Chapter Twenty-one

He woke with a start, realizing she was no longer there beside him. Quinn slipped from the bed, knowing exactly where he could find her.

He walked into the kitchen and there she was. Any time she was worried he knew he could find her there.

Billie stood at the counter, struggling to open a jar of peanut butter. Quinn smiled softly as he watched her. Since they'd been living together he'd also come to know that any time she was worried she'd be making herself a sandwich.

Without a word he approached her, gently taking the jar from her hands and pressing a kiss to her forehead. He nudged her towards the table.

She sat down with a sigh and watched as he took over. She blinked back tears. There was a time not so long ago that she'd be worrying all alone. Not only did she now have Quinn, but he understood her so well.

Quinn placed a glass of milk and the plate with her sandwich down in front of her and took a seat across the table. He watched as she took her first bite.

"Better now?" He whispered with a smile. He reached over to her and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Mmm. Hmm." She replied, her mouth full.

"I don't want you to worry, Bill. It's going to be alright." He promised.

"I'm not worried." She replied as she swallowed.

Quinn chuckled at her. "You can't fool me. Yes you are."

She put down her sandwich and took a long sip of her milk. She placed the glass down gently before she spoke. "Why hasn't she called Quinn?" She asked, desperation clearly heard in her voice.

He didn't have an answer for her. He wished that he did. He couldn't let her see that he was worried himself. That would just make matters worse. "I'll try her again tomorrow." Quinn said then.

"Yeah you'd better be the one. She loves you." Billie rolled her eyes and prepared to take another bite. "If I so much as hear her condescending voice again I swear to God…"

He reached for her hand to try and calm her. "Shh. OK. Please. I don't want you to worry about this. It's going to be OK."

"What if she tries to take him from me?" Tears slipped form Billie's eyes as she gazed at him. "Quinn. What would I do?"

He brushed his hand against her cheek and moved closer to her. "That'll never happen, Billie." He promised. He kissed her softly and added. "And if she even so much as tried we'd just pack up and go someplace they can't find us."

"That's sweet Quinn but who are you kidding? You'd never leave." Billie said with a sniffle. "Your whole family is here." She took a deep breath and decided she had given that witchy Ms. Montrose too much power by worrying about all this.

"I'm being silly anyway. I shouldn't waste my time worrying about her." She shivered as she finished. "I'm Ty's only living relative. Carrie and Jim made sure I'd be the one to raise him. She can't take him from me."

He stared into her eyes, thankful that it seemed she was feeling better. He still had something else to say to her. "Everything's going to be fine. I'll make sure of it. Do me a favor please? OK? I need you to remember something."

Billie pushed away from the table, bringing her plate and glass to the sink. She felt a million times better than she had just a while ago. She was ready to go back to bed now.

She stretched her arms to the ceiling, shaking back her hair and giving him grin. "What?" She said with a yawn.

Quinn walked over to her and took her hands in his. He turned her around to face him and stared into her eyes. "I love you, Billie. And you – you and Ty – you're my family now."

Fresh tears fell from her eyes as she heard him finish. "I want to make sure that you understand. I won't let anyone hurt you ever again."

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"I figured something out." She whispered into her cell phone.

"That you woke me up? It's 3:30 in the morning and you should be sleeping." Kyle answered, yawning loudly.

"No silly." Becky replied. "They're in Alabama."

"Who's in Alabama?" He asked, still a half asleep.

She rolled her eyes. "What do you mean who? KYLE. Your sister! And I guess your mom."

He suddenly was wide awake. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah. I searched online and found out the area code is from there. Which is excellent news." Becky said with a smile.

"What? Why?" Kyle was confused beyond belief. God help him. The girl talked in circles. If things worked out like he planned he know he was in for a lifetime of trying to decipher what she was saying.

"Because. Uncle Jamal lives there!" She said, her voice rising in excitement. "So when we go down to find them…"

Kyle needed to put a stop to this and fast. "OK. Becky. Hold on. We're not going anywhere."

"Sure we are." She dismissed him.

"NO." He insisted. "We are not."

She knew she'd have to sweet talk him into it. She had no doubt she'd be able to easily. "Kyle. Didn't you say this is what you wanted?

"Yeah, but…" He sighed, not in all in the mood to deal with her. He was tired and he knew she wasn't going to give up easily. "Becky. I'm not going to argue about this now. Go to bed." He said just as he hung up on her.

"HEY!" She pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at it with disbelief. She turned off her own phone and mumbled to herself. "You are crazy if you think you'll get rid of me that easy."

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She wiped at her eyes and stared up at him. "Quinn." She whispered.

"I won't." He said again. "I promise you…"

"Shh. Stop." Billie touched a finger to his lips to quiet him. "That's enough."

He blinked at her, wondering what was going on. Usually, she sank into his arms and thanked him for wanting to take care of her.

Billie brushed the hair out of his eyes. "You can't save me from the world, Quinn. I don't want you to try."

"If I can keep you from getting hurt I'm going to do it." Quinn insisted. He decided to get straight to the point. "What's going on here? Are you OK?"

She didn't answer his question directly. She had a point to make. "I love you." She said softly, her eyes shining. "And part of the reason why is because you take care of me and of Ty. I'm not going to deny it.

"OK." He said with a nod.

She shook her head at him. "I know I just said that I don't know what I'd if she tried something but I have to tell you I was lying. I know exactly what I'd do. I know that I can fight this time."

Quinn stared at her and knew that she was being brave. "Billie. Listen to me. I'm not going to let anything hurt you…"

"I said stop." She said, her voice strong and sure. "I know that you won't. And I know I can take whatever she dishes out. It's all because of you…"

He continued to stare at her, knowing he shouldn't be surprised as he did. He knew how much she'd changed since they first met. He had wished for her to stop being so scared and to stop thinking the worst. The fact that she was standing there smiling up at him given the topic they were discussing made his heart swell with love.

"Before I met you Ididn't believe enough in myself to stand up to anyone…" They both knew full well who she was talking about. It wasn't necessary to name names. "But now there is no way someone could walk all over me. If she tries to take Ty I'll fight her until my last breath. I know that's exactly what I'd do." She reached for his hands and held them tight. "I can do it now because I know you'd be beside me the whole time."

"I will." Quinn replied as he bent his head to kiss her. "You'll never be alone again, Billie. I'm right here."

"I know. And that's why I'm not scared." She said then, her voice shaking a bit despite of what she was trying to convince him. "I love you."

He was so proud of her. He could see how hard she was trying to be brave. "I'm glad you're not and I love you too." He whispered. "But honestly Bill, we don't have to fight anyone right now."

"I know I don't." Billie yawned and nodded. "Quinn?" She whispered as she inched closer to him.

"Yes?" He replied with a smile.

"I'm tired." She yawned again. Her eyes were getting heavy. "Let's go to bed now. Everything will be better in the morning."

It was the kind of thing that he would say to her to make her feel better. Quinn chuckled as he took her hand in his and led her out of the kitchen. "It certainly will."

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He heard a rapping on his door. Struggling to find his way in the dark he went and opened it, half expecting no one to be there and the knocking he had sworn he heard to be dream.

"Hi!" Becky said brightly as she gave him a smacking kiss.

"Êtes vous fou?" Kyle gasped, his eyes wide with horror.

"No I'm not crazy." She said with a giggle. "Tu eşti foarte nostim." She moved to switch on the light.

Kyle's hand flew up to shield his eyes from the brightness. "There's nothing cute about this Becky. Seriously. Are you out of your mind?"

"You hung up on me." She said with a shrug. "I wasn't done talking so I thought – now that Grant and Chloe aren't here to spy – that I'd just come over so we could figure the whole thing out." Her gaze moved around the room. "This place is so…blah. You should let me help decorate." She commented as she flopped down on the couch.

She waited only another second or so before she got back to the point. "So. When we go to Alabama…"

He raced over to her and grabbed her hands, pulling her up off the couch. "Becky. Listen to me carefully. We're not going anywhere. Actually – that's not true. I'M not going anywhere. YOU are going home. NOW."

"You're such a goody-goody. How many times do I have to ask you?" Becky said with a sigh. "Live dangerously Kyle." She whispered as she tried to kiss him again.

He held her at arms length. "BECKY. You need to go. I'm not going to say it again. If your father finds you here HE WILL KILL ME. You understand that don't you?"

"He's not as tough as he seems." She replied.

"No. He's tougher." Kyle took a deep breath and tried to reason with her again. "OK. What do you want me to agree to? Do you want me to say that we'll go find my mother and sister? OK. We will." He rifled through his dresser and tugged a sweatshirt over his head. He paused briefly to pull on a pair of boots. He grabbed a coat and began to ease her towards the door. "But not tonight. C'mon. I'm taking you home."

"You are no fun." She said with a pout. "And don't think I don't know you are agreeing to going away just get me out of here."

"Becky, please. Let's go." Kyle pleaded. He gave her an exasperated look. "How the hell did you get out anyway?"

"I climbed out the window." She said with a shrug. "Don't worry Kyle, I'm sure he won't notice." She added, sounding more confident than she really felt.

"You climbed out the window? Becky! You're certifiable. Tell me something. Does insanity run in your family?" He said as he dragged her out the door and down the stairs.

She fought to keep up with him. "Well, you met my grandmother Elizabeth. She's not exactly the sanest person alive."

"That's not what I mean. She's crazy – but she's wacky crazy. Like eccentric. You've got a date with danger." He grumbled as he led her to her car. It was frigid out and he rubbed her hands in his to warm them.

Once they got to the car he leaned down to stare into her eyes. "Can I trust you to drive straight home or do I need to come with you?"

"How would you get home if you came with me?" She gave him a funny look.

"Walk - I guess." He replied.

Becky stared up at him and blinked in disbelief. "You'd walk home? In this cold? All the way from my house? Just to make sure I got home safe?"

What a stupid question. Of course he would. "Sure." He said with a shrug.

She blinked back tears and whispered. "Oh Kyle."

He stood by stunned as she rose on her toes and kissed him sweetly.

"I love you." She whispered as she pulled away. She turned towards the car and opened the door. "God. Cindy was right. I'm sorry I woke you. Don't worry, I'll go straight home." She promised.

"Huh?" Was the only response he could give. A second ago she was bound and determined to drag him down south. Now she was apologizing and doing as he asked. He would never ever figure her out. Kyle was convinced.

"You'd walk home…" Becky said with a sigh and a sniffle. "Sweet dreams. I'll call you tomorrow." She was smiling widely as she drove away.