Chapter 91

Gettin' Outta Dodge

Kate POV

"Ana, let's head up to the room ourselves and let them deal with whatever is going on." I whisper to her.

Ana nods and we motion to Alex that we're going up. He nods slightly and we walk away and head to the elevators. As we're walking, I look at Ana, "Holy shit! Alex is really upset with Rhi. I pause for a moment, "To be honest, he has every right to be. I'm pretty upset with her too. She really has no concern for her health does she?"

Ana looks back at me, sadness apparent in her eyes. I can already tell what she's thinking before it even leaves her mouth. "Kate, we can't be so hard on her. You know what she went through, and you know WHY she reacted and lashed out the way she did. Alex doesn't. He's completely in the dark here. You have to remember, just a few hours ago he found out she was physically hurt in the past; horrendously. He has no idea about everything that happened to her. He doesn't know what he should or shouldn't do or say."

I sigh, "Ana, yes I know and totally agree with you. No matter what happens between the two of them, we'll be there to pick up the pieces, as always. That's not about to change. No matter how much we disagree with her."

Ana stops, reaching out and stopping me with her hand. "Kate, she snapped and I can already tell she feels guilty about the whole thing. I only hope Alex won't say or do something to hurt her." She sounds concerned but continues, "I don't think he will but I think he just found out the hard way that she's extremely stubborn and has a quick temper. I hope he's prepared for that." I can't help but laugh at that because it's totally the truth. He's in for the ride of his life with her.

The attendant waiting by the elevator isn't the usual one so we don't greet him like we would the other gentleman. When the elevator arrives, we step inside and wait for it to reach our floor. We're silent, the only sound coming from the elevator rising.

Ana breaks the silence, "Kate, I'm going to do something you're not going to like but I think it's necessary." She remains focused on one of the doors to the elevator.

I'm focused on the control panel when I reply, "I was thinking the same thing."

"I'm glad we're on the same wavelength. It makes things a lot easier." She chuckles and I nod, forgetting she isn't looking.

"I'm going to call Elliot when we get back and maybe take a shower. I want to see how he is and if there are any updates on the situation back home." I say, "Something tells me that Rhi and Alex will need some alone time."

"I totally agree with you. I just hope we don't have to play referee." She laughs, "We don't have a penalty box."

"No penalty box means they'd just get ejected from the game. Both of them. One for roughing and the other for fighting." I laugh along with her at the image.

"Hmm, I'm pretty sure Rhi would be called for roughing." I pause for a moment before asking, "Hey Ana?"

"What?" She asks.

I'm not sure exactly how to approach the subject so I take a moment to calm myself. "Are you going to reach out to Christian or just wait until we get home?"

Ana doesn't hesitate to respond. "ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

I'm surprised at her outburst and how quick it was. "Uh… What do you mean?" I'm a little concerned because I know how she feels about him and it almost sounds like done.

She turns to face me, the anger simmering in her eyes, "Kate, I don't think I'm ready to talk to him right now. I'm so angry with him! This whole mess is HIS fault!" She shouts.

Thank god there isn't anyone else in here with us. They'd be deaf and frightened. Her face is so red from anger it's frightening. If it could actually happen, steam would be coming out her ears. I'd hate to be Grey when we get back. He's fucked.

"If it wasn't for him and his paranoia, possessive and controlling issues we wouldn't be in this mess." She snaps. "Rhi is hurt because of him. Rhi's broken down more than ONCE because of him. Rhi's had to endure more than she should because of HIM!"

I'm not about to say something to piss her off any more than she already is so I bite my tongue. Wait until Elliot hears about this.

"Elliot told you they are here to 'protect' us. I find that hard to believe. I think he's just mad because I left and didn't tell him. He doesn't own me and he'll be lucky if I even talk to him again." She's clenching her fists and I'll admit, I'm kind of worried. Though I'd love to see Grey get slapped I think Ana would regret it.

The elevator stops on our floor and the doors slide open. "Ana, try to calm down." I tell her lowering my voice. "Getting pissed isn't going to help in this matter." I grip her upper arm and lead her down the hallway. "Come on, let's go have a drink and talk about things."

She nods and we're silent for the remainder of our trek to our door. I half expect the other door to pop open but nothing happens. Thank god. I can't handle any more drama tonight.

Once we're in the room I head straight to the kitchen and pull a Rhi, grabbing two tumblers and the bottle of Patron. "Jeeze, Ana. Rhi really is a bad influence." I laugh raising the bottle and glasses to show her.

She laughs, "You're just now figuring this out? She's the main reason we get into trouble. We're either bailing her out of stuff or she's dragging us into something. There's never a dull moment with her."

Setting the tumblers on the breakfast bar I fill them and smile at Ana, "Only half."

We laugh as Ana says, "Thank god."

Ana raises her glass in a toast, "Here's to hoping we make it through the night without any bloodshed." I laugh and clink my glass with hers.

She has no idea how accurate that statement is. It's time to come clean about everything I know.

"Ana, let me tell you what I know about this whole situation. Elliot's been keeping me in the loop." She nods silently.

"Ana, the first day we were here, when we ran into Luke and the other guys, Grey and Taylor were all on Grey's plane. They were on their way here." I paused to see if she would react but her face remains blank. "From what Elliot told me, Grey was insisting on bringing you home as soon as he found you."

Once those words left my mouth she definitely reacted.

"Let me get this straight, Christian was on his way here, to Vegas, while I'm on vacation, to forcibly take me back to Seattle?" Her face mimics her words, trying to confirm what she just heard.

"That's what Elliot told me. He gave the excuse he was worried…"

She cuts me off with a laugh before I could finish. "Ha! That's fucking hilarious! He was worried? The only thing he was worried about was him not being able to control a damn thing." She finishes her drink and pours another one.

Oh god, she's turning into Rhi.

She snorts, "Kate, he's not worried. He's mad because I never told him I was leaving. He's only worried that he'll have no control about what I'm doing or who I'm doing it with."

She has a point. We've never told anyone about Rhi and we did just kind of leave. Elliot knew but this is exactly why we never told anyone.

"Kate, this is beyond stalking. He's worse than Luke with Rhi! He sent us 'protection' that we never asked for. The protection that Rhi ended up needing protection FROM. That's a fucking joke and a fucking LIE." She takes a drink, this time not downing the whole thing before continuing. "So, he's using that excuse to make him feel better instead of admitting he needed to know where we were so he could find us easily and fly us home."

This is not going to go down well. "Elliot told me he was mad you just left and never told him. He also told me that Rhi is part of that anger." I cringe when she slams her glass down on the bar and it shatters. The look on her face must mirror mine because she looks like a gaping fish and I feel like one.

"OOPS!" She laughs as she stands up to get something to clean the shards up with. "At least Rhi wasn't here to see the alcohol abuse."

"I think we should be thankful Rhi isn't here to hear this conversation." I say, getting up to get another glass for her.

"What the fuck does Rhi have to do with this?" She asks.

I look at her skeptically, raising an eyebrow, but remaining silent.

"OK so that's a stupid question." She sighs, "Which makes this even worse."

"Ana, I think Taylor has had a lot of influence over Grey's actions." I pause. I really don't want to have this conversation.

"Kate, you know how protective we are when it comes to her. She's none of his business." I watch as she refills her glass, smiling. "Which is one reason why we never told anyone about her."

I nod, "You're right. She's none of his business. Unfortunately, now they know about her. They don't know anything about her but they are aware of her existence." I sigh, "Elliot's done what he can to protect her but I don't know what's going to happen from here." I pause, "So, what's going to happen now? Are you going to talk to him?"

She responds quickly. "NOPE." Popping the 'P.' I don't want to talk to him now and have him hide behind a phone. I want to see him, face to face, to have this discussion. I want to see his reaction." She gives me a wicked grin, "Then, and only then, will I be able to tell the truth. I'm angry. BEYOND angry. But that asshole isn't going to ruin the rest of the time I have here with you and Rhi."

I'm surprised, to be honest, that she's not calling him immediately. I'm curious about what she's thinking and I'm about to ask, she interrupts me.

"So…" She starts and I cringe. She looks at me, "Kate, please, just tell me what you know."

I take a deep breath and tell her everything, from Grey freaking out when he found out we were here, finding out about Rhi, and Elliot not telling him anything.

She doesn't say anything for a minute or so before she asks, "So tell me about Taylor."

I actually laugh before I start. "Taylor is super pissed because he and Welch can't find any information on Rhi. You and I both know why that is." I laugh again. "Personally, I think it's hilarious that the mighty duo of Taylor and Welch can't get any information other than a driver's license. Basically, Grey is flying blind."

Ana chuckles, "Yeah, I've heard scary things about those two finding everything about anyone. Rhi's locked down tight right next to Hoffa. It'll never be found."

Continuing, I remind her, "Like I said before, Grey isn't happy you didn't tell him we were coming here and he's definitely not happy he's never heard about Rhi either." She rolls her eyes and I continue. "Remember I told you that Grey actually flew here to get you? We were at the Thunder show when Elliot text me. Somehow, he was able to convince Grey that if he stepped off the plane you would be pissed and leave, never looking back." I shrug, "Apparently he cares for you more than he lets on because he turned around and flew back home."

Refilling my glass, I lift up the bottle to Ana in question. She nods and holds out her glass for a refill. "Unfortunately, Grey, Taylor and Elliot all went back but left the other guys here to do their CPO thing. Luke ended up getting obsessed with Rhi, as we both know, and apparently Ryan and Reynolds have been trying to keep him under control. Ha! That's like stuffing a gorilla in a bird cage." I laugh hard at the image I conjure up in my mind.

Ana laughs too then asks, "So, we shouldn't be as mad at Ryan and Reynolds as the others then?"

Shaking my head, "We should still be mad at them because they were here and couldn't keep control of Luke. You are right, though, maybe not AS mad at them. We don't know the whole story though."

Taking another drink, I inform her of the most recent turn of events. "Elliot told me Taylor is supposed to arrive tomorrow morning to take care of things and hopefully will take them all away from here. According to Taylor, I've spoken with him briefly, Luke has gotten past whatever his funk was and is meeting with Grey's psychiatrist to figure his shit out."

Ana snorts, "Yeah right! Like that's going to happen? He seemed like a nice guy the few times I met him." She takes a drink, "I never would have pegged him for a stalker. However, this is Rhi we're talking about."

I laugh, "Yeah, she seems to be a magnet for the crazies. Never a dull moment with her! Anyway, after Rhi broke her hand, I lost it and threatened to expose them by involving my dad." I chuckle when her eyes widen in shock. She knows I don't like to pull strings with connections. "I may or may not have threatened Elliot that if she regressed that I'd leave him."

She inhales sharply, "Kate! You didn't!"

Staring at her I nod, "Hell yes I did. Do you really think I'd leave Rhi vulnerable, someone I've known my whole life, for someone I just met? No matter how much I love him? You're crazy if you think that." I take another drink and wait for realization to kick in for her. "Ana, I've told him numerous times that we've worked too hard with her to get to where she is today and won't risk anyone fucking that up. Him included."

She looks just as shocked to hear it as I am saying it. I love Elliot with all my heart but I'm willing to give him up for Rhi. She's the reason we're here. Elliot loves her and I know he's doing whatever he can but he can only do so much, especially when he's not being listened to.

"I'm sorry for keeping things from you, but Elliot and I were trying to protect you from Grey too. He really has some issues with control, jealousy and insecurities, not to mention the DOM/SUB thing. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone, I promise. Elliot doesn't even know. It goes to my grave with me." I sit and wait for her to respond and the seconds tick by slowly.

Ana is looking at the glass in her hand and downs the rest of it. When she looks at me she holds it out to me. "Fill her up! My god, Rhi is rubbing off onto us! How many have we had now?" She asks.

I shrug as I top off our glasses. "I have no idea but this is my last one. I can't do anymore."

She laughs, "You know that's a lie. When Rhi comes back she's going to want one and she'll force us to. Now, shall we toast or slam?"

Before I can say anything, she adds, "I think we need to toast and slam. To true friends that watch out for each other no matter what. Rhi is the invisible person here because she'd agree and will do the same for us." We toast and empty our glasses in more than one gulp.

Ana makes a face, "Man, I don't know how Rhi can drink one of these in one shot. She definitely has some drinking skills we need to learn if we're going to be hanging out with her." She looks at me, "We really do need to spend more time with her when we go back home. It'll be our chance to drink more and get her to drink less."

Nodding in agreement, I add, "I agree. We've been so focused on our lives that we're missing out on a lot of fun things with her." I feel sad all of a sudden, "I hope she doesn't feel like we've abandoned her."

Ana shakes her head. "She doesn't think that. She's got her own life. No, we don't spend a lot of time with her but she's like that. She likes to disappear and when she wants to be found she just shows up out of nowhere with no explanations of where she was. I'm surprised she hasn't disappeared here because of all this shit that's been happening."

I get up go to the fridge and pull out a couple of bottles of water, handing one to Ana. "I can hear Rhi now telling us to drink water so we might as well." I laugh. "See? We've learned something!"

"What do you think is going to happen with Rhi and Alex?" Ana asks, watching me take a drink.

I sigh, "I'm not sure what will happen. Hell, I don't even know what happened tonight. All I know is it got really ugly really quick. You and I both know she's got a temper and it was quite obvious that Alex does too. That's not always a good thing."

"It may sound wrong but it's good to see her temper coming out. She's been so suppressed since…" Ana stops and shakes her head. "She has been the complete opposite of who she really is so I personally think the temper is a good sign of her coming back."

I look at Ana, "Believe me, I totally understand. I wish this vacation was a lot different, with more fun and laughter, like normal. It's been so stressful and tense and emotional, but maybe that's a good thing. Maybe this will help Rhi get past some things and become stronger. I've already seen her old personality emerge, especially her temper. It's not a GOOD temper, but it's a sign she's in there and fighting to come out." I pause before asking this next question. "So what are your thoughts on Alex?" I ask, curious about her thoughts.

She sighs, "Alex seems like a nice guy, almost TOO nice. No one is that perfect. I just have an uncomfortable feeling that there's something lying under the surface. Something that's hidden. I can't describe it but maybe it's all the bullshit Jace caused."

I look at her, my eyes wide, "Are you serious? You actually think he's hiding something?"

She sighs, "I don't know Kate, maybe. I think it's mainly from all the memories dredged up about Jace. He's really done a number on Rhi, not to mention you and me."

I nod but I'm totally blown away with her thoughts. I never pegged Alex to hide something. I'll have to pay more attention.

"Do you still think we should encourage a relationship or let it go?" I ask.

She sighs, "I think we should just give her support when she needs it. If she wants to have a relationship with him, we support it. If she wants to shut things down when we leave, we support it. It has to be her decision."

"Do you think they could pull off a long-distance relationship?" I ask again, confused.

She snorts. "I think it's highly unlikely that Rhi would be able to. She's got her own life back home that she enjoys." She pauses, "You see how Alex reacts when she talks about the things she does back home. Things WE aren't even aware of."

She's got a good point. "True. He's not the happiest person when she's talking about going out all the time." I agree, "She can't seem to shut her mouth about it though. If she could things wouldn't be so bad. Maybe."

"Kate, it's not just that. She can't just leave her job whenever she wants either. Remember the hoops we have jump through to get her off for the week? Without interruption?" She asks. "Every year we do the same thing and we still have to struggle. Do you honestly think they're just going to say, 'Sure, go whenever and wherever you want. No big deal.' You and I both know that's never going to happen."

"Touche." I laugh, "I guess that's a drawback of needing your information locked down so tight. You can't just go wherever and whenever you want. There are too many protocols that have to be followed."

I finish my water and stand up. "I'm going to take a shower and get comfortable. I don't know how long it will take for them to come back but I don't want to take too long. Go take a shower in hers so we can be done faster." Ana nods in agreement and we split off to shower.