Renegade Runaways :: Chapter Twenty Two

It was a new morning in the safe house. Hope wandered into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee without speaking to the two blondes in the room. She surveyed the mess she left behind the night before and admired her work.

"How are you holding up?" Marlena asked over a plate of fresh breakfast food.

If Hope was feeling nice, she would have mentioned how impressed she was at the wide array of food that stared back at her from the counter. The smell was enticing. Her stomach growled in response.

"Do you care?" Hope fired back. She brought a full mug of coffee up to her lips and paused, "Should I drink this? Or should I count on being passed out for the next eight hours?"

Kayla jumped up from her chair, "Hope, I'm sorry."

Hope stared at Kayla with challenging eyes. Kayla forcefully pulled Hope into an awkward hug. Hope scowled over Kayla's shoulder at Marlena, but felt herself softening towards the comforting embrace she found herself in. A night of restless sleep and racing thoughts had cooled her off a little, but she wasn't quite ready to back down.

"I'm sorry," Kayla repeated, "We deserve every single snide remark you can come up with. I know we do… But I love you so much… and so does my stupid brother. Please forgive us."

Hope took a long sip of her coffee. Kayla's big blue eyes pleaded back at her. It was hard to hate her.

"Your brother is stupid," Hope agreed after she swallowed the big gulp of caffeine.

Kayla smiled with relief, "So stupid… Insanely stupid."

Hope hugged Kayla, this time willingly and lovingly, "I'm still mad at you."

"I'm mad at me too," Kayla agreed.

"How forgiving are you feeling?" Marlena asked as she made room at the breakfast bar for Hope to squeeze in next to her.

"Not very," Hope retorted. It was half a lie. She knew she needed both of them.

"Hope, we're all guilty," Kayla reminded, although she didn't want to test her luck. She was ready to let Marlena suffer another day without her.

"Please eat with us," Marlena requested softly, "You know that I'm sorry too."

Hope hesitated, but took the seat next to Marlena. Kayla happily ran around the counter to grab Hope a plate. Hope's eyes widened as she watched Kayla fill the plate, "Kay, I'm not eating all of that."

"Just try a little bit of everything," Kayla grinned. She was proud of her work.

Hope sipped her coffee to hide a possible smile. She wasn't ready to be friends.

They sat in silence as they each picked at the food on their plates. They searched for the right words to say to each other. Each of them fought to pretend they weren't worried. Hope still kept her distance

"So…" Kayla finally broke the silence, unable to bear it any longer, "How are things with John?"

Marlena looked up from her plate, "What do you mean?"

"Well, are you still mad at him?" Kayla asked, "You're a shrink. Aren't you supposed to be forgiving?"

Marlena smiled, "I may be a shrink, but I'm also human. I was human first… And John pisses me off from time to time."

Hope almost snorted into her coffee cup as she tried to stop a laugh. She choked a little. Kayla grinned at Marlena as Hope tried to hide her amusement. Marlena looked at Hope, "What?"

Hope shrugged casually, "Nothing."

"Hey, do you guys ever really stop and think about how great it is that our families are so integrated?" Kayla asked them both, "How amazing is it that we can call our closest friends family?"

Hope's eyebrows furrowed and she placed her coffee cup on the counter, before giving Marlena a puzzled look, "Has she been drinking?"

Marlena laughed out loud, "Not to my knowledge."

"You guys!" Kayla sighed in frustration, "I'm serious!"

"Where is this coming from?" Hope questioned.

"I just…" Kayla sighed again. She refused to feel embarrassed. She was actually feeling emotional, "Being stuck in this house has given me a lot of time to think. The past couple of months have been insane, and as much as I hate it, I wouldn't want to be experiencing it with anyone else. You guys are all so important to me."

Hope stared at her coffee cup. Kayla was right. They were definitely more than friends. They were a family to the core.

"You know, I couldn't agree more." Marlena nodded.

"We sure have been through a lot," Hope agreed, "There's a lot of history between the six of us."

"Which is why you have to forgive us," Kayla stared at the counter, "All of us."

"Kay…" Hope whispered. Her heart clenched.

"Don't push us away," Kayla said seriously, "We need to stick together."

Hope looked away in an effort to keep her eyes from flooding with unwanted tears. Marlena's hand came to rest gently on top of Hope's clenched fist.

"We will," Hope finally spoke. It was hard for her, "But as my family, I need you to let me feel this way. I forgive you… but that doesn't mean I'm done being mad at you."

Kayla nodded in understanding. Her eyes glistened with tears.

"What's the point of family if you can't fight and bicker every now and then," Marlena smiled.

Hope offered a small smile back, "Right."

They sat in silence again, but this time it was more comfortable.

"I just have a lot to think about," Hope sighed, "I have a lot to sort through. I'm not pushing you away, but I think I'm going to go lie down. I didn't sleep very well last night. I could use some quiet time alone."

Kayla nodded, "Okay. Let me know if you need anything."

Hope smiled softly, "I will."

She left them alone at the breakfast bar. She was being honest with them. She was drained; physically and emotionally. Her worry for Bo was exhausting. Talking about it didn't make her feel any better. She curled up on the bed that he had left her on. She longed for a piece of him. She fell into a restless sleep. It was the only way she could pass the time as she waited for some kind of news about his latest mission.