AN: Thanks for the continued readership everyone. Rest assured this chapter
is much more general audience then the last one, LOL. Oh, and whether or
not there could end up being 'little Leons' running around will figure into
later chapters so if I can just keep finding time to write then you should
see what I mean soon. Review please!
Chapter 57 – In Living Colour
Kat's friends searched for her for hours before they gave up and returned to their house to check and see if she'd called or come home.
When the realized she'd done neither they sat down to wait. They were out of options. They'd looked everywhere they knew to and asked everyone who might have seen her. No one had seen her since some time early the day before.
With a soft curse Kale realized there was one avenue they hadn't explored.
"What?" Stacy asked him, sitting up straighter, hoping his friend had something.
"We never talked to Harry." Kale said. "She might have gone to Harry to talk or whatever."
"You're right. Harry's number's in her book in her room." Stacy said and stood up to go retrieve Kat's phone directory.
"Hopefully he's heard from her." Kale answered and also got up to follow Stacy.
Kale followed Stacy up the stairs into Kat's room. Both of them stopped for a moment just inside the door of the room and looked around, each noticing things and remembering Kat.
There was a pile of disregarded clothes in one corner. Not dirty, just clothes that Kat had tried on and or one reason or another decided not to wear and tossed in a pile instead of hanging them back up.
Her latest book was open on her bed, headphones beside it. Kat, the closet reader. Kale smiled fondly at that thought.
Her closet stood open, crammed with more clothes then they were sure Kat even remembered she owned. She'd loved to shop before her life had gotten so serious. Both men wished that it had never happened that way.
Her walls were covered in pictures of Skylines and Supras, Eclipses and one of an RX-8. She had no other pictures or posters, they were all of cars.
There was a picture of her and her mom standing together taken when Kat was 14, right before her mother was killed.
On a shelf in the corner were various pictures of Kat from high school. Pictures of her and Nikki dressed up for Halloween and school dances, pulling funny faces, or trying to be seductive in playful ways. Kat and Sean standing beside the Skyline the way it had been before Kat's accident. Kat and Connor beside the Mustang Cobra just after she and Sean had finished tuning it. The picture of them all beside the skyline. A recent picture of Stacy grinning in the front seat of the Eclipse. They'd forgotten what a shutter bug Kat was. There were so many pictures on her shelf and around her room. So many memories, 5 years worth, all documented in perfect color.
Through the door of her bathroom there were towels on the floor and tubes of 'girl stuff' everywhere. Kat had a fetish of makeup and beauty product buying. The guys would bet that she never used half of it but she just had to have it all because it had looked 'cool' in the store.
The whole state of her room just reminded them what a whirlwind she was. She was rarely happy to be still. She was always doing something. Even when she was reading she'd be kicking her feet and kind of moving to what ever was playing over her head phones.
Stacy finally snapped out of his memories and walked over to Kat's phone and picked up her phone book. After looking up Harry in the little purple book he picked up Kat's car shaped phone with a chuckle he couldn't suppress at how childish she could be by times and dialed Harry's number.
"Hello?" Harry asked, wondering who would call him at 1am on Sunday night. He had to open his store at 9am the next day and he wasn't too happy to be woken up by the phone.
"Um hi." Stacy wasn't sure how to go about breaking the news of Kat's disappearance to her friend. Plus he didn't figure that Harry would know who he was on the phone. "Harry?" Stacy asked to be sure.
"Yes, who's this?" Harry asked, displeasure at the lateness of the call apparent.
"This is Stacy, Kat's friend. We were wondering if you'd heard from Kat or seen her tonight."
"No. Why? Is she missing?" Harry was starting to sound worried.
"Yeah. We got some bad news and Kat took off on us. That was around 9pm and we haven't seen her since." Stacy told Harry. "We searched for her since she took off till about half an hour ago."
"I haven't seen her. What happened?" Harry was fully awake by the time they told him Kat had been missing for 4 hours.
"Her step father found her and came after her by taking Sean. He says he'll release Sean if Kat gives herself back to him." Stacy stated. "He gave her till 9pm tomorrow to decide if she's going to go to him. If she doesn't then her step dad says he'll kill Sean and come and take Kat by force anyway."
"Who's her stepfather?" Harry asked, head spinning with the info that Kat was missing and that someone was trying to take her from them all.
"I don't know but I guess, according to Kitten he's involved in the Russian Mob. She says there's nothing we can do against him because he'll kill Sean. She says that she's going to give herself over to get Sean back. I know she's gotta come home by 9 tomorrow but we're worried that something happened to her while she was running away."
"Has anyone seen her car?" Harry asked, already starting to think about who he could call favors in from that might be able to find her car or pick her up if they saw her.
"She didn't take her car, she took off on foot." Stacy sighed.
"She ran off on foot and she's been gone for hours?" Harry asked in shock.
"Yeah, that's why we're getting so worried."
"I wish I could help you find her. I don't know where she could be. If she does come by here I'll call you right away though."
"Thanks man."
"Sure, and if she does turn up could you call me and let me know so I don't have to worry?"
"For sure." Stacy answered and the two men hung up.
Stacy turned to Kale.
"Well, he hasn't heard from her or seen her. I guess we have to go across the street and check with the punk."
"Do you think she'd have run to him? They broke up." Kale didn't think Kat would want to see Leon and he really didn't want to go bang on their door at 1 in the morning.
"I don't know man but where else is she gonna be? I guess we could call the hospitals and stuff but I'd rather check with the neighbours first." Stacy started to the door of Kat's room and Kale followed. Kale walked out the door and started down the stairs.
Stacy stopped in the door and turned around to face the room again. It looked like Kat was just out for the night. Her room looked so lived in, her presence was so strong. Stacy didn't know how they'd survive it if Kat never came home again. Never swore at them for having their feet on the coffee table, never tried to make them clean their rooms even though hers looked like a whirlwind went through it, never smiled up at one of them through the engine bay of one of their cars.
Their lives had been about taking care of Kat for so long that Stacy didn't know what they'd do if Kat went away. They loved her so much, Stacy didn't know if they could really stand to let Kat go. And moreover he didn't know if it was what Sean would want.
Sean loved Kat with his whole heart and soul. If Sean knew that Kat planned on giving herself to her stepfather to save him he'd probably curse and swear and want to know what had happened to her head to make her do something so stupid. Sean would rather die for Kat to keep her out of the hands of her asshole step dad then have her give herself over to him and live. Stacy knew that if Sean could tell them what to do he'd tell them to take 'his Kitten' and run.
Stacy couldn't help but think there had to be another way around the whole situation. With that thought playing heavily on his mind he turned off the light and closed the door of Kat's room softly behind him.
Kale was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs.
"You sure we should bother the people across the street? She's not gonna be there. It's not like her and that Dom guy could stand to be in the same house for long anyway."
"We need to go find out if they've seen her. We have to find Kat." Stacy pulled the front door open and waited for Kale to follow him out of the house.
"Fine." Kale sighed and followed Stacy out onto the porch. "But all the lights are off."
Stacy stopped and looked at the white house across the street. The windows were all dark, no one was up. Surely if Kat was over there someone would be awake with her. The people across the way all worked the next morning too. If they hadn't found Kat by morning then they could ask one of the people across the street when they saw them on their way to work.
"You're right. No one's up over there and if she was there someone would be. Lets go for another drive and look for her some more." Stacy said and frowned.
"Yeah. I don't think she'd be over there at night if no one was up." Kale agreed and with that they took their respective cars and went on another search for Kat.
Chapter 57 – In Living Colour
Kat's friends searched for her for hours before they gave up and returned to their house to check and see if she'd called or come home.
When the realized she'd done neither they sat down to wait. They were out of options. They'd looked everywhere they knew to and asked everyone who might have seen her. No one had seen her since some time early the day before.
With a soft curse Kale realized there was one avenue they hadn't explored.
"What?" Stacy asked him, sitting up straighter, hoping his friend had something.
"We never talked to Harry." Kale said. "She might have gone to Harry to talk or whatever."
"You're right. Harry's number's in her book in her room." Stacy said and stood up to go retrieve Kat's phone directory.
"Hopefully he's heard from her." Kale answered and also got up to follow Stacy.
Kale followed Stacy up the stairs into Kat's room. Both of them stopped for a moment just inside the door of the room and looked around, each noticing things and remembering Kat.
There was a pile of disregarded clothes in one corner. Not dirty, just clothes that Kat had tried on and or one reason or another decided not to wear and tossed in a pile instead of hanging them back up.
Her latest book was open on her bed, headphones beside it. Kat, the closet reader. Kale smiled fondly at that thought.
Her closet stood open, crammed with more clothes then they were sure Kat even remembered she owned. She'd loved to shop before her life had gotten so serious. Both men wished that it had never happened that way.
Her walls were covered in pictures of Skylines and Supras, Eclipses and one of an RX-8. She had no other pictures or posters, they were all of cars.
There was a picture of her and her mom standing together taken when Kat was 14, right before her mother was killed.
On a shelf in the corner were various pictures of Kat from high school. Pictures of her and Nikki dressed up for Halloween and school dances, pulling funny faces, or trying to be seductive in playful ways. Kat and Sean standing beside the Skyline the way it had been before Kat's accident. Kat and Connor beside the Mustang Cobra just after she and Sean had finished tuning it. The picture of them all beside the skyline. A recent picture of Stacy grinning in the front seat of the Eclipse. They'd forgotten what a shutter bug Kat was. There were so many pictures on her shelf and around her room. So many memories, 5 years worth, all documented in perfect color.
Through the door of her bathroom there were towels on the floor and tubes of 'girl stuff' everywhere. Kat had a fetish of makeup and beauty product buying. The guys would bet that she never used half of it but she just had to have it all because it had looked 'cool' in the store.
The whole state of her room just reminded them what a whirlwind she was. She was rarely happy to be still. She was always doing something. Even when she was reading she'd be kicking her feet and kind of moving to what ever was playing over her head phones.
Stacy finally snapped out of his memories and walked over to Kat's phone and picked up her phone book. After looking up Harry in the little purple book he picked up Kat's car shaped phone with a chuckle he couldn't suppress at how childish she could be by times and dialed Harry's number.
"Hello?" Harry asked, wondering who would call him at 1am on Sunday night. He had to open his store at 9am the next day and he wasn't too happy to be woken up by the phone.
"Um hi." Stacy wasn't sure how to go about breaking the news of Kat's disappearance to her friend. Plus he didn't figure that Harry would know who he was on the phone. "Harry?" Stacy asked to be sure.
"Yes, who's this?" Harry asked, displeasure at the lateness of the call apparent.
"This is Stacy, Kat's friend. We were wondering if you'd heard from Kat or seen her tonight."
"No. Why? Is she missing?" Harry was starting to sound worried.
"Yeah. We got some bad news and Kat took off on us. That was around 9pm and we haven't seen her since." Stacy told Harry. "We searched for her since she took off till about half an hour ago."
"I haven't seen her. What happened?" Harry was fully awake by the time they told him Kat had been missing for 4 hours.
"Her step father found her and came after her by taking Sean. He says he'll release Sean if Kat gives herself back to him." Stacy stated. "He gave her till 9pm tomorrow to decide if she's going to go to him. If she doesn't then her step dad says he'll kill Sean and come and take Kat by force anyway."
"Who's her stepfather?" Harry asked, head spinning with the info that Kat was missing and that someone was trying to take her from them all.
"I don't know but I guess, according to Kitten he's involved in the Russian Mob. She says there's nothing we can do against him because he'll kill Sean. She says that she's going to give herself over to get Sean back. I know she's gotta come home by 9 tomorrow but we're worried that something happened to her while she was running away."
"Has anyone seen her car?" Harry asked, already starting to think about who he could call favors in from that might be able to find her car or pick her up if they saw her.
"She didn't take her car, she took off on foot." Stacy sighed.
"She ran off on foot and she's been gone for hours?" Harry asked in shock.
"Yeah, that's why we're getting so worried."
"I wish I could help you find her. I don't know where she could be. If she does come by here I'll call you right away though."
"Thanks man."
"Sure, and if she does turn up could you call me and let me know so I don't have to worry?"
"For sure." Stacy answered and the two men hung up.
Stacy turned to Kale.
"Well, he hasn't heard from her or seen her. I guess we have to go across the street and check with the punk."
"Do you think she'd have run to him? They broke up." Kale didn't think Kat would want to see Leon and he really didn't want to go bang on their door at 1 in the morning.
"I don't know man but where else is she gonna be? I guess we could call the hospitals and stuff but I'd rather check with the neighbours first." Stacy started to the door of Kat's room and Kale followed. Kale walked out the door and started down the stairs.
Stacy stopped in the door and turned around to face the room again. It looked like Kat was just out for the night. Her room looked so lived in, her presence was so strong. Stacy didn't know how they'd survive it if Kat never came home again. Never swore at them for having their feet on the coffee table, never tried to make them clean their rooms even though hers looked like a whirlwind went through it, never smiled up at one of them through the engine bay of one of their cars.
Their lives had been about taking care of Kat for so long that Stacy didn't know what they'd do if Kat went away. They loved her so much, Stacy didn't know if they could really stand to let Kat go. And moreover he didn't know if it was what Sean would want.
Sean loved Kat with his whole heart and soul. If Sean knew that Kat planned on giving herself to her stepfather to save him he'd probably curse and swear and want to know what had happened to her head to make her do something so stupid. Sean would rather die for Kat to keep her out of the hands of her asshole step dad then have her give herself over to him and live. Stacy knew that if Sean could tell them what to do he'd tell them to take 'his Kitten' and run.
Stacy couldn't help but think there had to be another way around the whole situation. With that thought playing heavily on his mind he turned off the light and closed the door of Kat's room softly behind him.
Kale was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs.
"You sure we should bother the people across the street? She's not gonna be there. It's not like her and that Dom guy could stand to be in the same house for long anyway."
"We need to go find out if they've seen her. We have to find Kat." Stacy pulled the front door open and waited for Kale to follow him out of the house.
"Fine." Kale sighed and followed Stacy out onto the porch. "But all the lights are off."
Stacy stopped and looked at the white house across the street. The windows were all dark, no one was up. Surely if Kat was over there someone would be awake with her. The people across the way all worked the next morning too. If they hadn't found Kat by morning then they could ask one of the people across the street when they saw them on their way to work.
"You're right. No one's up over there and if she was there someone would be. Lets go for another drive and look for her some more." Stacy said and frowned.
"Yeah. I don't think she'd be over there at night if no one was up." Kale agreed and with that they took their respective cars and went on another search for Kat.