Just a little Fruity
These good fellows don't belong to me but I promise when I'd done to pick um up, dust um off and with a kiss on the cheek return them safely home.
"Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive." Sir Walter Scott.
I know this story give some the chills and makes some mad as fire but thanks for continuing to read. Have faith in the bond between Johnny and Roy and now Kanda. Keep the reviews coming. They encourage me with the next chapter.
Chapter 10
Karen heard a knock at the door and had no idea who it could be this early in the morning. She had gotten rid of that Kanda and it was too early for Johnny to be home yet. Her face went from smile to ticked off when she opened the door to see her brother Michael standing there.
"What are you doing here?" She grabbed his arm and pulled him inside quickly.
"You haven't called and I was beginning to wonder what you were doing over here?" The tall dark headed man seemed to loom over her limber frame. He had a thick bushy mustache but one unmistakable feature was the white lock of hair right in the middle of his forehead. His muscles would be threatening to anyone in a dark alley but to her he was just a stupid big brother that couldn't do anything without her.
"I told you to stay away from here. We can't afford for you to be seen." She returned to the kitchen where she was busy cooking and baking.
"Well just look at the little homemaker. Aren't you cute," he said sarcastically at his little sister.
"You have to be kidding. I hate this. I'm tired of cooking, cleaning, smiling and doing all the crap that he wants to do. But it'll be over soon." She smiled as she took the cookies off the tray and slid them onto a plate.
Michael reached out and grabbed one but as soon as he took a bite from it she slapped his hand making him drop it. "Don't eat those you retard. Those are the ones for Gage unless you feel the need to join him?" She stood back with her hands on her hips, her head cocked.
He sputtered and spit trying to get all of the cookie out of his mouth, "Damn you Karen, trying to kill me too?"
"Oh one cookie won't hurt you," she gaffed at him.
"Well it should, this is taking too long. I hate LA." Michael sat down at the stool in front of the counter.
"Patience big brother. I'm in the home stretch but if you come back here again it could ruin everything we planned for." She watched him give that perplexed look that drove her nuts. "Look Gage wouldn't remember you but that partner of his is the one that pulled you off Gage that day. He's the one that held you down until the police got there."
Michael remembered the fireman that fought him, stopped him from killing Gage right there on the spot. "We should off them both."
"No," she barked. "We've talked about this. We only want Gage; he's the one that let daddy die in that fire. DeSoto was only in the way. We can't take them both out or someone would figure it out. I mean two dead paramedics. Partners no less?"
Michael nodded. His sister was smarter than he was. She had figured it all out about getting revenge on their dad's death. That Gage let him die and he was going to pay for what he did.
"Now get out of here. He'll be home soon from work and I have to get ready for my next move."
She scooted him out the door and glanced around thankful for not seeing anyone around. She loved her big dufus brother but he could blow this before she was done. The poison was slow and gradual so no one would figure it out. It helped that he had basically no family just that sister and she was a piece of cake to handle. Now there was only one more person between her and finishing off Johnny and she would be taking care of that this morning.
Roy pulled into the parking lot behind Johnny's rover. He wanted a shower and then promised to meet him for his appointment later that morning with Joe Early. Roy just wanted to make sure he made it home safely since they had runs all night and he knew Johnny was beyond exhaustion.
He waved to him as he watched him head up the stairs but something caught his eye. A man was standing by his truck and watched Johnny going up the stairs with an intent stare. Roy was now curious as to whom this man was but as soon as Johnny entered his apartment the man hopped in his truck and pulled out. There was something familiar about him but Roy assumed that he must live here and he had seen him before. Something like that white lock was easily recognizable.
Johnny sat on his couch and decided to just stay there for a while. He was beat. He groaned at the knock on his door. He smiled to see Karen standing there until he saw the tears in her eyes. "Babe, what's wrong?"
She came in and just fell into his open arms as he tried to calm her down. "I'm sorry," she stuttered out. "I just don't know what I did wrong." She held him close and just sobbed.
He pulled her back to see her face, "Tell me what happened." They moved to the couch where she sat down beside him.
"I don't want to cause trouble but she hurt me so much Johnny."
He got still, "Who hurt you?"
"She came to my apartment yesterday. She was so angry. I tried to calm her down but she just yelled at how I didn't deserve you and how she wouldn't let me be a part of your family."
Johnny's breath quickened, "Kanda?"
Karen nodded and cried some more, "I'm so sorry. I don't want to come between you. I can leave."
Now Johnny was mad, "You're not going anywhere. She had no right to do that. I won't let her come between us." His mind was spinning and all he could think about was Kanda hurting his Karen. He pulled Karen close to him and promised her that it would be alright.
"I just don't understand why they hate me Johnny. What did I do to them?"
"Them?"
Karen stood up and walked over to the other side of the room. Johnny was worried now, what had her so upset? "Karen?"
"I didn't want to tell you because I knew how upset you'd be," she paused. "He …" She started crying again.
"Who? Tell me," he stood up and took her by the shoulders. He could feel her trembling under his hands.
"At the ballgame the other day. When I went to the bathroom with the little girl."
"Jenny."
"Yea, Jenny. Well he came too and I thought he was being nice."
Roy. "Go on," Johnny said now wanting to know everything.
"He touched me. I thought it was just casual and it probably was. I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it."
"What do you mean he touched you?" He felt an anger rising up in him.
"Johnny please don't be mad at him. I'm sure it was my fault. I asked him to help me get something out of my hair and after he did his hands went down my neck and back and …" she couldn't go on and Johnny didn't have to hear anymore.
The rage soaring through him making him blind to being rational. The poison was now in every cell of his body, it permeated his brain and his thoughts were chaotic and only full of anger.
Her timing was perfect. He now belonged to her. She watched him stomp through the living room and knew it wouldn't be long before he went over the edge and they wouldn't be there to save him. He would make sure they were far away, he would refuse their help. He would hate them and in turn they would walk away and leave him. She smiled.
Roy pulled into his driveway and was immediately worried when he saw Kanda's rover. The front door was still locked, where was she? He went through the living room and saw his dog Daisy sitting at the back door ready to be let out.
"Alright girl, here ya go." He unlocked the door and opened up the curtains. To his shock he saw Kanda curled up in the chair sound asleep. Stepping out he sat down on the edge of the lounge chair and watched her for a moment. She was so peaceful, her dark hair falling across her face. He placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it.
"Kanda?"
She woke up with a start surprising both of them. "Whoa there," he said with a smile.
Kanda pushed herself towards him and wrapped her arms around him as tight as she could. Instinctively he returned the hug, holding her close until he felt her body shake with sobs. "Hey there, look at me." He gently pushed her back so he could see her. Wiping the tears from her face his heart was pounding in his own chest. "What happened?"
"God Roy it was horrible. What she said. Did I do that? Am I such a bad person?"
Roy was lost and she was crying too hard to get anything else out. He had to get her inside and calmed down. "Let's go inside." He put his arm around her and helped her to her feet. She faltered and almost fell. In one swift motion he picked her up in his arms, her head nuzzled in his neck while her tears ran down his shirt. He tenderly laid her down on the couch and sat down beside her. Brushing her hair from her face he tried again to soothe her. "Calm down for me. I'm right here."
She looked up at him, "I'm sorry Roy."
He smiled at her, "Nothing to be sorry for. Wait right here I'm going to get us something to drink."
When he came back from the kitchen he had two cups of hot tea. Handing one to her he took a sip of his and then set it down. She was sitting up on the couch now and even though her cheeks were still wet she had calmed down considerably.
"Now tell me what happened."
"I was so stupid. I thought I could find out what kind of game she was playing so I went to see her."
"Karen?"
Kanda nodded, "Yea but it was a big mistake. She told me horrible things about Johnny having nightmares that were my fault. She said that seeing me made his nightmares come back."
He took her by the shoulders, "Kanda, that's not true. Now you listen to me. Yes, Johnny has nightmares. Sometimes they happen even at work but they are not about you. You brought peace to him when you found him. I know that for a fact. Karen is using us. She's trying to get us separated from him for some reason."
She could only nod. It made sense and she understood it but, what Karen had said. "She knew about our home life." The tears ran down her cheeks.
He reached up and wiped them away, "She's lying Kanda. She's taking a few facts that Johnny must have told her and using them to hurt you. Don't let her win at this game."
"I know. Somehow I know that but…"
He pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her, "No, there's no more to it. It's time to confront Johnny about what's going on."
Somehow Karen had managed to calm him down long enough to sit down and eat some breakfast with him. Every meal was important now if her plan was to work. She petted his arm to soothe him, whispered softly in his ear to lull him. He was so exhausted he just melted to her ministrations.
"Lay down here babe and get a nap," she said softly to him.
He had something to do but he couldn't remember what it was. "I have to go somewhere."
"I'll wake you up in time; here sip some more tea and rest."