90210

"You know I was actually gonna ask you to model for the magazine, I mean it wasn't like cover work – you're not that famous yet…but figured it'd be better to get a few shots of you before you make it big, so that Kisses & Lies would have this big scoop about how we found you before you were famous…and I'm rambling again," Naomi looked out the window across the bed and then turned to look at Annie, lying as though in some enchanted sleep on the bed, unaware of the trauma that she had gone through, "your Mom and Dad came to see you…and Liam, and they were really sad but I think they're getting better now you pulled through the operation. You know you really missed a lot getting shot and all Annie…Ivy's pregnant and her Mom has cancer so…looks like the next few months are gonna be fun for her, Adrianna and Alexander are…so rich it's incredible, I'm sure you'll love they're new house they bought in the Hills? Think a Mediterranean Villa…in LA…I mean it's…it's unbelievable. Come back to us Annie." Naomi clasped Annie's hand softly, as though hoping that it would bring her back to them but somehow she new it was a futile gesture she jerked your head up to Dixon who had slid into the room silently while she was speaking.

"You're being real good to her – you can go if you need to be somewhere?" he offered politely.

"No, no, it's fine," Naomi protested, "I can let that little bitch of an intern see how hard it is to run a photo shoot for an afternoon…do you remember when you guys took me in when no-one else would? When I used to call you Dixie and…and you and Annie and your parents really…brought me back to Earth," Dixon cocked an eyebrow mockingly and Naomi laughed, "okay…so maybe I'm not exactly a natural country girl yet, but you really helped make me a better person…even if I did go psycho bitch for a little bit after that. I just…I wanna repay the favour you know?"

Dixon nodded comprehendingly, "They think Liam's coming around in the other room…his wound wasn't critical it missed any vital organs and passed clean out…they think Annie's did a lot more damage to her body."

"Like what kind of damage?" Naomi asked feeling her heart begin hammering in her chest.

He looked at Annie and touched her hand and then turned to look at Naomi.

"It took out one of her kidneys…completely…normally she'd been fine on one kidney, I mean you always here about people living on one kidney and watching what they eat or drink just in case…but there was shrapnel from the bullet…like separate bits that lodged in the other one, they got it all out but it's pretty busted up," Dixon shrugged, "not nearly strong enough to do the job it used to."

"So she needs a transplant," Naomi said realisation dawning upon her, "of course I'll take the test."

Dixon gave her a puzzled look and then it cleared up.

"Sorry…that wasn't the please give my sister a kidney chat…damn it…Naomi I'm sorry…it wasn't meant to sound like that I'm just…I should know better I'm falling apart-"

"-hey," Naomi said shushing him, "you're under a lot of stress…I mean Ivy has a baby on the way, you and Navid are basically at war with one another," she was almost sure she saw something pulse in Dixon's head as she mentioned Navid, as though some anger inside of him might burst at any moment, "it's fine, and for the record I didn't think that was that conversation, but even if it was I'd still give my kidney for her."

He smiled and then turned on his heel and left, breezing past Silver without acknowledging her in the hallway.

"He's crumbling under the pressure," Naomi said looking down at Annie, "I think between Ivy…and Navid and now Annie he's losing it Silver, I really do."

She nodded sitting in a chair on the other side of Annie.

"I don't understand why Navid seems to be the catalyst for all this…it was just an argument between them…I mean he doesn't like me so there's no residual jealousy…protectiveness or whatever there," she shrugged, "I wonder whether there's something else going on…and I'm worried about Teddy," Naomi turned to look at her with a here we go again face, "look I'm just concerned I mean you heard what happened with him and Ivy at the beach."

"Yeah I did Silver," Naomi said removing her hand from Annie's, "he got up and left her because she was having a conversation with him…he's gonna be a little erratic after something like losing his boyfriend in that accident Silver – but that doesn't mean you have to be his guardian, I know he doesn't have his Dad because of how things ended between them and he doesn't have Ian or anyone else to talk to but you can't just mother him all the time…at some point you have to let him find his way on his own. Did you tell him about Liam and Annie?"

"I left a message." She replied sinking resignedly into her chair, clearly things were not going to alleviate in the near future.

.

"And you're supposed to be like the macho one, and you wind up lying in the hospital bed? That's…that's really un-cool…but I guess it's karma or something right? I mean everything…everything happens for a reason doesn't it," Ivy mused aloud, it wasn't as if Liam could here so she might as well talk out her feelings, maybe it'd bring him back…the ramblings of a madwoman, "sorry…guess I don't sound too upset but I am really…you have to know that…I just…I'm a little…disconnected from you, from this, from everything. Somehow I seem to be messing everything up at the moment."

"You aren't," murmured a voice from the doorway and she swivelled her head, "at least not everything,not me. I got messed up for a whole other reason." Teddy smiled weakly as he slipped into the room, taking the chair opposite hair and looking towards Liam's unconscious body, his chest rising as though he might be sleeping and breathing in that slumber, instead he was comatose, not waking up and lying there. "I shouldn't have ran off at the beach…I had a…a flash back…something that he…Marco said to me once, and I flipped out a little bit…but I talked it out. And I'm okay with it now. I'm getting through this."

Ivy looked at him with her comprehending, icy-blue eyes, "You don't have to explain yourself to me, none of us expect you to get over this quickly…we don't expect anything of you actually, we just want to help if we can, and if helping is us surfing like we used to High School for an hour, or splitting a milkshake," Teddy laughed involuntarily as Ivy frowned at how preppy she'd sounded, "or grabbing a burger then we can do that. I just…I want things to be like they were before when they weren't this complicated you know?"

Teddy nodded, "Speaking of complicated," he cast his eyes to the window to the room and Ivy swung her head around, "do you want me to get rid off him?"

"No…just…find out what he wants, I'll go talk to Silver and see what she thinks." They both stood up as one and Teddy let her slip past her as he manoeuvred Navid further down the corridor so he would be out of sight of the other room, he doubted that Dixon or Silver would want to see him, not that he expected things to turn violent but at least this we he could get rid of Navid quietly if that was what they needed to do.

"Hey man," Navid greeted warmly and then faltered on catching sight of Teddy's look, "sorry about Marco and everything…that must have been hard to deal with," Teddy's expression was unforgiving, "I heard about Annie and Liam and wanted to come and see them…give them by regards."

"Well they're comatose," Teddy replied calmly, "what are you doing here man? You knew Silver and Dixon would be here and they wouldn't wanna see you after what happened, what you want to cause more pain and hurt than you did first time around?"

Navid shook his head vehemently, "Look I know what I said was wrong at the time but things have changed…I need to see them to tell them what really happened."

Teddy raised an eyebrow questioningly, "Your Uncle was stealing money and you blamed Dixon and fired him, then you and Silver broke up because she took his side and you were practically having an affair with your slutty Secretary Navid. What more is there?" Navid gave him a hopeful look and Teddy rolled his eyes, he might as well hear what he had to say.

"Dixon was the one stealing the money, he just stole a lot more of it than I first realized, my Uncle transferred some money to my sister's trust fund like I asked him to…the irregularities were the money Dixon was taking out," Navid said slowly and calmly, "he is the one lying and I don't know why but Teddy this wasn't just money to pay the bills or whatever…this was like serious money…half a million dollars? Even in Beverly Hills for an Apartment the size of Dixon's that'd pay the Bills for like a few years."

"What are you thinking?" Teddy prodded.

"I don't know…I think…maybe it's drugs I'm not sure…he started going to a lot of parties up in the Hills…people are mixed up in a lot up there," Navid continued almost imperceptibly in case anyone was listening into their conversation, "something's wrong and he's in over his head."

Teddy nodded, "Look, you go, I'll pass on your regards…I'll look through things." Navid nodded and left, reluctantly but at least with a foot back in the door. Teddy didn't think Navid would go to the trouble of dreaming up a fantasy for them to believe, but then again he wasn't quite sure what lengths Navid would go to get back Silver…his time with Adrianna and subsequently with Silver had taken an effect upon him. He could become very attached to people and then drop them the next day…there was now continuity in his behaviour. He turned as Ivy came back with Silver, "He's gone." He caught sight of Dixon at the end of the corridor, a wary expression in his face, like a wounded animal knowing the predators are closing in.

.

"Guess you're still mad at Navid right?" Dixon looked up as he pressed angrily at the button on the coffee machine again, willing it to actually make a cup of coffee while trying to ignore the question, he felt uncomfortable around Teddy, more than he had been recently: Navid had said something, and Teddy had taken it in and was trying to understand it, in relation to the Dixon he knew, Dixon could feel life slowing down around him – the next few moments would decide whether he made it through this, or whether he was rumbled.

"Not mad as such just…a little annoyed…I don't really know how to be around him anymore after what happened between us," Dixon tried to gauge how Teddy was reacting to what he was saying, nothing seemed to have fazed him yet, "things are getting pretty stressful…with Ivy…and me not having a job…and now Annie and Liam…things are just hard…and Navid will just add more unnecessary drama to my life."

Teddy nodded, "Is it just that or is it something more Dixon?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dixon asked turning away from him, he couldn't even look at Teddy right now.

"Nothing I just want to help."

"Yeah well don't." Dixon moved away along the corridor and blazed past Silver turning away from him and out the building, she looked at Teddy, mildly puzzled but he could also see the puzzlement turning into concern on her part.

"Did you two just have a fight?" She quizzed perceptibly.

"No…nothing like that," he shrugged, "I spoke to Navid earlier when he was here."

"What'd he say this time? He was grovelling to Ade the other die…all this crap about wanting to be friends again and move past everything…being sorry…I've heard everything before what he did was…unforgivable Teddy…I don't care if I don't ever talk to him again…I'm seriously done with him and all his drama…I don't even know what I saw with him." Silver looked at Teddy searchingly and deciphered he knew something more, "Tell me what's wrong?"

"Navid thinks…he thinks Dixon did take the money and that he used it to pay for drugs or something," Silver's face looked incredulous but she didn't speak out as Teddy motioned her to stay quiet, "he says that his Uncle did take some money but he put it into his sister's trust fund which they'd agreed and Dixon took a lot of money on top of that…like more than enough money Silver, not just something to pay the electricity bill or whatever."

"How much are we talking?" Silver quizzed, she wouldn't have trusted Navid but Teddy seemed both sincere and convinced, and that was enough for her.

"Navid said half a million dollars Silver."

"That isn't drugs money," she dismissed, "this is a lot worse than a drug habit."

"What are you thinking?"

"Do you remember when he used to gamble a lot, back in Junior Year? When he used to get loans of you to pay for it?" Teddy nodded and the fact of the situation crystallized in his mind, "I think he must have gotten back into it somehow…or maybe he's in debt to someone for something else…you know what leave this with me…I'll talk to him…he's probably already a little wary of you and even though I don't think it is drugs, if is then he might be a little jumpy."

Teddy nodded, conceding control of the situation to her.

.

Ivy eased onto the balcony of the Apartment she shared with Dixon, he was sat on the lounger looking out toward the vast, blue, deep ocean, and somehow she knew the conversation wasn't going to end well, she hadn't wanted to hear what Silver had said, anymore than she'd wanted to acknowledge that Dixon had become more erratic and argumentative in the past few weeks. Something had sparked it all and she was almost sure she was going to hear it now, and that was what she was afraid off.

"So I talked to Silver today…who spoke to Teddy…who spoke to Navid," she said settling on the lounger beside him, he sat up on his chair upright at that, "so is there anything you want to tell me…and I mean it isn't like I'm gonna judge you or anything…I can deal with it just…confide in me…and then we can get you help and no-one else has to know about it, not Silver, not Teddy not anyway – our little secret." She reached out to touch his hand but he batted it away. "Alright Dixon then let's just dive in at the deep end, you stole half a million dollars off Navid, lied about it, convinced everyone that he was the bad guy in all this – when you were in the wrong. I haven't seen that half a million dollars, I know you didn't use it to pay our Bills because I did, we haven't bought a new car or moved house or anything so I'm left wondering what did you do with it Dixon? Is it drugs, do you have a Coce habit or something? Because I need this out of the way because my life is already stressful enough without you…without you falling by the way side as well!"

"It's not drugs," he shouted back at her, he moved into the apartment and yelled angrily, taking a swipe at the things on the table and hurling them onto the floor, smashing glasses and plates, Ivy looked at him nervously from the balcony, she was so glad that Naomi was coming to check that everything was alright, "Ivy I…I," he sounded calmer now, "I got into gambling but got…in way over my head…and I couldn't pay the debt to the guy, so I stole the money from Navid to pay for the debt…but that…it only covered half of it," she could feel herself getting more worried, "I needed money fast so…I…well I mentioned Teddy had a lot of money, you know…and they said they'd take care of it. So they sent someone to stake out his House, and they saw his car pull out…except…it wasn't Teddy driving that night…it was Marco and…and they needed the money and he didn't have any…and they couldn't have any…loose…ends."

Ivy dropped to the floor in tears, clutching at her sides, so completely repulsed with him in that moment, so venomous with fury…she couldn't even believe it, "When you say someone…Dixon…someone staked out the house…who was…who," she looked in his eyes and she knew, "oh God," she looked at him coldly and hard, "you…you killed Marco…it was you, that's why his car ended up back at the Hospital."

"I was trying to-"

Ivy started crying again and ran to the apartment door, slamming it behind her and sprinting down the stairs, she spotted Naomi's car pulling in and ran to the BMW, slipping into the door in tears and allowing herself to fall into a comforting hug from Naomi who she noticed cast her head toward the door of their apartment, surveying what had happened. Everything was wrong. Everything was awful. She had been living with a murderer.

.

"You're awake," Teddy greeted Liam, looking at his friend lying calmly in the bed, "how does it feel, your head still a little…painful?" He nodded, "That'll be the anaesthetic, the Doctor said you'd be a little disorientated for a few hours."

"Annie…where's…is she fine?" Liam looked at Teddy with the most frightened eyes he'd ever seen.

"She's…in another room," Teddy said dodging the question but Liam reached up and grabbed his hand and then fell back on his bed, in pain, drifting back into sleep, Teddy stood up and left the room, standing next to Adrianna who'd just emerged from Annie's room, looking drawn and tired, "he just came around and then went back under."

Adrianna nodded, "He wanted to see her didn't he?" Teddy nodded and Adrianna brought a hand to her mouth, "How do you tell someone that their wife is…on the verge of slipping into a coma she might never wake up from?" Teddy didn't have an answer he just hugged Adrianna as she started sobbing and looked toward Liam's sleeping body. Somehow things had become dark, so very dark, and no-one had noticed. No-one.

.

Hope you liked my third 90210 2012 fic,

Reviews and responses welcome and appreciated,

Acrobat

X