The crisp coolness of the early morning is already burning off as Aurie walks down the street toward Community General Hospital. Her feet keep a steady pace, but her mind is miles away.
Having deliberately hopped off the bus several stops early, she weaves through pedestrian traffic with yesterday's events weighing heavily on her mind.
Meeting Steve wasn't pleasant, and he confused her. First, he's giving her the third degree but doesn't hesitate later in helping her with Camaro Creep before finally giving her a ride. She doesn't like not knowing where she stands with people.
She also worries about Mark and isn't looking forward to facing him so soon. Yesterday she succeeded in avoiding him by convincing the nurses to let her into his office to get her bag then got the hell out of there before he came back from lunch.
Stifling a yawn, she acknowledges she can't avoid him. It isn't fair to him. Plus, all the blood draws for the paternity test are scheduled for later this morning. She is going to see him regardless and face whatever the consequences may be. She doesn't think one of those will be Mark deciding not to take the test. It's always possible, but she got the feeling he isn't that petty and follows through on his promises.
Plus, she feels right defending herself against Steve who was being a jerk. She kept herself from going off and cussing him out worse than what she did. The situation didn't get nearly as bad as it could've. However, it confuses her why her stomach is twisted into knots at seeing Mark until she finally figures out that it's the idea she had upset him that bothers her more than she wants to admit.
Entering the hospital, she finds it weird she's stressing over that of all things. She's gotten over caring about what people think of her a long time ago. No one ever gave her much credit and was unlikely to change their opinion, much less bother to try.
Yet despite her best efforts, Mark managed to get under her skin. She wanted to keep him at a safe distance, to be a temporary friend she'd promise to write to but never will. However, she's been thinking of ways to keep in touch. Not only is he fun to hang out with but seems to be a great listener.
Besides, it's better to get back into his good graces. She'll have to kill time waiting for the test results and he can help with that. Not to mention there's no one else.
She's annoyed at stifling another yawn. Doesn't help that she had a shitty night, but she can deal with it. She'll just snag a cup of coffee or two at some point.
Hesitantly she walks up the hallway toward Mark's office. Stopping just outside the open door, she watches Mark sit at his desk engrossed in reading the file in his hand. Reluctantly she reaches up and knocks on the doorframe.
Looking up, Mark's surprised expression gives way to relief. Removing his glasses and dropping them onto the desk, he swiftly crosses the room to stand in front of her. Reaching up, he gently grasps her shoulders and visually checks her over.
"Are you all right? Steve told me what happened yesterday."
It takes a moment for Aurie to find her voice. This is not the reaction she expected.
"Uh, no, I'm fine."
"Oh, well, that's a relief," Mark smiles gently. He gestures with his left hand to the guest chairs. "I'm glad you stopped by. I think we need to talk."
Holding his serious gaze, Aurie nods.
"Kinda figured that."
Crossing the room and easing back into his seat, Mark patiently waits for her. She spends a few moments staring at her hands resting in her lap before taking a deep breath and meeting his eyes.
"I'm sorry about yesterday," she quietly begins, struggling to hold his patient stare despite there being no hint of anger. "I didn't mean to lose my temper and let things escalate like that. But I'm not sorry for what I said to Steve," she reluctantly admits. "Maybe I could've said it all better, but I was being honest. And I'm sorry for ruining lunch." Quietly she adds, "And our day."
Mark studies the teenager in front of him for a moment before speaking.
"Aurie, I appreciate you owning your responsibility in the argument. And I don't want you to ever apologize whenever you speak what you feel is the truth." He pauses, waiting for her to meet his gaze again. "However, there is a time and place for everything. And there is no need to get defensive whenever someone starts asking you questions you don't like."
"Yes sir," Aurie quietly replies.
Looking down at her hands again she takes a deep breath to compose herself. She has no idea why, but she feels like crying at the shame she feels. As usual, she doesn't let herself. It's pathetic she's feeling this way. Especially for a total stranger she normally wouldn't give a rat's ass about.
"Aurie, look at me."
Hesitantly she looks up, seeing his soft expression.
"I'm not angry with you. I'm sure you have your reasons, but sometimes it's okay to let your guard down a little. Especially among friends." He gives her a reassuring smile. "No one is trying to hurt you. Especially not Steve."
"But he didn't have to…" she begins to protest.
"I don't agree with how he behaved either," Mark gently cuts her off. "But I understand why. And I'm sure you understand his reasons too," he points out, arching a brow.
Aurie swallows and nods her head.
"He was trying to protect you." Briefly, her gaze drops to the desktop as her mouth quirks into a wry smile. "Just like a good son should."
"That he is," Mark agrees with a proud smile.
"Just so you know," she earnestly begins, trying to make him understand. "I don't hate Steve. I-I just…it's just…"
"I know," Mark raises his hand, stopping her. "There are some things you're obviously not ready to share yet." With a sigh, he leans back into his chair. "Aurie, as much as we want to protect ourselves from the world, we can't just shut ourselves off completely. It's impossible. Not to mention, unhealthy. Holding everything in is only going to hurt you, not help you. As hard as it is, it's sometimes worth the risk to let others get close to you. You'll find the rewards far outweigh the risks."
He pauses, letting his words sink in.
"Look, I'm not pushing you to share your secrets," Mark continues. "I just want you to know that as your friend I'm here for you whenever you're ready and need someone to talk to."
Aurie digests everything he says before giving him a soft smile.
"Thanks, Dr. Sloan."
"Mark," he corrects with a smile.
"Mark," she nods.
Relieved, Mark picks up his glasses and slips them on.
"Well, I'm glad we've settled that." He picks up the folder from his desk. "I just need to finish looking over these reports before we can head over to the phlebotomy lab."
"Okay."
Aurie welcomes the delay. It gives her time to think. It amazes her how much Mark picks up on. She wonders if she's that obvious. She's distracted when she notices Mark digging through his desk drawers.
"Lose something?"
"No. I'm looking for binder clips and it appears I'm all out," Mark replies, shutting the last drawer.
"Want me to get you some? I mean, if there's a supply closet I can find them," she offers, eager to do something nice for him.
"Yeah. That'd be great. I can finish reading this other report while you're gone. Check at the nurses' station. I only need three for now and can get more later."
"Be right back," Aurie nods, getting up to carry out her mission.
Approaching the nurses' station, Aurie sees they seem pretty busy. An Asian nurse is on the phone and she's likely the one to ask. Knowing getting the clips isn't urgent, she leans on the counter to patiently wait.
Minutes later a man emerges from the elevator nearby with a large gold envelope tucked under his arm and approaches the circular desk. Aurie notes the dark-skinned man is dressed in a suit but doesn't carry himself like a businessman. Like Steve, he gives off a 'cop' vibe. It's confirmed when she catches a glimpse of the badge clipped to his belt. It becomes obvious patience isn't his strong suit as he keeps trying to get the attention of the nurse on the phone who is obviously on an important call.
Finally, the nurse ends the call, returning the handset to the cradle and looking at Aurie.
"Can I help you?"
"I need to leave this for Detective Sloan," the man interrupts.
Annoyed, the nurse glares at him.
"She was here first," she inclines her head towards Aurie.
"Look, miss…"
"Nurse Daniels," she interrupts without missing a beat.
"I don't care if you're Nurse Ratched, I need to leave this for Det. Sloan who is supposed to be meeting his dad, Dr. Sloan, in," he pauses to check his watch. "A half-hour."
If looks could kill the man would be a smoking scorch mark on the floor. Loving the exchange, Aurie silently roots for the nurse.
"Then you should've given it to him earlier," she responds unperturbed. "You can leave it here, but I'm very busy and can't guarantee how soon I can give it to Dr. Sloan."
"I have court in an hour! And he wanted this background check as soon as it came in!" he protests.
"Sounds like you have a dilemma," Nurse Daniels replies dismissively before turning back to Aurie. "Yes?"
"Dr. Sloan needs at least three binder clips, please," she immediately replies, not wanting to get on this woman's bad side.
"What size?" Nurse Daniels asks, opening a drawer.
"Oh. He didn't say." At Nurse Daniels' glare, Aurie quickly adds, "Medium?"
Without another word, she hands Aurie five clips and closes the drawer before turning to answer another phone call.
"Thanks," Aurie replies even though the nurse is no longer paying any attention to her. The cop stops her as she turns to head back to Dr. Sloan's office.
"Are you going to see Dr. Sloan right now?"
"Uh, yeah," she answers, sliding the clips into her pocket before she drops them.
"Here."
He shoves the envelope into her hand and starts walking back to the elevator.
"Wait! Is this something important? Should I even have it?" she calls out when her brain registers what he did.
"No. Just on some kid, not a case he's working on. He just wanted it fast," he explains before disappearing into the elevator.
Aurie stares at the envelope in her hand. Nothing is written on the outside and it's not sealed. She can't help wondering if the contents are on her. The timing is too coincidental. Plus, would Steve waste his time digging up info on her? Maybe, since he's so protective of his father. Absentmindedly she drifts down the hallway back to Mark's office, becoming angry that Steve would check her background. She's asking for a paternity test, not a job.
Stopping at a bathroom located a short way down the hallway, she debates on peeking. If it's on her, she's got a good idea of what will be in it. It's also not confidential or that cop should've given it to Steve himself. Feeling she has a right to know, she ducks into the bathroom.
Mark looks up when Aurie returns. Digging into her pocket, she fishes out the binder clips and hands them over.
"Thank you!"
"You're welcome," she replies, plopping back into a chair.
Scattering the clips on his desk, he clips several folders together. Glancing up, he notices the envelope in her hands.
"Is that for me?"
Startled, Aurie automatically glances down at the envelope.
"Kinda. When I was getting the clips, a cop stopped by and was being a jerk to Nurse Daniels because he was in a hurry. She wasn't having it, which was fun to watch."
"It is as long as you're not on the receiving end of her glares. Trust me on that one," Mark chuckles in amusement.
"Yeah, saw that," Aurie grins. "Anyways, he heard me ask for the clips then asked if I was going to see you. When I said yes, he shoved the envelope at me, saying to give it to you to give to Steve."
"That almost sounds like a Dr. Suess rhyme," he chuckles as Aurie hands him the envelope. "Did he say what's in it?"
"Not really. Said it was something Steve asked for in a hurry."
Catching something in her tone, Mark cocks his head quizzically at her.
"Aurie, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
Not convinced, he arches a brow.
"You seem tense."
"Oh," Aurie replies, not sure what to say. "I guess it's this whole blood draw thing. I'm hoping I'll get some answers, but still nervous about actually finding out. Especially if it turns out my dad is a porn producer," she rolls her eyes.
Mark can't resist laughing.
"That's certainly understandable."
Mark calms and refocuses on his reports. He's got a feeling there's more going on than she's admitting but acknowledges they did just have an emotionally charged conversation.
Aurie's relieved he's not pushing for a better answer. She's trying hard to get over her anger at Steve.
Minutes later, Mark starts gathering together the reports and nearly includes the envelope in the pile. Picking it up he hands it to Aurie.
"I know I'm the one who's supposed to give this to Steve, but I'm going to mix it in with these by mistake. Please hang onto it until we see him."
"Okay," she reluctantly agrees, not wanting to be the one to give it to Steve.
"It's almost eleven. We should get going then," Mark states, glancing at his watch.
Gathering the files into his hands, he gets up and leads Aurie out of the office.
Arriving at the reception desk with Aurie a short time later, Mark smiles to see Steve is there waiting for them.
"Hey, Dad. Aurie," Steve greets them with a nod.
"Hi," Aurie quietly greets back.
"Has Spencer or Lawrence arrived yet?" Mark asks.
"Don't know. I just got here."
A nurse at the reception desk interjects.
"You're all here for the eleven a.m. blood draw, right, Dr. Sloan?"
"Yes, Aileen, we are."
"Well, Mr. Davis came in earlier and we already took his sample."
"He didn't waste any time, did he?" Steve comments.
"Probably didn't have time. He's usually pretty sociable," Mark muses thoughtfully. Laying a hand on Aurie's shoulder, he turns back to Aileen. "This is the young lady we're doing the base testing on."
"All right," Aileen smiles at Aurie. "Follow me. There's a couple of forms I need you to fill out then we'll take your sample."
Aurie nods before remembering the envelope in her hands.
"Oh, an officer dropped this off at the nurses' station for you," she explains, handing it over to Steve.
"Did he say anything when he left it?" he asks in surprise as he takes it.
"Not really. He wasn't getting anywhere annoying Nurse Daniels. Then he heard me asking for binder clips for Mark and shoved it at me saying it was on some kid and you wanted it fast," she shrugs indifferently before promptly following the nurse into the other room.
Steve gapes after her. The gears in his head spin as he glances down at the envelope he's anxiously tapping into his other hand. Arching a brow at the odd exchange, Mark easily picks up on his son's tension.
"What was that about?"
"I called in a favor and asked Dante to run a background check on Aurie," Steve reluctantly admits, peeking into the envelope. "And these are the results," he confirms.
"Why would you do that?" Mark asks in surprise.
Steve gives Mark a look.
"Because she's Amalia Acevedes' kid showing up out of nowhere to ask for a paternity test," he explains as if it should be obvious. "And she wasn't giving us a whole lot of information."
"So, after lunch yesterday you ran a check on her?" Mark asks, incredulous.
"Um, no. I requested it before that," Steve hesitantly answers, scratching behind his ear. Before Mark can express his disapproval, he continues. "If she was clean then I wouldn't have gotten anything, Dad. This proves she's got a record," he points out, holding up the envelope for emphasis.
"And that's important, how?"
Before Steve can respond, Aileen reappears.
"We can take your samples while she finishes her paperwork, Dr. Sloan."
"Thanks, Aileen."
Giving his son a look, he follows her into another room with Steve reluctantly trailing behind.
Several minutes later Aurie emerges after completing the paperwork they needed and getting her blood drawn. Deciding to wait for Mark, she takes a seat in the small waiting area near the reception desk. She keeps thinking about Steve running a background check on her. At first, she was surprised he did that, then she was mad, but the more she thinks about it she decides it doesn't matter what the fuck he thinks. She never killed anyone and can't undo what she's done. He's being ridiculous in going through the trouble of checking her background. Sensing someone approaching, she looks up to see one of her least favorite people in the world, Lawrence Taylor.
"Good morning, Mr. Taylor. Thanks for showing up," she greets politely.
"Are you waiting around to make sure I do this?"
Struggling not to snap at him, she takes a calming breath.
"Nope. It was up to you to do this. I just got done with my blood draw."
"Not like you gave me much choice," he retorts.
"I didn't threaten you or hold a gun to your head," she rolls her eyes.
"Like that wasn't coming next."
Mark emerges with Steve following behind, unrolling his shirt sleeve.
"Lawrence, glad you can make it," Mark smiles in greeting.
Lawrence arches a brow in surprise before looking back at Aurie.
"You got the top Boy Scouts of California to agree to your scheme?" he asks her. Before she can answer he turns back to the two Sloans. "So, she succeeded in conning you two into doing this too?"
Aurie rolls her eyes again but decides not to bother responding.
"There was no 'conning' involved, Lawrence," Mark affably points out. "She asked nicely and we agreed to do it."
"Nicely? Sure," Lawrence snorts in disbelief.
Pulling folded papers from inside his coat pocket, he grabs a clipboard and pen off the desk and shoves them at Aurie. Looking at him briefly in confusion, she smoothes out the papers on the clipboard.
"That's from my lawyer. I'm not giving a sample until you sign that."
"And what is it you want her to sign?" Steve asks, perplexed.
"An asset protection agreement," Lawrence explains. "You boys should've done the same thing to keep her from taking you to the cleaners."
"That's going a bit overboard, isn't it?" Mark asks. "You can simply not take the test. The only thing Aurie can do in that case is to hire a lawyer to go to court and get a subpoena. That's not going anywhere near touching your finances."
"Aurie?" Lawrence asks in disbelief. "Boy, she snowed you hard if you're at nicknames already. I've worked hard for my money. I'm not going to be lazy in protecting it."
"What's this conservator part?" Aurie brusquely interrupts, eyeing Lawrence. "'Cause this doesn't sound like just protecting your money."
Steve steps over and takes the documents from her, checking the part she's referring to.
"If by an unlikely accident, you are my kid, I'd have a say in how you handle your finances," Lawrence explains.
"It's more than that," Steve points out while still reading the document. "This is saying that if Aurie is your daughter, you'll have full conservatorship." Looking at Aurie and seeing her confusion, he clarifies. "That means he'd have complete control of your finances and every decision in your life. You'd have to get his permission for whatever you want to spend your money on, no matter how minor. And get permission on where you can live, where you can travel, or what college you can attend. There's also no date as to when it would end, so if you wanted to make your own decisions even after you turned eighteen, you'd have to petition the court to end the conservatorship."
"Fuck no, I'm not signing it!" Aurie snarls, standing up to face Lawrence.
"Then I'm not giving a sample," he smugly states.
"Fine because I'm not selling my soul to Satan for it. And if it turned out you were my father, I'd just go back to Mexico," she snaps.
"You should've never left," he fires back.
Aurie glares murderously at him.
"Calm down you two," Mark interrupts before things can escalate further. "That's more than just protecting your assets, Lawrence. Aurie doesn't need that level of guardianship."
"If she's my kid I'm obligated to make sure she doesn't screw up her life and by extension mine. Especially with her mother as a factor," Lawrence snipes.
"You're not the best example of how not to screw up your life, Taylor," Steve jabs, drawing a glare from Lawrence.
The approach of two men dressed in casual business attire interrupts Lawrence's retort and he focuses on them instead.
"Are you boys from ICE?" Lawrence asks them.
The taller of the two nods.
"Are you Lawrence Taylor?" the other man asks.
"Yeah," he nods. "About time you showed up."
"Lawrence, what's going on here?" Mark asks, confused.
"Seems he decided to retaliate by calling Immigration on Aurie, Dad," Steve grimly observes.
"And you are?" the taller agent asks.
"Detective Steve Sloan, LAPD," Steve replies, pulling out his badge and showing it to them. Gesturing at Mark, he adds, "This is my father, Dr. Mark Sloan, chief of staff here."
Nodding, the two men reciprocate by showing him their badges.
"Immigration and Customs Enforcement," the shorter of the two replies. "I'm Agent Ortiz and this is Agent Thompson. We're here to investigate a report on a minor illegally here in the U.S. named Auralia Acevedes. We need to bring her in for an interview."
"She's already been working with the immigration offices in Tucson on changing her status to a legal one," Mark explains, confused. "Why do you need to question her?"
"As you pointed out, that's the Tucson office, not us," Thompson states. "We have to investigate each report and this one warrants us bringing her into custody."
"And how long would that be?" Steve asks.
"It depends on how fast the investigation concludes and if the final ruling ends up being deportation," Thompson explains.
"That's a bit harsh, isn't it?" Mark asks.
"That's the consequence of playing hardball," Lawrence retorts before either agent can answer. "She's over…" he trails off when they all look where he's gesturing to find Aurie is nowhere in sight. "Where'd the little bitch go?"
"Looks like we got a runner. Let's go downstairs," Ortiz informs his partner who nods and heads for the elevators. He turns back to Steve and Mark. Reaching into his pocket he hands Steve his business card. "If you see her, tell her it'll only make it harder if she doesn't cooperate. When she's ready, she can call that number."
Without waiting for a response, he turns to join his partner at the elevator when Lawrence comments.
"Seriously? You guys just let her pull a Houdini on you? This is what my taxes pay for?"
"I suggest you return to work, Mr. Taylor, or there might be other federal agencies becoming interested in uncomfortably scrutinizing your business and personal life," Ortiz warns.
He walks briskly toward the elevator and disappears inside with his partner.
"This is yours, Taylor," Steve states, pushing the documents he wanted Aurie to sign into his hands. "Don't think you'll be needing them anymore."
Lawrence snatches them back.
"If that little bitch doesn't get deported, tell her to stay the hell away from me or I'll have her arrested for trespassing, harassment, and whatever else I can charge her with."
With that, he stalks off to the elevators.
"I can't believe he called immigration on Aurie," Mark shakes his head. "We've got to find her first and convince her to cooperate."
"Yeah," Steve agrees. "I'll take the stairs and see if I can find her. There's no way she could've snuck by us to take the elevator and I don't think she left the hospital. If we're lucky, she'll go back to your office."
"Good idea," Mark nods. "I'll head back there. In the meantime, I'll call a judge I know who may be able to help us out." At Steve's questioning look, he adds, "We just gave samples for a paternity test. The whole point was so Aurie could find her biological father and use that to help get her citizenship. We can try to temporarily get her placed into our custody while we're waiting for the results. That will buy us more time to consult with an immigration attorney."
"Okay," Steve sighs. "I better find her before this gets any more out of hand."
Mark watches his son head in the opposite direction from the elevators before heading back to his office.