The Hand That Holds Our Fate.

Opening Thoughts - I'm back! , for the second one and it's safe to say that its for keeps. With the exception of a few, my exams are done and the story will continue…now.

THE OUTSKIRTS OF CASTLETON.

The room was dark, dimly lighted so only the outline of his figure sitting in a nearby chair could be seen. He laid the old thing back against the wall. It was quite, a silence so thick and unwelcoming that it made each part of her shudder and a small frown came upon her in the bottomless murk.

Thoughts of what she was to him filled her mind as her fingertips reached the detailed buttons of her shirt. What was she to him, an accomplice in the great scheme that they've indulged in, a cheap thrill perhaps to kill the time… Yiezmien knew even before she'd felt his first touch that he wouldn't be anything comparable to what she had. She remembered the long moments of heated exchanged, dreamed of them even until the point of which they'd almost become real to the very last tempered glisten of sweat.

She smiled softly, as the silken piece of attire fell to the floor to her feet, letting the elusion to her liking these actions reign over any true thoughts. Her hands smoothing down her sides as she unfastened the side of her skirt, fully exposed to him but yet her true intentions never so much hidden.

Her breaths were heavy as the hidden disdain in her eyes laid upon Ricardo. He watched her profoundly, his hands interlaced above his lips as he stood from his chair inching towards her. Breaths apart, she flinched lightly at the fell of his hand on her face. Soft, yet an ever so subtle warning.

"I have this aching feeling that I shouldn't trust you." Ricardo admitted as she looked at him once more.

She rose a brow with the slightest twitch of her lips. "Why do you say that?"

"It's obvious when you think of it. It's obvious you're still in love with my cousin, how do I know you don't have any loyalties to him that won't betray my plans?"

"Our plans." She corrected, "This plan of yours will never work without my help," She reminded him drawing closer to the warmth of his body. " Years ago, Miguel Lopez - Fitzgerald ruined our lives. Now I we finally return the favour"

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HARMONY, DOWN TOWN.

"I've finally got it." Miguel breathed to him self in disbelief, as he sat back down in the chair in his office. He smiled as his gloved hands past the object and his dark emerald eyes widely searched it. For a small moment once more he felt like the world was at last his.

What he'd obtained made him powerful, indestructible even to the greats which who once thought the same. The smirk vanished when his eyes rested on a recognizable face upon a frame.

"I don't need to hear it Patrick, I thought by you finding out about this you'd understand. Obviously I was wrong."

Miguel scoffed.

"I do understand Miguel that's why I'm telling you to stop this. Trust me getting into these things means nothing but bad news for you."

"Right," Miguel laughed, as he bore into Patrick's eyes. " As if you'd ever understand."

"Don't do this."

"I have to, I'm doing this for my family and if you can't get that I really don't see why we've been friends for so long."

"Hey, Mikey word is that…" Douglas paused as he caught his employer in mid gesture, as he looked down at the scene. " So much for the straight and narrow huh, Miguel?" He commented dryly closing the door behind him. He remembered this sight, the look in his partners eyes. Whatever this was, was just another problem that he had to fix, just as he always did.

Miguel stood walking over to his vault, resting the contense in it once more as he turned back to his friend. "Bad habits die hard." he spoke throwing his gloves onto his desk.

Douglas nodded, despite the misunderstanding as he crossed his arms. "Does she know about everything Miguel?"

"Everything?" Miguel repeated coyly with a smirk. "I tell Charity many things I think were going to have to be a little more specific."

"I guess by that statement, you haven't told her anything about your past. I thought you cared about this one," e laughed dryly. " Maybe I was , a little too forgone when I thought that you'd be different this time."

"I do care about her, Douglas." He quickly replied, "God, knows I do…but there are things - my past for one, about me that she'll never understand. No matter how much I feel for her."

"You don't know that." Douglas protested, vehemently.

"Actually Doug I do. This is for the best ,"

Douglas turned to leave, not wanting to waist anymore honest breath on his friend he decided to tend to more important things. Bianca mostly, he knew he was wearing that girl down. " If you care about this woman as much as you say you do, be fair to her. Tell her the truth." With those words he left.

As if the truth could be so easy. His mother would always him The truth always sets us free, Hijo. At many times in his life his mother's word was always right, but this time she couldn't have been more wrong.

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Images of familiar faces would come to her as her eyes shut at night, in her solitude. They all seemed clear untouched by time, happy. At times beyond her deepest character she yearned to dream, because when she dreamt the image of their faces became more apparent and it was as if she'd never lost.

I can't stay in this hell whole, any longer Charity.

His eyes spoke with anger as she tried to capture him once more. A face showing warmth that couldn't be erased, eyes which captured great wisdom. She watched him pack all of his belongings, her small figure observing all this with gloss in her eyes. She forced herself not to cry, she couldn't let him know how much him leaving her alone had an effect on her; But he knew her too well.

Don't worry, squirt. He assured grabbing her into a tight embrace, Charity recalled a small feeble voice pleading him to stay , assuring that things would be better if he stayed, promising that she'd be better if he didn't leave somehow that was never enough. I'll always be your big brother. She wanted to come with him, if he'd hated living at the Bennett how much why wouldn't he take her with him, they could be the family there mother would have wanted them to be…things would work. I can't, it wouldn't work out you know that Charity. Besides they'll take care of you…I trust them, I'll come back for you when I can. I love you. She must have waited for years for her brother to return, and as time past she grew to know better.

My sweet little baby girl.

The voice seemed similar, at the sound of the endearment she could almost feel her mother's warm smile that graced her each time they spoke, even on her worst day. You may not understand this now, but sooner or later in your life you will Charity. She'd do anything to back the time, that she'd regretfully wasted with her. If only she could get those precious moments back she would do everything different she'd be the perfect daughter…the daughter no one would ever dream of abandoning. She'd diminish all the hurtful immature words, and replace those with ones of love and gratitude. But those moments were gone. I'll always be here with you, you'll never be alone.

I hate girls. A young hazy eyed six year old grimaced, to her through her youth she hated him. He was mean to her he'd always make it a personal deal of his to bug her whenever she found herself in the playground, mostly whenever her older brother nor Kay, who was small but could pack a punch better than any boy ever could. They're stupid, he'd say throwing her with yet another ball or ruining her the hair that she'd manage to fix to precision. He was her first love, I guess you aren't that bad…for a girl Standish. He'd laugh as they reminisced , the famous chuckle lighting up their youthful faces as they swung in that very park. They never even got to say goodbye, she never got to thank him for loving her…or, to tell him that there would never be anyone else in her heart. She didn't want there to be.

And then there he was, he stood with an eased smirk marring his visage his hands boyishly tucked in his pockets as he watched her deeply. Unlike the others he said nothing, he only observed, as each and every face disappeared. She ran past him begging for them to return, she screamed at him endlessly until tears fell from her eyes and she collapsed still begging for them to return, as he then left as well. Charity felt like a child, the small girl that she used to know. The small girl that wept inside the woman, the small girl that cried for something she'd always be destined to loose.

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Yiezmien rose from the bed in the late of night, as she found her belongings. In the darkness she searched through the room for the thing she'd been vying for, the very thing that had lead her to be subjected to Ricardo torrid passions. At the moment that the entity was in her sights she smiled, sure she didn't wake the man who slept soundly close around.

Her lips pouted as she laughed lightly. "Foolish, Ricardo. I thought you knew better not to trust a thief, like yourself." Yiezmien's brow rose, as the figure stirred briskly. "Too bad. Perhaps if I could be trusted, we might've made quite the team."

Closing Thoughts- I hope you've all liked this one, and rest assured there's much more to come! Latz.