie nodded slightly, knowing it wouldn't help to push. She needed Connie to want to fight too.
"Yeah, see that you do..." Julie said leaving the bathroom and closing the door behind her with a slight slam. Connie sighed again, gripping the sink in her palms. It was too late for that, Connie thought looking at her yellow tinted eyes, her body was already shutting down.
Averman had finished cleaning up the minor damaged to the front hall before he went to his room to have a few minutes to himself before Fulton would be bringing Tammy home. Looking over the room, he silently ran over the comic books strewn over the art desk against the left wall. he hadn't touched them in weeks, he'd been too busy was work and taking care of Ashlee's problems. He walked silently to them and looked at his years worth of work thrown all over the desk. Everything he'd ever done had been for her. Her face graced the covers and pages of his life's work and what did he have to show for it? Not even the girl. She didn't care , she just saw him as a stepping stone for her next prefect boyfriend, he thought with a shake of his head. Someone to make her forget Dean Portman's name. Whether he would have even been good enough to make her forget, he did not know, he questioned but he just wanted a fair shot. He wanted her to want to be with him. To know it was his hands on her and his lips when they did make love. That would never happen now. He sighed, picking up a milk crate from the floor and swiping his arm across the desk to throw all those memories away. He sometimes wondered if she should have just taken her up on her offer that night but he didn't think he would be able to live with himself if he had. Knowing she didn't really want him. He needed to forget about her. It was time to move on. Sitting the crate on his bed, he adjusted his glasses on his nose and thought about how far he'd come from some love struck teenager to the man he was today. He was going to do something with his life and if she didn't want to be there to see it so be it. Quickly grabbing his jacket, he grabbed the crate and headed for the door. He needed to finally get Ashlee Banks out of his head.
"Easy..." Fulton Reed encouraged helping Tammy Duncan up the second flight of stairs to their apartment. She smiled at him encouragingly as he had his arms wrapped around her middle from behind. He was practically lifting her to each stair. She leaned heavily on him as she made her way up the steps, her head still not completely clear. She had managed to get dressed on her own, a pair of grey yoga pants and a white zip up sweatshirt Fulton had run out and got her. He had come back embarrassed as the guy at the checkout had questioned his purchase of a bra and some underwear to go with the outfit. Tammy had to smile at the lengths Fulton would go for her.
"I got this..." She smiled, trying to get him to let go. He held tighter,
"Just like you had the hospital escalator before you nearly fell off?" He asked, tightening his hold on her. She had to laugh lightly at that. She had indeed though she had the escalator leading to the hospital parking lot but instead she had watched the steps move to many times before stepping on and nearly tumbled down the steps when a wave of dizziness over came her. She laughed at herself, taking another step. It would be Christmas before they made it to the apartment at this pace, she thought with a laugh. Fulton seemed determined to make sure she took each step with caution. The banging of doors up ahead had them turning to see Adam Banks closing the door to Connie and Julie's apartment and heading up the stairs. He waved encouragingly at them before disappearing around the banister heading for the apartment. Tammy sighed, looking down at her feet again. A moment later Guy and Connie emerged from the same door, leading Robbie in between them to the park down the block. They stopped to look at Tammy.
"Hey, see you're up..." Connie playfully said, taking Robbie's hand as he tried to swing between his parents.
"Yeah, just a few scratches..." Tammy said playfully. Guy looked at her with questioning eyes, surveying the bruises in her neck and her swollen eye. She tried to smile at him.
"Really, I'm fine... I'm going to be fine..." She promised leaning back into Fulton and kissing his cheek. She would be fine as long as she had him. Connie melted at how adorable they were together, who would have thought the bash brother had a soft spot? Fulton blushed, picking her off her feet and bringing her to the landing of the second floor so the two couples could talk face to face. She laughed, holding on to his arms around her waist.
"I can walk just fine." She reminded him when he sat her down in front of Connie. He just smiled playfully.
"Robbie, this would be Aunt Tammy and Uncle Fulton." Connie said as he held out his hand to shake theirs. Guy had to laugh before Tammy held out hers in a mimicking fashion.
"Pleased to meet you." He said with a smile. Fulton laughed slightly, this kid was totally Guy.
"No, no... the pleasure is all ours..." Tammy said, a smile playing on her lips. Maybe she did want one of these after all, she thought, glancing at Fulton over her shoulder. He seemed too absorbed in laughing to notice her look. Since her memories had returned she felt older, more seasoned and not so lost in her identity. She held Fulton's arms against her and silently thought what it would it might be like to have a baby with him.
"Did the bugs do that to you?" Robbie asked of her face. She laughed slightly, looking to Guy who covered his lips with a hand.
"Yes Robbie, the big bugs did that to Aunt Tammy..." Guy said, trying not to laugh. Tammy looked at him questioning the joke but decided against saying something else.
"How are you feeling?" Guy asked of Tammy as she shrugged, broken from her thoughts.
"Somewhere between hammer to the head and just got ran over by a truck but I'm managing." She smiled. He laughed slightly at her analogy.
"So where you off to?" Fulton asked, still holding Tammy against him, completely unaware of the googooly eyes she was making at him.
"Taking Robbie to the park for some fresh air." Connie said as the little boy stepped back and took her hand again. Tammy and Fulton both nodded.
"Well, Tammy should really get some rest so maybe come up and visit later?" Fulton asked, pulling Tammy towards the next steps.
"Fulton, I'm not tired..." She complained. He just shrugged as Guy and Connie waved before making their way the opposite direction, taking Robbie with them.
Adam Banks made it into the door of his apartment, softly closing it behind him as he looked around. Everything looked okay, he wondered where everything had taken place. The banging of a broom against Portman's door frame caught his attention and he noticed the bags of garbage sitting outside Portman's door before he saw his roommate come out with a broom in his hand, a bit of sweat on his brow. He looked up, a small smile on his lips,
"Hey man, just cleaning up..." Portman said looking back down at the realization it was this man's sister that caused the mess in his room. "Look, Adam, about Ashlee..." He started but Adam cut him off.
"No..." He stated shutting Portman up, "Don't even say her name! You don't get to say her name ever again! You just forget you ever heard her name!" Adam challenged. Portman looked to the floor again with a small nod. He deserved that, he wasn't going to say he didn't but he was trying to apologize and Adam wasn't giving him the chance.
"Adam..." Portman stated again coming to stand next to the man. Again, Adam cut him off mid-thought.
"No, don't talk to me either. I should have punched you in the face when I had the chance!" Adam's eyes glared with hatred. "As far as I'm concerned you can go to hell!" Adam exclaimed, looking the man in the eyes. Dean seemed to nod only slightly.
"That's not fair, man. We used to be friends." Portman said with a sigh.
"Our friendship went out the window when you decided to screw my sister." Adam said, anger rising in his voice as he moved passed Portman towards his door.
"Adam, I've made mistakes... I'm not pretending I didn't but I've changed." Portman said turning to where Adam had walked. He stopped to look back at Portman.
"You'll never change... I just hope the next girl knows that before you break her heart too." Adam said before going in his room and slamming the door. Portman stared at him for a moment before letting out a deep sigh. He didn't think it would ever be okay between them again.
