Renegade Runaways :: Chapter Four

Hope paused, leaving her keys in the door and turned around. Her hands found Aiden's chest and she sighed, "I'm sorry."

"If you don't feel well, you don't feel well," Aiden smiled, "I forgive you. There's nothing to feel guilty about."

"I still had a wonderful time. It was a beautiful evening." Hope smiled back, but she still felt guilty. She couldn't keep her mind off of Kayla's abrupt departure.

"You're the only beautiful thing I could see." Aiden almost laughed and then sobered, "Are you sure you want to stay here? You haven't been sleeping well when you stay here. I'm not trying to pry. I just want to be sure it's okay to leave you alone."

Hope shrugged, "I feel like being alone. Plus, I think Jen has company at the Horton house tonight….I don't want to infect anyone if I'm coming down with something."

"Okay." Aiden nodded and then questioned, "Are you telling me the whole truth?"

Hope averted her gaze and pursed her lips, "I don't know."

"Hope, you can tell me anything." Aiden encouraged, "We've known each other a couple of years now."

Hope sighed, "I'm just…. I don't want to hurt your feelings. It's nothing. I'm fine. Everything is fine. I just need some sleep."

"Bo." Aiden said softly in understanding.

Hope rolled her eyes as tears stung the corners of them, "It doesn't mean anything. I just… some days… completely out of the blue…. I miss him. I just…. really miss him."

"It could be the fact that we were just hanging out with all of your old friends that the two of you used to share. Or the fact that you love him…. you never had closure…. I don't know Hope, but I know that you're human and it's okay."

"Thank you." Hope sighed with relief and kissed him softly on the cheek, "I just think being alone in our house we shared might make me feel better." She turned back toward her front door and proceeded to unlock it. She glanced back one last time over her shoulder to smile at Aiden, "Goodnight Aiden."

"Goodnight Hope…" Aiden smiled back, slightly disappointed they were ending the night so soon. He watched her, unable to leave just yet. She mingled in the doorway, her back to him.

Hope's mind registered the dim lights that were on in the room. She hadn't been home in weeks. Fear pricked at her skin as her eyes did a sweep of the room.

"Hope?"

She heard Aiden calling to her from behind, but she couldn't answer. She saw Kayla and Steve hovering over a body in front of her fireplace. Her keys dropped to the floor. She couldn't find her voice. She couldn't see his face, but she knew who was lying there. The room began to spin.

"Hope!"

Aiden caught her falling body just before she hit the floor.

"Who the hell are you?" Steve demanded, "Get your hands off of her."

"Steve, stop." Kayla yelled, "Back off."

"What's going on?" Aiden replied, confusion and worry evident on his face.

"Well, for starters, you have your hands on my best friend's wife." Steve announced, "And second, you just walked in on a serious situation that is none of your business. Now I'll ask you again. Who the hell are you?"

"Aiden…. Aiden Jennings." Aiden replied, "I'm a lawyer…. and Hope's boyfriend."

Steve almost laughed and turn to Kayla, "Hope has a boyfriend?"

Kayla shrugged and then confirmed Steve's inquiry with a hesitant nod.

"You've got to be kidding me. That's hilarious." Steve laughed.

"Look, I don't want any trouble," Aiden sighed, "I'm just worried about Hope."

"Well, you can stop worrying about her and go sit on the couch." Steve snarked and pulled a gun from the waistband of his jeans.

"Steve that is NOT necessary." Kayla reamed, "Put it away. Now."

"I take it you two know each other." Aiden said as he moved slowly to the couch, hands in the air. He sat softly keeping his eyes on Steve.

"You're just a funny frat boy aren't you?" Steve scoffed, "It's none of your damn business. None of this is. It's really unfortunate that you happened upon this scene. Now. You be a good boy, so I can put this away. I don't want you to listen, I don't want you to speak, and I sure as hell don't want you to move. Clear?"

"Clear," Aiden nodded and let his eyes move back to Hope who was still slumped over on the floor.

"And do me a favor," Steve added, "Don't look at her."

Aiden glared back at Steve.

"Steve, stop being hateful. He's harmless." Kayla sighed, "And for God's sake, will you wake her up?!"

Steve bit his lip and let his eyes travel from Kayla, to Aiden, and finally to Hope. He crouched above her and gently swept her hair out of her eyes, "Hope? Hope?" He shook her gently, "Come on little Princess… wake up. We've got a pretty big problem here."

Hope inhaled sharply as her eyes began to open. She stared confused and disoriented at Steve, not quite believing what she was seeing, "Bo?"

Steve grabbed her hand and pulled her to the sitting position, "He's here…."

Hope followed the direction of Steve's pointed finger. Her eyes met Kayla's worry filled baby blues. Instinct forced her into a half crawl, half scurry on all fours over to Bo's sprawled out body.

"How bad is it Kay?" Hope asked scared to touch him, but dying to know that he was real.

"I'm not certain… but I know it's not good. He's got an infection in that wound Shane tried to stitch up, a possible concussion, possible internal bleeding, and more than likely more than one broken rib. Who knows what else."

"Shane?" Hope questioned, "Steve what are you doing here? What happened? Who did this?"

"Slow down Hope," Steve soothed as he rubbed her shoulders, "I know this is a shock… but right now Bo is our priority. We've got to get him to the hospital."

"Why didn't you go there in the first place?!" Hope shouted, her voice shaky with emotion, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"No one can know we are here. I wanted to avoid public places at all costs." Steve defended, "And now you've dragged this frat boy into the situation, which is quite unfortunate."

"Frat boy?" Hope wondered out loud and then turn on her squatted heels to see Aiden sitting muted on the couch. She had been completely oblivious to his presence in the room, "Aiden?"

"You fainted, I caught you…" Aiden said quietly, "I didn't know there were people in here with some big secret I was going to ruin."

Hope looked at Steve.

"I don't trust him." Steve shook his head.

Hope swallowed hard and rubbed her temples. She didn't have time to worry about Aiden, "We need to save Bo. What's the plan?"

"Fancy….. Face."

Hope felt Bo's hand trying to grab onto hers. His voice brought his body to life and she instantly began to cry. Tears of fear, joy, anger, hurt, and relief all erupted from her worried eyes. She held tightly to his hand and watched a tiny smile cross his pained facial features.

"I'm right here Brady." Hope whispered before she softly kissed his forehead, "Hang in there okay. Kayla is going to fix you up."

"Let's get him in the van." Steve instructed.

"What van?" Kayla asked.

"We stole one…" Steve shrugged, "I parked it down the street after I got Bo in the house."

"Well go get it!" Hope ordered, "We're not dragging him down the street."

"I'm not leaving you two alone with this chump." Steve laughed.

"We can manage." Hope nodded and then gritted her teeth, "Steve, I swear to God. If you don't get that damn van and my husband dies, I will kill you."

Aiden watched the exchange with discomfort. He didn't have a clue what he walked in on, but he didn't think he and Hope were in immediate danger. It was clear the four of these people were extremely close, but more clear than that was Hope's protectiveness of Bo. Aiden had never seen her act this way. After all this time of Bo being absent, a part of him had hoped her feelings had dwindled.

"See why I didn't want you to bring her?" Steve asked Kayla, "Bossy as hell…."

"Steve please." Kayla begged, "We need to hurry. He's lost consciousness. Go get the van."

Steve reluctantly did as he was told, leaving Aiden on the couch. He appeared back at the front door about two minutes later.

"Let's do this." Steve announced, glaring at Aiden who still sat on the couch.

"Steve he's unconscious," Kayla warned, "It's going to take all of us to get him into the van."

"Frat boy isn't touching BoBo," Steve replied calmly, "You two get the top, I'll get the bottom."

Hope and Kayla positioned themselves at opposite shoulders, wrapping Bo's arms around their neck. Steve placed each of Bo's legs on either side of his waist and picked him up from under his knees.

"It's getting kinky in here now," Bo managed to mumble with closed eyes.

Steve laughed, "Only in your dreams man…"

Hope tossed a glare Steve's way, "Please, let's go."

"Come on chump." Steve instructed to Aiden, "In the van you go. I'm driving, but you get shotgun. I need to keep my eyes on you."