Madness Chapter 12 *this chapter will eventually be RE-edited if necessary*
Jason and Skye drove around the streets of Port Charles slowly enough that they could scan the faces of people as they passed, but fast enough that they didn't hold up traffic.
They didn't speak much, not that there was much to say, bit what was already an awkward situation was nearly excruciating.
Skye scanned the crowds, her eyes darting from unfamiliar face to unfamiliar face, all the time praying to spot AJ. Though she was terribly upset to hear about Courtney's passing, she had decided to deal with her own pain after they had found AJ and helped him. She was nervous as to what they would find and horrified by the images that popped into her head periodically with the worst-case scenarios. The more she thought about it, the more desperate she became to find AJ.
As her eyes darted from face to face her fingers nervously fidgeted with her string of silver pearls. It was a nervous she had had forever and a day that she had been doing since Jason had pulled up in front of her and Jax's town house.
"C'mon AJ, where are you?" She whispered urgently.
"I don't know, but we are going to find him." His voice, while reassuring, made her jump.
"Oh, did I say that out loud?" She laughed nervously.
He glanced at her through the corner of his eye. "It's okay, I know that you are worried about him."
" Worried?" She spat incredulously. "I'm not worried . I'm PETRAFIED. It's the middle of January, he's not dressed for mid-January temperatures, he's just lost the love of his life, the one woman in this whole G-d Forsaken town that accepts him for who he is, he's not thinking straight, and we have absolutely no idea what direction he took off in! No, Jason, I'm not the LEAST bit worried that my baby brother might freeze to death or accidentally walk out in front of a car and get hit and killed. Nope...." She snapped sarcastically. "I'm just going out of my mind here! You don't know what it's like to lose the one thing in your life that makes so much as a modicum of sense in a world that's as twisted as it is against you!" She paused when his shoulders tensed. "I'm sorry," she sighed, remembering what little of his story Alcazar had told her. "That came out wrong."
"No, no, I get what you're saying, because it's what I ask myself everyday. How is it that I managed to find someone, this beautiful woman that loves me, accepts me despite my faults, who I can genuinely love back-- and then suddenly; for no other reason than Sonny felt like it-- I'm dragged back into a life I hate , the woman I love and had just married gets herself caught up in her husbands obligations to a man she's never met and heard very little about, gets kidnapped and taken to an island that's not familiar to her, where the people that are holding her hostage carry around glocks and machetes.
"She only gets to see me when Sonny sees it fit and she hears from me even less." He paused in the midst of his own angry tirade, unsure of why he was telling her let alone anyone hear this, but it felt good, well, at least better than it had, as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
He took a deep breath and started again, this time his voice more controlled and softer than the last. "She made me believe in tomorrow, in hope, that someone, even me, could find happiness." He sighed heavily. "We went from living a dream life to living in our own personal perpetual hells in three hours, 10 minutes and 37 seconds...." He finished; Skye noticed his grip on the steering wheel was so intense that his knuckles were white.
"It's different, because my wife isn't dead and Courtney is and you don't come back from that. But, the pain, the kind of pain is different too, but it still aches, and it still hurts all the same." He added quietly after a pause.
Skye nodded, not knowing how else to respond. The she remember. "That reminds me, Jax told me to tell you that he called Jerry and that he's going to meet with Luis's men in Cube to go over the lists and maps and layouts of all of Sonny's 'secret islands' and help them search for..." She had to search her memory... "Dakota... Right?" She'd never understand what a relief it was for the truth to be out. For other people to know her name and that she existed. He relaxed a little as he turned the corner.
"Thank you." He said with a nod, as he had feared that with Courtney's death and AJ's running off that the search would be delayed. He'd been away from her too long, he was beginning to forget her scent, and that kind of scarred him. Yes, big bad Jason Morgan was afraid of forgetting his wife's scent.
"No problem." She smiled, and then turned back to the window. Good G-d AJ, where are you?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He ran through the snow like a man possessed, his eyes bleary and filled with that made it almost impossible to see through the whirling swirling snow. He didn't know what had come over him that caused him to run. All he had known was that he had to get away. It was as though he had been suffocating... Even now as the wind and snow whirled and whipped around him, throwing him off balance as he ran, he still felt as though he were suffocating...
But what?
Was it grief?
Was it madness?
Had he finally snapped?
Had the traumas of the last 24 hours finally taken the ultimate toll on him and pushed him over the proverbial edge?
In a way no: He still had his wits about him.
And in a way: yes.
He couldn't out run his own demons. He was seriously beginning be believe that everyone he touched was tainted, as though they were somehow destined to die or experience great pain.
His lovers either used him, were paid to leave him, or didn't really love him. His family life was a mess. The only half ass sane one doted on corporate raiders and mobsters.
For all intents and purpose, he had killed Jason Quartermaine, and had his own personal ghost to haunt him in the form of Jason Morgan.
His friendships, minus Skye, Azora and her "boys" were minimal, if not non-existent. And, as was his station in life, he was bound to hurt, betray, or somehow do something to make them think less of him... Eventually... It would happen he knew it would. In his own mind he believed he would eventually hurt and or forsake anyone that cared about him, except maybe Skye, as they were both cut from the same clothe.
His tears blinded him and the sobs that tore through his body caused him to double over in pain just as he tumbled through the woods. His gait, ran the in intervals between the pace of a man haunted and trying desperately to out run his nightmares, and the slow lethargic stumbling of a man who was tried, so tired, so dead, dog, tired.
He had no idea where he was, how he had gotten there, or in what direction he had originally come from or needed to go. Not to mention that to a varying degree, he didn't care anymore. And the snow wasn't helping the situation. Nor was the fact that he wasn't wearing a coat or jacket. He was freeing and the temperatures were unforgiving, and even dropping.
If he didn't find shelter soon he was going to freeze to death.
Did it matter?
Did he care?
Was there a reason for him to care?
<<<<<>>>>>>>
His heart lurched.
Michael needed him.
He loved Michael. He loved him with all of his heart. But his heart was shattered into a million fragmented little pieces.
Courtney. Was. Dead.
He stumbled over his own nearly frozen feet. He laid on the ground sobbing openly, his wounded soul open and bleeding. He didn't want to die!! But how could be live with such pain. "WHY!.... WHY GOD! WHY HER!!!!!" He sobbed looking into the whirling snowflake consumed sky. It was so white out that he couldn't even make out the inky darkness of the sky.
Involuntarily he shivered. He hadn't realized how cold it was.
"Why didn't I wear a jacket?"
Because you weren't thinking!!
"Where the HELL am I?"
GOOD QUESTION IENSTIEN!!
He got to his feet and barely made it two steps before stumbling again. This time however he didn't stumble over his own feet, this time he stumbled over something else. He looked behind him to look at what he had tripped over and gasped.
"Azora?" He breathed, his heart skipping a beat. He didn't know what happened, but he knew it wasn't good. He scrambled over to her on his hands and knees. "Oh, God." He muttered looking at her in shock. It looked as though she had collapsed... But how had she gotten out her in the first place. It looked as though she had collapsed, and her body was shivering, but her eyes weren't open, so he couldn't tell how conscious she was.
"Azora?" He breathed again, putting the palm of his hand against her cheek, his own near hypothermic state forgotten. He lifted her torso and was relieved to see her chest moving up and down rhythmically.
'I have to get her to shelter.' He thought frantically, 'but where?'
Her head lulled from side to side, a faint moan escaping her lips. "It's okay Azora, I've got you." He whispered gently as he looked around frantically trying to decide which way to go.
He hadn't the slightest where they were or where they could find shelter, but he knew it had to be quick because if not, then they were going to be human icicles before long.
Suddenly a gust of wind whipped around them almost bowling him over. He averted his eyes from the sharp wind and timidly looked up. What he saw caused him to rethink his entire mental health. It could have been a mirage, or a sign of shock, or early on set dementia but it was as though the wind was carving a path out of the blizzard for them.
Something deep inside of him told him it was okay to trust it. He didn't know why, but he trusted this feeling and began to walk towards it, wobbling a little at first, but the moment Azora nuzzled his neck with her face and haltingly stammered, "So-o-o-o-o-o C-c-c-cold." His adrenaline kicked in and he followed 'the path' that despite the blizzard, was completely free of any snowfall, except what was already on the ground.
"It's okay." He stammered, chilled to his bones. "W-we're g-going t-to m-make it."
Behind them sat Courtney on a tree stump. She nodded her head in agreement with him. "You're going to make it AJ. I know it. I just know it." She was the force behind the mysterious wind but the man upstairs had given her the okay.
She knew right now to her core that AJ was going to be okay. With the support of his friends and Skye [she doubted that the rest of the Q's save maybe his sister Emily, would be any help what-so-ever] she just knew that in the end he was going to be okay.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
About �'s a mile from where he had discovered Azora, the mysterious wind tunnel vanished leaving AJ, teeth chattering, body shivering, and totally alone in the vast white haze of the snow. He looked around frantically for somewhere to get out of the bone chilling cold. He was desperate for some relief from the cold and wet of the outside. He would have settled for anything because he was sure that his legs were about to give out. Not to mention that Azora's lips were turning blue and he knew that their combined body heat with their frigged wet and clinging clothes was not helping the situation.
But he kept on walking, more like trudging along, whispering softly whenever Azora would move, trying to get warmer. "A-a-alm-mo-o-st th-there..." Although he wasn't sure where "there" was, he did know he know that he needed to find it quickly.
He kept his eyes scanning the barely visible horizon hoping and praying that something ANYTHING would rise from the horizon and offer them sanctuary. He slowed as an all to familiar outline began to slowly rise from the horizon. 'Oh, Please God. Let this be for real.' He prayed to the heavens as he readjusted Azora, put his shoulder to the wind and pushed on. He looked up only occasionally to make sure it wasn't some kind of shock induced delusion.
"Thank G-G-God," he whispered as the cabin came into view. "It.. It's go-onna be okay." He told her confidently as his adrenalin kicked in once more.
They made it to the door quickly, but he had no other recourse but to kick it open as he didn't think he had the strength to put her down, open the door and pick her up again. The door opened easily, he had never been so thankful for her absolute refusal to put a lock on that door in his entire life.
He quickly jogged as best he could to the bedroom and deposited her in the bed. "Azora?" He stammered as the wind slammed the door shut. He jumped a little but quickly turned back to Azora. "'Zora?" He called to her again as he began to strip off his own heavy wet clothing. His teeth chattered as he whipped off his shirt and it slopped onto the floor. Still she didn't reply.
Her eyes were opened, but just barely. "A....J...." she whimpered, she tried to say more, but nothing would come out.
"I-I know." He had to think quickly. "I-I'm going t-to s-s-start a fire, okay?"
She merely nodded her head and tried the best she could to get under the covers. He got the wood from the pile beside the back door and brought them to the bedroom fireplace. As he dumped them wood into the fireplace, and tried, as he prayed for it to work, to start a fire, he attempted lamely to warm himself up by rubbing his hands over his arms. But it did little to warm his nearly frost bitten body.
When the fire caught onto the logs he muttered: "Thank God." He let out of sigh of relief that she had yet to turn off the flu.
He turned to the bed and shook his head. The bed was now too wet to lie on. Luckily he remembered where she kept the clean blankets. After retrieving two, one for the floor and one to cover up with, and scattering them on the floor he walked over to her, pulled her into his strong arms and helped her to the floor.
"We've got to get out of these wet clothes." He told her quietly, as he put his hand on her blouses hem. Her body went rigid; he looked into her eyes and swore. "I won't hurt you, ever." She looked at him with such vulnerability in her eyes that he was taken aback. "We need each others body heat..." He whispered sheepishly.
She nodded as she pulled away and attempted to take her shirt off herself. But she was still too weak and needed his help. Once the shirt was over her head she flung it across the room where it landed with a soggy thud.
His eyes were wide as saucers as he looked at her torso. "T-they d-don't sker ya none... D-do dey?" She stammered.
He was at a loss of words.
'Inhibitions be damned' she reasoned, stripping off her bra and flinging it across the room. It landed with a different kind of thud, it sounded like wet sand bags were hitting the floor.
He blinked, part of him couldn't comprehend what he was see scars zigzagged down her torso. The most prominent of the scars were two circular pink patches of skin where her bosoms should have been. His eyes met hers and he could no longer tell if she was shaking from the cold or the fear of him thinking of her differently.
With out even thinking he reached out and pulled her close to his chest.
She looked up at him startled. "Body heat." He whispered rubbing his hands over her back, feeling the scars that were there as well.
"Doncha wanna know wher' I got's em?" She asked skeptically.
He shook his head. "No, it's none of my business."
She relaxed into his embrace but couldn't seem to get warm enough. AJ's brow furrowed, he knew of only one other way to warm her up as quickly as he thought she needed to be before she went into shock.
"Azora," he whispered tentatively as she shivered in his arms. "If we get out of our .... Rest of our clothing, seeing as they're drenched, it might help..." He paused before whispering into her ear a last resort he wanted her to at least consider.
Blush crept into her cheeks, but just as quickly she pulled away and pulled him down with her unto the floor.
"Y-yes."
"Are you sure?" He asked knowing full well that she was a virgin.
His answer came in the form of her wiggling out of her pants. After he was out of his pants he pulled her close and laid her down on the cover on the floor in front of the fireplace as close as they could be to the warmth without getting burnt.
He cradled her head his hands and looked deep within her different colored eyes and could tell that he was doing the right thing, the one thing she needed the most was his warmth.
First he kissed her mouth as his body connected with hers, bringing warmth to what she had felt would never feel warm again. He was tender with her, not moving to fast, but not drawing it out to that is would cause any pain to last longer. Yet at the same time he didn't push hart, yet he wanted and needed to make her warm.
If he would have had his wits about him [kind of difficult when you're 'doing it'] he might have seen the symbolic irony of it all. His life was a shambled, his wife's dead, his son in pain, and couldn't fix any of it. But he could help her, he could change what she was going through.
He kissed her neck and collarbone, and then moved down placing feather light kisses on where her bosoms had once been before going back to her soft sensuous lips.
She ran her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer as her body began to react in ways only her mummi had told her about so many years ago.
She moaned as the came to a mutual climax. His body stilled and rolled off of her, but she rolled with him and put her head on his chest. They remained quiet; the only sound you could hear was the crackling of the fire and their heavy breathing.
He looked down as she nuzzled his chest, her cheeks; that had been so ice-cold ten-twenty minutes ago were warm and flushed. Her fingers that couldn�t even hold onto her own shirt were now firmly, if not possessively, on his waist.
As he watched her drift off to sleep he kissed the top of her head, but he couldn't help but feel an inner revulsion. Courtney hadn't been dead for three hours and he had already slept with another woman, his boss no less. He covered his face with his hand but jerked it away when the cool metal band touched his flesh. It stared back at him, mocking him as he looked at it with tears in his eyes. He put his hand down to his side and shifted his gaze once more to Azora.
Sometimes no one knew what to make of her. She was one part southern belle, one part southern comfort, one part brass knuckles, � cup of bad language, �'s a cup of tom boy with a feminine flare, just a dash of knock-you-on-your-arse-super-mega-ultra-hot jalapeno. She could be rough and tough and in your face one moment and the next she'd be on her knees cooing to a small child that was lost and afraid and looking for their parents thinking they'd never find them and she wouldn't leave them until they were safe.
Among other things she was sass, impertinence, roguishness, intelligence, laughter, love, distempered rage, warmth, passion, extreme loyalty, fire, and icy cold vendetta keeper all rolled up into one, shaken, not stirred, into perfection... Or what could be passed off as near perfection.
Not only was she a good boss but a loyal headstrong friend, too. One that would fight anyone anywhere for someone she loved. That meant verbal fights and physical ones too she knew no boundaries.
His heart constricted, what if he had just ruined the best friendship he had ever had? "Oh God," he prayed, "Please, I'm begging, don't let me have just ruined the purist thing that's ever come my way." He whispered tearfully before turning his head and falling asleep.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Eduardo was up in his office going over the weekly schedule when he noticed Gia standing in his doorway. She was their newest employee, hired the same day as Zander and AJ, but she wasn't just a dockworker. She was the niche person that helped Firefly Phoenix Inc., run so well. Anything you needed, Gia was to the go to person. She was the secretary/accountant/payroll/anything-else-imaginable-that-didn't-piss-her-off-too-badly person that every office needed to run efficiently. She looked up and she sighed, looking very perplexed, and a tad worried.
Things were going good now, Mikee had been found, and their men were watching out for him, AJ and Carly were there with him... But it was all to good. Something was bound to go wrong, wasn't that the family mantra: If it looks too good to be true, there are chance that it is.
He sighed heavily, exhaustedly, One week God, I'd like ONE WEEK where the drama isn't OURS! he mentally beseeched before asking. "What now?"
"Ummm...."
He groaned, that wasn't the sign he wanted. "Just spill would you!"
She winced. "I...I don't know how else to put this..." She paused, hesitating. She knew Eduardo wasn't going to like this. So, taking a deep breath she stepped into his office took a seat and blurted it out, her body tensing, just waiting for his reaction. "Zanderhasn'tshowedupforworkyet." She said without pausing.
"WHAT!" He roared, rising to his feet.
Gia was just glad that there wasn't anything for him to throw at the walls. His voice had been so loud that all work in the warehouse ceased. Everyone turned to watch their friend and 2nd in command and the new hire in the office. Eduardo was on his feet, his face contorted in pain.
But other than tensing, Gia showed no external signs of fear. Eduardo won't hurt me. Eduardo won't hurt me. Eduardo won't hurt me... Where the HELL is Oz! she kept repeating to herself.
She cleared her throat. "I said Zander hasn't showed up for the early shift." She said calmly, though internally she was a bundle of nerves. It was so unlike Zander to miss a day, even if he was running a 104 fever, he'd show up to work and some of the guys would have to drag his butt back to his apartment.
"Did you call him?" But he could see the answer in her face before she even nodded. He cursed under his breath. He slammed his chair into the wall as he rounded the desk. Well that went well. she thought to herself as she followed him out to the second floor overlook above the workers.
"MARCO! LEVI! REN!" He called out to his men. "Up here NOW!" He commanded them, before going back into his office and pacing. The three men quickly came into his office, all tipping their respective hats to Gia as they did, she nodded politely, as the men were all southern gentlemen, as Azora had a strict "NO BARBIAN" code of conduct and hiring practice.
"Yessir, you called?" Marco, the eldest of the three at 45 asked. He was the warehouse "dad" whenever someone needed advice, help, or a good ol' fashioned kick in the pants, Marco was more than happy to oblige.
"You three know Zander, right?" Everyone did, it was a stupid question but Eduardo had to make sure.
"Yessir, we all do."
Eduardo paused, collecting his emotions, and sat on the edge of his desk. It was almost a prerequisite to work at Firefly Phoenix that all the men become like a second --and in some cases first-- family. When one was hurt, they "circled the wagons" so to speak. Now like others many others, was that time. "He never showed up for work."
All three men's jaws dropped.
"Y-You sure amigo?" Levi asked after a second. Eduardo nodded.
"You know where he lives?" Levi nodded. "Go, check it out, and talk to his super. Ask around."
"Si, si," he nodded, leaving, grabbing his winter coat and leaving the site.
"What can I do?" Asked Ren, the youngest of the group at 16. A high school drop out that had run away from a bad home life and a gang that had wanted him dead or ... dead..
"You know his number?" Ren nodded. "You can use Oz's phone. Call his home and his cell phone until you get an answer or I say otherwise." He nodded and rushed over to her office.
"Marco?"
"Yes?"
"I'm giving you this task out of respect. You are the oldest member of our mixed family, we respect you and you in turn have done a great deal for us from time to time." Marco gulped, his stomach hitting rock bottom. "I..." His voice quivered. It wasn't easy being the big boss. "I need someone to check out GH, the ER, Mercy hospital, John Doe's..."
"Say no more, I'm on it." He turned to leave.
"Marco..." He called out before the man left.
"Yes..."
"If you... If you find anything, anything at all, I want to be the first to know.. Okay?"
Marco bowed his head and nodded. It was a grim task, but someone had to do it.
After they had all left Eduardo collected his emotions and turned to Gia. "What time was he suppose to be here?"
She glanced at her watch. It was almost 6 o'clock and still pitch black out. "A quarter till 5."
He cursed again, slamming his fist on his desk out of frustration. It was common knowledge that Gia and Zander had a very strong friendship. Zander never failed to show up anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour before he clocked on to talk to Gia about just about anything on his mind. School/relationships/politics/religion/, they talked about whatever was bugging them.
But he hadn't shown up today. At first she had just shrugged it off. With Michael being rescued in all she just figured he needed some time to himself. But as time dragged on she had begun to worry. She had waited an hour for him to call in, but nothing had happened.
He started pacing again, and she could tell that he thought that his disappearance was somehow directly related to Michaels rescue.
"It could be a coincidence, you know."
He turned to her sharply. "Gia," he said solemnly. "There is one rule that you're going to have to learn about Oz, and the people that love her, work with her and care about her." He paused. "There is no such thing as coincidence. Anything and everything that happens to her or the people around her, happens for a reason."
Gia paled, her knees weakened. He helped her into a chair. "Gia? Gia, what's wrong?" she could tell by the expression on his face he hadn't heard.
"Oh God, you don't know." She whispered tearfully.
"Know what?"
"Late... Late last night, early this morning, right as I was getting up to come to work, Marcus called to warn me..." She had to stifle a sob, he rubbed her back to try and calm her. "He... He said that on the high way, between Port Charles and the City there was a head on collision." His stomach dropped once more, and the beginnings of a tension migraine began. "It was Courtney..." His head snapped up.
"Is she..." She nodded to upset to speak. He bowed his head. This is exactly what AJ doesn't need right now. he thought to himself sadly.
"It gets worse." She said as she dried her tears.
His stomach dropped. "How much worse?"
"A lot. When Leticia and Reginald told AJ he lost it."
"What do you mean, 'lost it'?"
"He ran off... into the storm... and no one knows what direction he went or where was headed..." He shook his head sadly again, but the pit in his stomach dropped even more when his eyes caught a glimpse of his watch. Gia hadn't been lying, it was almost 6 am! And Azora was usually there by 5:30.
Zander: MIA
AJ: MIA
Courtney: Dead
Azora:....
He raced to his desk and got out his private cell phone. "Don't do this to me Oz, don't DO this to me." He beseeched as he frantically called her number.
'Not again,' he prayed over and over in his mind as her phone rang. As he waited he began to chew on his cuticles, the one bad habit he had was also the one bad habit that drove Oz completely out of her mind. Which was exactly why he never stopped.
'busy signal'
'busy signal'
"Who the hayl is she talkin' t'?" He sputtered, absentmindedly slipping back into the drawl he had struggled so hard to get rid of.
Out of frustration he hung up and dialed again.
Gia watched, fascinated, it was like she wasn't even in the room. She had never seen him so unnerved and rattled. He was so cool calm and collected the rest of the time she just figured that he left the 'drama' to Oz.
"Oh please, oh please, oh please," he begged, crossing his fingers, hoping that someone somewhere in the vast cosmos would answer his prayer.
*ring ring*
He let out a sigh of relief.
*crackle*
*ring ring*
His stomach lurched.
*crackle ring*
He squeezed his eyes shut hard. Oh God don't let me down!
*crackle crackle*
Dead
Dial Tone.
"We're sorry, sir." An overly chipper operator interrupted his thoughts of self-destruction. "The number you're attempting is experiencing technical difficulties. Would you like us to try again?"
"Yes!" He answered frantically. "And don't stop. It's a matter of life and death!! PLEASE!"
"Okay sir," She replied chirpily, completely oblivious to the tumult and fear abounding inside of him.
*ring ring*
*ring crackle*
*crackle crackle*
*dead*
"We're sorry, sir..."
"DAMMIT!" He roared, hurtling his phone against the wall out of frustration.
Gia, thinking better of intervening slipped into a dark corner, trying to blend in with her surroundings.
He tried to stand up but fell to his knees. He held his side as he cried into his hands. "Poppy, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I tried, Poppy, I tried so hard. I swear, I tried to keep nuestra Luci�rnaga Peque�asafe... Oh GOD! I TRIED!!" He sobbed openly, raking his hands through his hair and doubling over in pain.
Gia couldn't stand it any longer. After retrieving both his and her own coat and scarf she went to his side, helped him to his feet and took him out the back way. He tried to protest but Gia promised him that the 3rd in charge Mohammad would be contacted as soon as they were on the road.
"Road? Where are you taking me?" He asked, unsure if he should be afraid or not.
"Just for a ride." She said as she put her coat and scarf on and he did the same.
He followed her to her car and got in, albeit reluctantly. She pulled out her cell phone, "I'm gonna call Mo, I'd let you do it, but since your cell phone is in a heap on the floor now, it just might be safer this way."
"Hardy hare hare. Yuck it Campbell, Yuck, it, up." He rolled his eyes.
"Hey! Mo, I need you to watch the warehouse.... No... Nothing catastrophic.... No, the boss is fine. He just needs some air and I'm going to bring him to it..." She laughed at something Mo said over the phone. "Just don�t let him hear you say that.... Yeah... Uh huh... Okay, we'll be back, eventually."
He glared at her. "You know, I could fire him for taking orders from you."
"Yeah, and I could sue you for defamation of character in doing so."
His mouth dropped open, but he clamped it back shut and sullenly leaned back into the seat. "Where are you hijacking me off to in the middle of a blizzard?"
"You call this a blizzard. Last night was a blizzard. This this is just a heavy snow flurry." She sniffed.
He groaned. "You know, this is the exact reason that I tried to convince Oz that moving north was not the answer to our problems."
As she started the car she turned to him. "Do you regret it?" She asked trying to hide the hurt.
"HAYL naw, don't mean I gotta like it neether though!" She laughed at his impertinence.
She pulled out of the parking lot and went in the opposite direction of town. "Ummm, I know I'm the abducted here and all, but where are you taking me?" He asked a little bit worried.
"Well, I know that Oz, Azora, whatever you're calling her this week, has a cabin in the woods... I thought it would be a good place for you to breathe."
He winced. She didn't know that that cabin had belonged to his father, she couldn't have known. He hadn't been out there--except for once during Azora's two days with AJ for about 10 seconds to drop off some food-- since his families' death. He wasn't entirely sure he was ready to "breathe" out there. Unfortunately for Eduardo, he couldn't break her heart. He could tell by the light in her eyes that she wanted to see it; he could tell that it wasn't just the reflection of the falling snow that reflected in her eyes. It was excitement, and he couldn't take that away from her.
About half out to the cabin Gia couldn't take the silence anymore. She had to ask. "Umm, Eduardo?"
"Yes," he said distractedly.
"Umm... I heard what you said inside your office." He looked up startled. "Are you really Azora's brother?"
But Eduardo wasn't paying attention to her anymore; he was looking out the window.
"Do you see that!" He asked pointing out the windshield.
"See what?"
"That! That smoke!!" He pointed excitedly.
There was a stream of smoke coming out of a chimney that he knew was his fathers cabin, it was the absolute only cabin in the woods seeing as his father had owned 75% of the forest.
"That smoke? Where is it coming from?"
"The cabin! Someone's there!!!" Oh please be Oz. If it's not Oz... I'll kill them. If it is Oz... I'll hug her THEN I'll kill her... Okay, maybe not.... But oh G-d, please be Oz!! he prayed as Gia stepped on it a little.
I guess that's my answer. she thought to herself, suppressing a smile.
Next.... Gawd, I don't know what's next LOL
chapter 13
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And an extra special thank you to my betta readers gyrlfriend and K Shah and Brigdet. (I think that at least two of them are my betta readers... Lol)