Chapter 36

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As Nick came up into the hall from the lockup, he looked around, surprised to see his mother sitting there, and he felt ashamed. He wasn't supposed to be be here. Not like this. Not in chains! He was on the other side of the law, and now…

"I can only allow a couple of minutes." The burly corrections officer whispered kindly from where he stood beside Nick. Then stepping back to give him a few feet.

His mother immediately threw her arms around him, tears straying her face as she did.

"Mami, where's Zara?" He whispered as he kissed her cheek, hugging her tightly, and then broke away from her.

"She didn't feel like going to school today, so after I got her situated with the sitter, I had to come down and make sure that you're okay. Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, but you don't need to be here."

"Soy tu madre, por supuesto tengo que estar aquí!"

"Y Olivia? Como es ella?"

"I don't know, I haven't heard anything. But I'm on my way there in a little while. Oh, nena, lo siento mucho!" She said, looking up and caressing his face and hair. It killed her to see him going through this, especially with Olivia in the hospital. But still, in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but wonder if he'd done this. The thought that he had become his father, that scared her more than anything. Nicolas Senior was a bastard! Plain and simple. And maybe she kept him around for too long. Maybe by the time Nick was fifteen, when his father finally left, maybe his influence...

"Sorry for what?"

"I'm sorry, I gotta take him." The guard apologized as he came over.

"Mami, go to the hospital, please. And please don't talk about this to anyone. Please."

"Not even your brother? He can proba-"

"Especially not him!" He said and hugged her. "I love you!" He said as they disappeared behind the doors they came through.

"What was so important, that I had to rush down here?" Casey said to Fin as she and her security got off the elevator. "Thanks, Wooder. You can wait here."

"Yes ma'am!" The cop said and assumed attention at the elevator as Fin and Casey walked down the corridor to Olivia's room.

"Please don't tell me Olivia-"

"She's awake!"

"What?"

"She just...came out of it a little while ago."

"How does she seem?"

"She seems fine. A little out of it at first, but once she got her surroundings… But that's not the reason I called you."

"You mean other than the fact that my best friend is finally out of her coma?" She quipped, sarcastically.

"That too. But listen, the doctors are with her now but Case, I haven't had the heart to tell her that Nick's been arrested. Not only that, but she's been saying some really wild stuff, and I'm not sure if it's the coma talking." He said as they took a seat in the chairs outside her room.

"Stuff like what?"

"You know Nick's brother, Manny? She says he put her here. "He did this to me!" To be exact."

"You didn't prompt her?"

"No. And I figured, if we're dealing with a situation here. I need you to take her statement if she has one."

Casey was busy looking in through the tiny glass panel on the side of the door at Olivia. If he only knew! She thought. Maybe they could finally put all of this to an end, especially once Olivia found out about Nick being arrested. Still, she couldn't believe it; Manny put her here? In addition to raping her, he did this?

"Counselor?" Fin called when he realized that she was off in her own head.

"No. No, you're absolutely right. I'll call down to the courthouse and see if I can get Nick's case pushed back a bit. Hopefully we can get down there before it has a chance to be called." She said as she took her cell phone from her pocket.

At Manny's hotel…

"That's right, A-m-a-r-o. Olivia Amaro. I just want to see how she's doing. Is she still the same? ...this is her brother, Emmanuel… She what? ...awake? Since whe- this morning. Well, how is she? That's all the information you have… No... No… Thank you." He said and ended the call, tossing the phone down on the nightstand. "Shit!" He said as he ran his hands through his hair. Nick's probably telling her what to say, even as I'm sitting here. And when she tells his story to the police… "DAMMIT!" he said out loud, then sniffed the remainder of the cocaine that was on the mirror, on the nightstand, rubbing his gums with the residue. "Okay!" He said as he stood and looked around his bedroom.

After talking with that nurse, he knew he had to move. I gotta get out of here! And he had to do it fast! If there was one thing he knew about his brother, it was that Nick held a grudge like nobody's business. And right now, he'd felt that Manny had wronged him! He looked around the room once again, and when he couldn't remember what he was looking for in his cocaine induced state, he gave up and went to the closet to begin packing his things. No time to waste!

"Easy." The nurse said as she walked Olivia back to her bed after she'd taken a shower and a asked her hair. She was still a bit shaky, not having used her legs in six days and she needed a walker for support, but she was quickly making strides.

"Could I possibly go to the armchair? I've been in that bed for six days…"

"I don't see why not. Just take it slow."

"I'm not a invalid!" She suddenly snapped at the nurse, then quickly reeled herself in. "I'm sorry." She apologized, getting teary. "This is all so crazy…" She said as she sat and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"It's okay. What you came through, it's nothing to laugh at."

"I lost almost an entire week. And my husband...my daughter…" She cried.

"I'll put in another call to see where they are. In the meantime" She said as she draped a blanket over Olivia's lap. "While you're waiting for them, you've got two other little people that haven't heard your voice in a week."

"They've gotten so big." Olivia said, looking down as she caressed her small belly, tears still flowing. She thanked god when she woke up and the doctor told her that they were still there. The accident hadn't hurt them, and for that, she was so grateful; even if she was starting to feel incredibly nauseous as she closed her eyes and took deep breaths.

"You alright?"

"The doctor said the nausea could come back, but I didn't think she meant so soon!"

"Are you having any other symptoms; headache? Change in eyesight?"

"No. Just the nausea, thank god."

"If you need it, there's a pail right beside you. Here's the call button if you need us, though I'm sure another doctor will be in soon. I'm gonna go make that call, you keep calm and I'll send for something to help your stomach." The nurse said before she walked out to Fin and Casey in the hall. Casey immediately interrogating the poor woman. They'd waited through two doctors and while they were so thankful that Olivia was okay, she needed to free Nick!

At Nick & Olivia's apartment...

"How about, we… Play Chutes & Ladders; it's your favorite." The sitter said to Zara, but Zara just gave her a sad look, no words as she shook her head 'no.' "What about scrabble?" Again, she shook her head as she sank against the pillows on the couch and turned her little body away so that she was facing them, and she curled up with her unicorn.

Denise looked at her for a moment, wanting to say something to make Zara happy, but she knew it was a losing battle. The little girl was miserable. She missed her mother so terribly, and Denise knew that there wasn't much she could say. Instead, she ran her hand down Zara's long, black hair before she got up, and went to the kitchen to unload the dishwasher. She was in the kitchen for a couple minutes when the front door opened and Caesarea walked in.

"Zara, look. Grandma's back." Denise said, but Zara just raised her head up to take a look, and then lay back down against the pillows.

"Still no change?" Caesarea asked Denise, in a near-whisper.

"Couldn't get her to do anything. She wouldn't even play." Denise said as she looked over at the child. Caesarea stood there for a moment before she walked into the living room and sat down on the sofa beside Zara, who was turned away. She knew just what would make her feel better.

"So, how about we go to the hospital to see mommy?" Zara immediately turned over to face her grandmother, though still lying against the pillows, staring at her. "Estaba pensando que podrías pasar el día."

"Can I?" Zara asked, so happy she looked like she would burst.

"Of course you can."

"Abuelita!" She cried, throwing herself into Caesarea's arms and Caesarea hugged her tight, so thankful that she could finally make her smile. "I love you so much, you're the best grandma!"

"You're welcome baby. Why don't you go and pick something to wear, I'll be in in a minute."

"Okay." She said and ran into her room, singing that she's going to see her mommy, amid Caesarea and Denise laughing. If only any of them had known that Olivia was wide awake!

"We were so worried about you!" Casey said as she came into Olivia's room.

"It'll take more than a blow to the head to take me out."

"Though you got a pretty nice scar to show for it."

"The doctor says it shouldn't leave much of one when the stitches come out… Please, tell me you know where Nick is. I've been asking and no one seems to know-"

"Listen to me" Casey said as she took a seat in the other chair and spoke to Olivia in a calm voice, even though inside, she was anything but. "Honey, I hate to hit you with this now, you have to believe me when I say this, but you have got to tell what Manny did to you!"

"I already said too much to Fin." She said, remembering the day that Manny came into her room, how completely powerless she was to stop him. She had to lie there while he molested her and the memory made her shake.

"Liv…"

"Casey...I can't."

"Not even for Nick?" That caught Olivia's attention, and she looked to Casey for an explanation. "He's been arrested, Liv."

"Arrested? That doesn't make sense, why would-"

"He had them do an exam when you got here. The results came back showing his fluids in and on you- they've arrested him for your rape and assault! And I know you don't want to; hell I know how this makes you feel, but Liv you have to give a statement, because right now, you are the only person who can get him out of this!"

"Abuela, can I take my unicorn to the hospital for mommy?"

"You want to part with it?" Caesarea asked as she finished brushing Zara's hair up into a ponytail.

"I can be without her for a little while."

"Well, I think that's a wonderful idea. Why don't you go and put your brush away and we'll get going?"

As Olivia sat giving Casey an official statement about everything that happened between she and Manny, Casey was shocked to tears. She'd known about the rape, but she had no idea of what happened the day of Olivia's accident, though Olivia didn't tell her that he had gotten into the hospital and basically raped her while she was lying comatose; a coma that he put her in. She couldn't come to terms with any of it, but especially that and so as painful as it was, she kept it inside.

She tearfully recounted how Nick's DNA ended up on her, and that it was in her because they'd been intimate the night before.

"Just go!" She begged feeling his hand under her dress and on her thigh. She started to struggle again as she felt it going higher. "Manny, stop-" She said as his hand began tearing at her panties. "Stop!" But he responded by pushing two fingers into her, digging them in deep. "You're hurting me!"

"It'll be quick." He stated, totally nonchalant as he dug around and she squirmed at the intrusion. His fingers found what he was looking for and withdrew, holding them up in front of her; they were coated in Nick's cum. She looked at his hand for a moment, thinking what a sick fuck he is as she fought against him, trying hard to break free and trying not to cry. "You lied to me!" He said as he back slapped her across the face with that same hand, so hard that her head whipped to one side.

"Manny ple-" She started but he gabbed her by the neck and slapped her even harder, letting her fall to the floor.

"DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU MAKE ME DO?!" He screamed over her as she tried to get up, holding her stomach.

She told Casey that he'd intended to rape her again, but that he caused her to slip. "The next thing I knew, I woke up here." She cried. "Casey, you've gotta clear Nick. Manny's the one who deserves to be in jail!"

"Don't worry, he will be!" She said as she called Fin.

"Tutuola."

"Fin, pick him up."

"You're sure?"

"Oh, I'm sure. And Fin, if he resists, break his arm!"

After Casey had left for the courthouse, Olivia sat in her room, looking out the window, in tears. She had just told her secret, and soon, everyone would know about her affair with Manny. "It's worth it." She said while caressing her bump. "Your daddy is coming home and I swear I'm gonna do everything in my power to see to it that he stays there!" She said, just as Caesarea walked into the room with Zara, who was carrying her unicorn. When they didn't see Olivia…

"They must have taken her for some tests." But when Olivia heard the voice, she immediately called out from where she sat on the couch.

"Caesarea?" When Zara heard that voice, she dropped her unicorn and ran to Olivia, screaming.

"MOMMY?!"

"Zara!" Olivia cried as she took her baby in her arms.

"You came back!" Zara cried, both of them in tears. Caesarea just stood there, thanking god as she watched Olivia with her granddaughter, seeing how happy Zara was, how happy Olivia was, as they both cried and Zara kissed Olivia's face and held her tight.

Later, as Fin walked into Manny's hotel…

"Excuse me" Fin said to the desk clerk who turned around.

"How can I help you?" Said the man.

"I'm looking for Emmanuel Amaro."

"I'm sorry, but you just missed him by an hour or so."

"Did he say where he was going?

"I'm afraid you misunderstand, Mr. Amaro checked out this morning. Said he had a plane to catch."

"Dammit! Did he say which airport?"

"I don't see just how that's any of your business!" The desk clerk replied. He didn't like the look of the man, something about him was just too rough.

"Look" Fin said impatiently, showing off his badge. "...tell us, which airport he went to, don't make me arrest your ass for obstructing justice!"

The desk clerk took a moment to collect himself, looking around at the guests that passed by, and straightening his tie. He also cleared his throat before speaking again. "He asked me to find flights to Miami, leaving early this morning, and I found him a flight at LaGuardia."

"Has it left?"

"In 30 minutes." He said, but Fin was already out the door and on his phone.

"Yeah, get me security at LaGuardia!"

At the hospital, Olivia was on the couch with Zara, fast asleep in her lap and covered by the blanket that was thrown across Olivia. She slept so peacefully in her mother's arms, and Olivia just held her, looking at her and kissing her face and hand.

"Are you sure she's not too heavy? I can take her." Caesarea offered but Olivia was stern.

"She's okay." She said, smiling as she looked down at Zara, who turned in her arms, burying her head against Olivia's chest, and continuing to sleep.

"She really had a rough night last night, you can't tell now though, she looks so at ease. You look at ease too."

Olivia smiled as tears came, and she quickly wiped them away. Sitting here thinking about her little family; Zara, the babies and Nick. And then thinking bigger- Caesarea, Nick's sisters, his grandparents; his father. They'll all know soon enough, every detail. Whether from her lips or Manny's, they'll know. She put it out there, in order to save Nick from the mess she created in the first place and now they'd be arresting Manny, Nick's own brother and she didn't know by she felt like this was all karma coming back to bite her big time, only, she wasn't the only person it was dragging down with her! Nick's will be humiliated when her affair hits open air; they all will, even her own little makeshift family at the station.

"Caesarea; I need to talk to you." She was so fidgety as she took another look at her beautiful little girl, who was sleeping in her arms, but turned her attention to her mother-in-law. And she continued with tears in her eyes. "Nick um; I…"

"Nina,what is it?" She asked so sweetly, but in her mind, she already knew. She was going to tell her what really happened with Nick. Why he was really in jail but she already knew, or at least she thought she did; he'd beat Olivia. Probably had for a long time now and she just wondered why she never saw the signs. Dios mio, he's just like his father! She thought as tears came to her eyes. She tried so hard after Nicolas Sr. left, to make sure her boys wouldn't become him, and honestly she didn't think she needed to with Nick. He had grown up seeing everything his father had done to her. All the beatings, the yelling; the degrading. And now, he'd gone and done it to Olivia and she wondered, was it Maria, too? It was too much for her to take in. Olivia was pregnant, and Caesarea knew that with her age and medical condition, it wasn't easy for her, yet somehow, she managed twins and he did this to her? She was so angry, but what could she do? Nick was the man in his house, his way, his rules. What had Olivia done to push him there?

Olivia gave Zara a final kiss before she gently lay her down on the sofa and covered her with the blanket, then slowly tried to get up with her walker.

"Nina, you can't be ashamed to ask for help." Caesarea said as she quickly came to her aid and helped her up. "We're family, and family is always here for you, don't forget that. Where to?"

"Just the bed; and thank you" Olivia said. "I just didn't want Zara to take in what…" She continued as they reached the bed and Olivia sat down to get in. "You're gonna hear a lot concerning my hospitalization and…" She tried to go on, but the more she thought about it...no, you have to tell her! Reluctantly, wiping her tears, she soldiered on. "Please don't hate me!"

"What, why would I hate you?"

"Because there are things that happened with your son- things that I'm ashamed of and they're what got me here."

"Lo se todo acerca de eso." Caesarea said quietly, wishing that she didn't, especially looking at Olivia's face. The shock at wondering how she knew, and the pain of admitting it. How could he put her through this?

"He told you." She cried, feeling so low. "I wanted it to stop after the first time but it just kept happening. And then Nick found out…"

"Wait, Nick found out? I'm confused, you said "my son" I don't…"

But Olivia sat there, knowing that this would be the end of her relationship with Caesarea; the end of her relationship with his whole family but there was no turning back. Manny was going to jail and she had to do this! So with serious trepidation, she took a shaky breath and started to tell her everything.

TBC… How about a review?