A/N- Hey, and Happy Monday! Yet another close call on updating (at least in my time zone). Thank you for those who favorited and followed this story.
Disclaimer- Same as always. I don't own the show or the characters from the show. This does come from my imagination. I don't profit from this. I also have very little knowledge of law and how certain situations are handled.
Emily's POV:
"Look at your pretty, dead daughter, lying there with a bullet through her head, right next to her scum father." A haughty voice tells me. My bruised face is cupped in my hands and I can feel every nerve in my face sting. I look up with teary eyes to expect Dwayne standing over me, but it's not. It's one man who has never hurt me, the one I thought I would spend the rest of my life with, even if we were only friends.
"Why did you do this, Nolan?" I whimper. A few years ago, I wouldn't have dreamed of me shaking and whimpering at a man's feet. I would've laughed at whoever told me that and brushed them off, "You loved Arrayah. I thought… you loved me."
"Emily, stop being stupid. I never loved you; you were temporary, just like Daniel and Tyler." He laughs and I swear with each chuckle my heart breaks even more.
"Why would you kill her though? She was innocent of anything and looked up to you!" I try to get up, but my knees are chained to the floor.
"She was a reminder and a nuisance: she always cried and couldn't do anything right." He sneers and he gives a swift kick to my ribs.
"Then why did you keep us? Why go through the trouble of housing and watching over us?" I spit out.
"So I could enjoy this moment. Do you know how much I gave up for your revenge plan? What I missed out because I had to help and bail you out? This is payment for everything you put me through. You took away my happiness, so I took away yours." He yells in my face and gestures the fun to Arrayah. This can't be happening… This can't be happening… This isn't real…
My eyes pop open and everything is blurry. I close them again, and then reopen them. Now that everything is focusing, I remember I'm in Nolan's apartment, and I should be safe. I turn my head and see Arrayah, clenching my arm in her sleep, and next to her is Nolan, curled up next to her. I manage to free myself from her cobra grip without waking up her up and make my way to the living room. I sit on one end of the couch and place my face in my hands and try to shake that dream out of me. I can't believe I thought it was real; Nolan wouldn't kill anyone, especially a child. Even if that part wasn't true, what about his feelings toward the plan? Did he really give up so much he would hold a grudge like that? If he kicks us out, will I be able to return to my house in the Hamptons? My head is starting to hurt when I hear someone clear their throat.
"You okay, Ems?" Nolan asks, coming over to the couch.
"I'm… fine, just fine." I say, hoping it would reassure him.
"If you're so 'fine' why are you awake at" He glances at the wall's clock, "three in the morning?"
I remember what he said earlier, "Arrayah was getting kicky, and I don't want to risk staying in this cast longer."
Nolan looks like he accept it, "Well, okay then. He gets up, leaves for a minute, and returns with two blankets, "I guess we can sleep in here." He lays one blanket on my legs and he curls up on the other end of the couch. After a few minutes of silence, Nolan says, "It's funny, I didn't feel Arrayah kicking, and she wasn't kicking when I woke up, Emily."
He knows I lied.
I wake up first, four hours later. I get my crutches and make my way to the bathroom. I glance at the shower and I start trying to figure out how this was going to work. I can't ask Nolan to help, even though it's nothing he hasn't seen before. After several failed attempts, I give up on showering. I go over to the bathtub and lay down with my leg propped on the wall. I turn on the water and only wash my hair. It takes longer than I remember it would, but then again, it's the longest it's been since I was teenager. I get out and redress in the same fleece pants, but leave the sweatshirt off, and start to pick out the mess that goes down to my waist. After the majority of the tangles are picked out, I begin rummaging through the cabinets; I am going to take care of the problem. I finally find my sought-out item: Scissors, nice and sharp. I'm about to tie off my hair where I will cut it when the door opens.
"Hey Emily, I was wondering… What are you doing?!" Nolan yells and I drop the scissors.
"Nolan, get out!" I make my way toward the door to push him out, but slip on a puddle of water. I'm about hit the ground when he catches me by the arm. I want to yell out, but bite it back. He pulls me up and hugs me.
"Don't scare me like that Emily! What are you thinking? Ray needs you… I need you!" He murmurs in my ear. I push him off me and look at him in the eyes, "What do you think you saw, Nolan?" I can't believe he would make that accusation.
"You were going to slice your wrists! I can't let you do that!" He grips my arms and pulls me for another hug.
"Nolan, look at me." He pulls back slightly, but doesn't let me go, "I wouldn't dare do that. As you said I, Arrayah needs me. If I wanted to kill myself, I would've done that a long time ago."
"Then what were you doing?" He eyes me suspiciously.
"I was cutting my hair, Nolan, perfectly innocent and not dangerous." I resist the urge to chuckle at his reddening face. I pull away and pick up the scissors, I brush my hair back and ponytail it. I take the scissors and glance toward Nolan. I make the cut just above the hair-tie and the ponytail falls to the floor with a light thud. Nolan is still looking at me, his mouth agape. I about pick up the ponytail when I remember I'm standing in front of him, in nothing but fleece pants and bra. I feel my cheeks redden and I slip the hoodie on top, and duck to pick up my ponytail.
"Sorry, Nolan." I mumble and hobble out of the bathroom. I make it to the kitchen to throw it away before he says something.
"You had a problem with your long hair?"
"Well, yes; it wasn't me and it takes too much effort to deal with." I don't give the main reason I cut it: Dwayne liked my hair long and enjoyed it that way. He would use it against me whenever he was mad or drunk, or both.
"Oh, well, it looks nice either way." He comments. I open the can door and drop it in.
"If it's not too much, I would like to go out today. There's some shopping I have to do."
"Of course, but you're going to need something else to wear."
"That's one of the reasons I would like to go out." I chuckle awkwardly.
"I'm already a step ahead of you." He leaves and I want to roll my eyes.
"What do you mean, Nolan?" I hobble after him and find him in his linen closet. He pulls out a duffel bag and whisks it to the living room. I do roll my eyes this time and go after him. I'm out of breath by the time I sit on the couch. "What's in the bag, Nolan?"
He unzips the bag and starts pulling sweaters and jeans out, "After six months of you being… missing, I packed up all your clothes and such, so mice, or moths, or thieves, or anything to happen to them. I figured when we found you, you would want your old clothes and sentimentals safe. Don't look at me like that, it's not all in here, there are several more bags packed in there and in my closet."
I'm speechless over Nolan's act of kindness. I run my hand over the old sweaters and look at him, "Thank you, Nolan." I reach over and wrap my arms around his neck for a hug. I feel his arms circle my waist and return the hug. "No problem, Emily."
"I really do mean it, Nolan, thank you." I pull away first and he helps me pick out a soft cream sweater and dark jeans. I take them to the bathroom and change. When both are pulled on, I know without looking in the mirror that they look baggy and swallow me whole. The jeans are at least four sizes too big and the sweater has enough room that I could hold Arrayah while in the sweater.
"Hey, Emily, everything going okay?" I must've been in here longer than I thought for Nolan to come knocking on the door. I know it's no use in explaining, so I open the door.
"They're a little too big." I try to laugh it off.
"'A little' is putting it mildly Emily." He tsks with his tongue. I don't know whether to take that as a good thing or bad, "Stay here for a second, I think I have a temporary solution." I do as I'm told and he returns a minute later.
He takes a thin brown belt and wraps it through the jean loops and pulls it tight. He ends up punching a hole in it with the scissors so the belt is tight, "Jeans are somewhat fixed, and is hidden by the sweater. And the whole baggy look is kinda in." He laughs a little at the last part.
"Thanks for trying, Nolan." I pick up the fleece pants and hoodie and go to his room to fold them away. When I put the pajamas away, I go over to the bed and sit down.
"Arrayah, do you want to wake up?" I ask, rubbing her arm.
"Yah, but my eyes won't open." She says into her pillow.
"Maybe if you turn over, they would be easier to open." I chuckle and roll her over.
"Oh, that's much better!" She giggles. She sits up and hugs me. I hear her gasp, "Mommy! Your hair has been cut!"
"Yah, I cut it earlier this morning." I tell her, "You don't like it?"
"I like it, it curls more! You're like a fairy queen!" She holds out a curl in front of my face to emphasize her point. I pull her in for another hug. I only pull away when I hear her stomach growl, "I think someone's hungry." I poke her in the tummy and she laughs. I stand up and help her off the bed. She races to the kitchen and I follow slowly. By the time I make it to the kitchen, she is sitting on a bar stool with a bowl cereal in front of her. Nolan offers me a bowl and I accept. I sit next to Arrayah while Nolan stands across us. Arrayah recounts a whimsical dream she had after we joined her in bed, with it involving unicorns traveling across the Rocky Mountains. Once we finish, Arrayah changes into jeans and another hoodie, and then goes to work on her school work. I call a cab and slip on a boot on my unbroken leg.
"Why don't you let me or Aiden come with you? You may get hurt in the shopping crowd." Nolan whispers as I slip on my coat and grab a purse from the table by his door.
"Nolan, I'll be fine. I've shopped through the crowd before, I know what to expect." I tell him, trying to ease his tension. I couldn't have either man with me while I shopped because I wanted to pick them both up a thank you gift.
"At least take my cell phone, so if you need anything you can call me." He pushes the small device into my hand.
"Okay, I will. Nolan I promise to be careful. If you haven't heard back from me in, say thirty minutes, start tracking your phone and do what you do best." I rub his arm to comfort him.
"Mommy?" Arrayah says, standing a few feet from us, "Are you leaving?" I can hear sadness in her voice.
"Yes, I'm leaving, but only for a little while. It's not for forever." I manage to get to her and hug her.
"Promise to come back?"
"I cross my heart. If I haven't called in thirty minutes, Nolan promises to find me." I squeeze her tighter plant a kiss on her forehead.
"I love you Arrayah." I say as I step out of the door.
"Love you too." She calls. I close the door with a little purse in my hand. I step onto the elevator and go down to the lobby.
I manage to shop for Arrayah and Aiden successfully, and struggle to find something for Nolan. What do I get for the guy that means so much to me without fully showing I care that much? I'm looking through a comic section of a book store when his cell phone rings.
"Hello, Emily speaking." I say into the receiver. I don't recognize the number and worry it's a business call.
"Ah, Emily, just the person I wanted to speak to." I recognize the voice now, Sonya or Natasha or whatever her name is now.
"What is it?" I say, trying not to sound too harsh but trying to imply the urgency for her to hurry.
"We need you to come down to the station for some questioning." She says. I immediately feel the panic flood my system, why would they want me? I haven't done anything, unless what I've done as Emily Thorne has caught up with me.
"I can be there in about thirty minutes." I tell her, not letting the worry leak through my voice.
"Okay, we'll see you then." She hangs up and I dial Nolan's home line, "Hey Nolan, I have to go down to the station for some questions, nothing serious. I think it's about my statement or something."
"Okay, Emily, thanks for calling ahead of time. Oh, Arrayah says, 'I love you' and she can't wait for you to see the surprise when you get home." Nolan says.
"Okay, I'll talk to you when the questioning is done. Tell her I love her too, and can't wait to see. Bye." I hang up the phone and catch a cab. I'm glad I left the majority of the gifts at the counter for delivery, or else I would've had a problem. I make it to the station and I am whisked away into an interrogation room, with the three bags I carried in by the door.
"Hello, Emily." Sonya's Natasha persona greets me.
"Detective Green." I nod at her and cross my legs.
"So, do you know why you're here?" She asks, pacing around me.
"No, you didn't tell me."
"Well, now that your system is not being pumped with drugs, we can officially get your statement. We've been looking for this group for a long time, and we want everything to be clean and legal so they can go away." She explains. I give her my statement, and she seems satisfied.
"Another thing, it seems like this group was harboring evidence that could potentially clear up a name and bring down some powerful people, we have to know if you were aware of this during your captivity."
"I was not aware of this during my time locked up." I inform her.
"Okay, that is it. Be prepared to be called to the stand. We will have our DA contact you so you can be prepared for the cross-examination." She stands up and helps me with my crutches, "Let me help you with your bags." She picks up the bags and leads me to a waiting cab. As she helps me in the cab, I hear her say, "Make sure you didn't leave anything behind, Emily." I look at her suspiciously, and glance at my bags. In one of the bags she was carrying, peaking under the tissue paper, is a corner of an envelope. I nod at her and thank her for her kindness. I close the door and give the cab driver directions to Nolan's apartment building.
A/N- A little bit of a cliffhanger, sorry ;). Any guesses on the surprise Nolan and Arrayah are planning? Whoever guesses or is close to guessing gets a sneak peak of the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and don't forget to vote. :)