~*The Choices We Live By*~ Don't own 'em

Um, if you love Beth or you're just you know a fan or something, please don't get mad. I really have no taste for her, I have nothing against Kelli, but the character drives me crazy. This is not a Beth friendly chapter, so you've been warned, please don't flame me.



Chapter 7

The last thing Paloma remembered was Beth turning around and firing a shot at Sheridan. It wasn't that she was scared; she knew that Sheridan was probably going to be ok. But she was weak, too weak. After a car accident, and being nearly choked to death, her body couldn't handle it. She felt her body go limp and she hit the floor.

No one noticed the youngest Lopez-Fitzgerald fainting, everyone was too worried that Sheridan had been shot or that Beth was going to kill them all. It was mass chaos. As soon as the gun was fired, about 10 police officers jumped Beth. Luis dropped the act he portrayed and ran over to his wife.

"Sheridan?" She was on the ground. Whether it was because she was attempting to avoid the bullet or she'd been shot was still a mystery.

"NOOOOOO!" Beth let out a blood-curling scream, "YOU'RE MINE! MINE!" She tried fighting off the cops that were holding her back, but she wasn't any match for them.

~*~

"Kay smiled wryly, "Well, I guess you have things all figured out, don't you?"

"I'd say so, yes." Antonio leaned back into the small chair he and Kay shared. Both realizing how close they really were.

They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity and then it happened. Kay kissed him, he was expecting it to happen, but he didn't think she would be the one to initiate it. He kissed her back with every ounce of passion he had in him, he felt her tongue probe at him for greater access into his mouth. His lips parted and their tongues clashed. She moved in the seat, and he gained more access to her body. All sorts of wicked thoughts about Kay were running through his head. He suddenly realized what he was doing and he pulled away.

"I am so sorry." He said.

Kay looked at him, her eyes a mixture of shock, anger and something he couldn't place, or maybe he just didn't want to, "What?" She nearly spit out.

"You're vulnerable, and my sister's best friend and in love with my brother and," He stopped when he saw her face, "What?"

"Let me get this straight, you think that I'm still in love with Miguel, that Paloma would be against me kissing you and that, oh yeah, I kissed YOU. Not the other way around mister. If I didn't want to kiss you, wouldn't a done it. And don't look at me like that, I am NOT a weak person and I don't think that anyone has ever thought me vulnerable." Kay got up off the chair mid rant and began pacing.

"Kay, I didn't mean you were weak, it's just after what happened tonight, I thought that. . ." He stopped when he saw the glare he was receiving from her, "What?"

Kay sat down next to him and looked into his eyes, "I like you Antonio. You're a sweet guy, you're cute, funny, and smart, you have tons of great qualities. I don't think it's going to take too long for the girls in Harmony to see that, now that you and Sheridan are not together. What happened tonight on the docks and with my mother, that's something that I need to worry about. I'm not scared, I mean I WAS terrified, but I'm not anymore. Do you know why that is?"

Antonio shook his head, mutely, fascinated by the woman in front of him.

"Because of you. I feel safe here, around you I feel like no one can hurt me and the whole world be damned. You make me feel safe and I like that." Kay squeezed his hand.

Antonio felt himself giving in, "I make you feel safe?"

Kay nodded, "You do. I'm not really sure what it is about you; maybe it's that Lopez-Fitzgerald thing. But when you're around me I feel like I can take on the world."

"So, where do you want to go from here?" Antonio asked.

"Let's date." Kay said simply.

Antonio began laughing, "You're joking right? We can't DATE. Your dad would KILL me if he ever found out that I kissed you and you want to date? You must be going through post-traumatic stress or something."

Kay smacked him on the arm, "I am not! I like you, you like me. We are attracted to one another, so let's date! We don't need to flaunt it or anything, but I'd like to get to know you better and I know that you'd like to get to know me. So, let's date."

"Kay, how do you suggest we go about dating? Anywhere we go, someone is going to be bound to see us and you know, that's not such a good thing for you or me."

"So you don't want to? That's fine. I'll go find someone else then, there are millions of guys who like me." Kay got up from the chair and began walking away.

Antonio grabbed her arm and pulled her back down onto him, "I didn't say I didn't want to. I want to know how we're going to go about doing it."

"Oh. Well, you've got a car, right? We'll meet places out of town."

"Sounds good to me. I have plans tomorrow, so how about I pick you up at the docks day after and I'll take you out." Antonio suggested.

"Plans? Another date?" Kay asked.

Laughing, Antonio shook his head, "No, you're my only date this week. I'm planning on spending the day with Paloma."

"Ok, well then, it's a date." Kay smiled and went to go kiss him.

Antonio smiled and leaned in when he remembered something, "DATE! Oh my god, I totally forgot about Beth! I left her in the middle of dinner, she's going to kill me!"

Kay rolled her eyes, "You know you're kind of running the mood here. Forget about Beth, she'll be fine. Now, where were we?"

"Kay, I could at least call. I'll just tell her I had an emergency, she'll understand, and it'll just take a minute." Antonio got up off the seat and Kay glared at him.

He pulled out a piece of paper, with what Kay assumed, had Beth's number on it. He dialed the phone and waited, he saw Kay's impatient look, and sighed, after the 5th or 6th ring he got her mailbox, "Hey Beth, it's Antonio, sorry about leaving so quickly but I had an emergency. I'll see you around, bye."

"Oh, yeah, she'll be really pleased when she hears that, the brush off after half a date. I'm a lucky girl!"

"Kay, don't be a smartass. Now, where were we?" Antonio asked.

"Well, if you recall I wanted to kiss you, but no, you were too preoccupied with Beth. So, I think that I want to go home now." Kay said.

"No you don't." Antonio smiled and encircled her waist, "You want to stay with me and I know you do."

"Fine, fine." Kay said smiling.

~*~

Sheridan stirred as Luis said her name, "Oh thank God you're ok!" Luis picked her up and cradled her head in his chest, "I don't know what I would have done if you'd been hurt."

"Luis, I'm ok. What happened?" Sheridan looked around and saw chaos.

Beth struggled to get away from the cops as they dragged her outside, "LUUIIIIIIIIIIIIISS!" She screamed.

Sheridan tensed up and the fury in Luis's eyes grew, no one scared the woman he loved, "Everything is ok now Sheridan, she won't hurt us anymore."

Fox watched the scene with avid interest and then looked around for Paloma, he mentally chastised himself for not thinking about her before now. She had almost just died, and everyone was worried about Sheridan.

"Fox?" His mother's voice broke his thoughts.

"Yes mother?" He turned and was surprised that she was still around; he thought she'd have been all over Sam by now.

"I'm going to go make sure that everyone's ok. You stay out of trouble." Ivy glared at him before walking away.

"Grouch." He muttered, and then he went about his task of finding Paloma. He could barely move, everyone was still terrified or angry. Weaving his way in and out of the people he made his way to where Paloma was last standing. He looked around and spotted her, on the floor in a heap. He ran over and turned her over so she was facing him, "Paloma?" She didn't stir and he noted that when Beth had let her go she'd cut her arm with the knife, "I need a doctor over here!"

Eve Russell (The only person in Harmony with a PhD) came over, "Paloma!"

"Is she going to be alright?" Fox asked, worried.

Just then Paloma began to stir, "Uhhh."

"She'll be fine. I just need to have a look at her and wrap up her arm; the cut's not too deep. She won't need stitches." Eve shined a light in Paloma's recently opened eyes, "How many fingers?"

"Four. What happened?" She tried to sit up, but her head felt like it was going to explode.

"You need to go home, do you have someone who can take you?" Eve asked ignoring the question.

"I drove here with Kay, but she's disappeared." Paloma started.

"I'll take her home." Fox said.

Eve looked up and surveyed Fox, she didn't trust him and she wasn't so sure that Pilar would be happy about it, but everyone else was busy, "Fine, but make sure she gets there safely. Call me when you get home, ok Paloma?"

Paloma nodded and got up, shaking, "I can do stuff tomorrow right?"

"Yes, but don't overdo anything." Eve finished cleaning up her arm in silence, "You can go now. Just go straight to bed when you get home."

"I thought you wanted me to call you when I got home." Paloma said innocently.

"Paloma." Eve warned.

"Don't be a smart ass." Fox said smiling.

She stuck her tongue out at him, "Mean."

"Watch it or I won't help you up." Fox warned.

"I don't need your help Nicholas." Paloma went to demonstrate and almost fell again, Fox caught her and smirked.

"What was that you were saying about not needing my help?"

"Shut-up." She turned her attention back to Eve, "Thank you Dr. Russell."

"Not a problem, now go home and get some sleep." Eve nodded and walked off.

"*Sigh* If I ever find out what happened to my brother and best friend I'm going to kill them both." Paloma growled.

"You know maybe Antonio's at home, he could've taken Kay home too or something." Fox suggested.

"I'll call them." Fox led her out, past the police officers into her car. She pulled out her phone once she was seated and dialed the house.

*RING RING* Paloma waited patiently until finally Antonio answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's me. What happened to you?"

"Um, just something came up." Antonio said weakly.

"Is Kay there?"

"Why would Kay be here?" Antonio sounded nervous.

"Because she's gone. I assumed that you gave her a ride or something, great now I have to go find her."

"She at home!" Antonio practically screamed.

"How do you know?" Paloma was suspicious.

"I took her there. Yeah, she wasn't feeling good and uh, she couldn't binoculars?"

"Binoculars? What the hell are you talking about?"

"What? Oh, see, no find you! Find! She couldn't find you. Yeah." Antonio stumbled out.

"Right. Well, I guess I'll just call her then to find out if she'd ok."

"NO!"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, she's sick and she told me that she was going straight to bed when she got home, so you'd just wake her up and you know that Kay's grouchy. Ow!"

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing. I'm going to step out for a bit so I won't be here when you get home. Bye!" Antonio hung up and left Paloma feeling very confused.

"What's wrong?" Fox asked as he turned down another road.

"Nothing, I don't think. Antonio was just acting weird. But I guess that's normal for him, or something. I dunno. I just want to get home and get some sleep. I am so tired." Paloma yawned.

"Well, I think that we are almost there. But, I have no idea where I'm going, so." Fox turned onto another road.

Paloma looked at the street, "Make a left up here, then a right at the second turn, after that make another left at the first turn and it's the third house on the right."

They reached the house and it was dark, "I thought that your brother was home?" Fox asked.

"I think he had something to do, I don't know he was rambling. But, it's good then you can help me inside." Paloma smiled.

Fox blushed and helped her out of the car, "I think you'd manage."

Paloma leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked into the house, "I know, but it's nice to have someone you can depend on."

Fox was silent, suddenly, "I'm going to go. I'll see you around." He went to leave and he felt her hand stopping him.

"Day after tomorrow at 12:30, Book Café. Don't forget and I don't like being stood up." She kissed him on the cheek, "Till then Nicholas."

Fox nodded and left, as he got into his car he sighed, he liked Paloma a lot, a lot a lot. He hadn't felt this way since Jasmine. Well this would be different. He left, hoping he wouldn't get lost on the way home.

~*~

The phone rang, interrupting their make out session, "I have to get it." He said as he peeled himself away from Kay.

"Fine, fine."

"Hello?" Antonio conversed with his sister for a few minutes, until it became clear to Kay that he was the world's worst liar, so she'd better help him out.

"I took her there. Yeah, she wasn't feeling good and uh, she couldn't binoculars?"

Kay tried to make motions, without talking, "Find!" She hissed, making more hand gestures.

"Binoculars? What the hell are you talking about?" She heard Paloma say.

"What? Oh, see, no find you! Find! She couldn't find you. Yeah." Antonio stumbled out.

Kay rolled her eyes.

"Right. Well, I guess I'll just call her then to find out if she'd ok."

"NO!"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, she's sick and she told me that she was going straight to bed when she got home, so you'd just wake her up and you know that Kay's grouchy. Ow!"

She'd kicked him in the shins, not thinking he'd be stupid enough to complain about it. After he hung up, she glared at him.

"What?"

"You are by far, the world's worst liar. That was pitiful. I mean I lie better then that when I'm half asleep. Sheesh, well come on, take me home." Kay got out of the chair and grabbed her coat.

"Sorry." Kay ignored him and they drove home in silence.

When they reached the Bennett's, Kay was surprised to find the lights out, "I wonder where everyone is?"

"Probably still at dinner. I'll see you on the docks."

Kay nodded and kissed him, they made out in the car for a bit, then realized they could get caught, "I'll see you at noon?"

Antonio nodded as she hopped out of his pick-up. (I don't know why, but I see him as driving a pick-up. Maybe it's just me.)

As he watched Kay enter the house he sighed, this was going to be hard.





Sorry it took so long, but it did. I still want to know who you want to hook up. Sam and Ivy Grace and David, Julian and Ivy, or Ivy and David. Let me know, I'm taking a poll for future chapters, so if you have a choice, tell me. Thank you for those of you who've already given me your opinions and thanks in advance for those of you who will! And, as always, tell me what you think!