~@~@ Fallen Ch.27 Part 2
 

It was too quiet, that there should be lots of noise when you world is falling apart. Yelling and screams of pain and anguish, anything but silence, but why out of all that happened tonight would this one thing be right when nothing else was.

Her baby was alive. The 22-year-old nightmare was over, her baby; the first person she had loved with everything was alive. But the reunion she dreamed of in her mind hadn’t happened, though why it would. In her mind her ‘baby boy’ would run into her arms for a fierce hug, and talk about how much he missed her and loved her. Jody wasn’t a boy, and definitely wasn’t missing her, if anything her oldest was disappointed by the revelation.

And why shouldn’t she, from the beginning since she first shown up, there had been distrust between them, no shared respect or even acknowledgement of skills, just animosity.” She’s just like her father.”

“Mom?” Eve looked up form her looked at the floor, and meet her daughter Whitney’s eyes. The eyes were confused, and full of hurt, much like she guessed Simone and Jody’s were, wherever they were. “Can you…I…what?”

“Jody is just like her father” Eve patted the spot beside her as she prayed her daughter would comply, when she did, Eve gave her grateful nod she grabbed her hand giving it a supportive squeeze. “Julian was obnoxious and arrogant and when I first met him, I hated him. “ “ but he had a way about him, he was so sure of himself, and yet at the same time so sure he’d fail that he was always switching from scared little boy to overconfident man, just like Jody was tonight.”

“I don’t think I ever seen that, the times that I’ve talked to her, she’s been anything but scared.” At her mother’s raised eyebrow she explained. “I’ve talked to her on occasion; she’s really nice, talking with her helped a lot.”

“I’m glad, I wasn’t very fair to Jody, judging her so quickly, but I saw it right away… that part of Julian that I always disliked, and I just ran with it.” She released her daughters’ hand, and smoothed down her hair. “I think it’s wonderful that you and Jody get along.” “She was just so angry….”

“Jody.”

“Jody. Simone.” She stood and moved toward the window, staring at the starless night. Somewhere out there two of her children were furious at the world at large. “Why aren’t you?”

“What?”

“Why you aren’t angry at me, you should be furious, outraged, all the things I’ve told you, taught you have been lies.”

“No they weren’t, it was just told from the wrong perception. Yes you should have told us that things you warned us against were based on your own personal experience, but it might have been painful for you.” “I’m not angry because I understand.” Whitney shrugged at her mother’s blank stare.” I didn’t want to love Chad , I couldn’t stand him either, but Theresa was right, you can’t help who you love, because your heart has a mind of it’s own and loving someone changes the one way you view life and how you live it.”

“She’s right.” Both women turned and found Chad leaning against the doorframe, and a small smile on his face as he looked toward the doctor, “How you doing Dr. Russell?”

“I’m better thank you, and I do mean for everything.”

“Anytime.” Chad said as he changed his focus to look at Whitney, his eyes softening. “And you, how’s it going?”

“Much better, my mother was just explaining some things to me.”

“Okay, I’ll leave you to it.” Chad began turning away when Eve’s voice stopped him.

“No, Chad I want you to stay and hear me this too, you’ve been punished for some of my past mistakes, the least I owe you and is the back story.”

~~~

Julian walked toward them something between a smile and a grimace on his face.” Good Evening ladies.” Both women merely glared showing a definite likeness that he hadn’t caught til that moment. “Out for a night on the town, I see.”

Simone rolled her eyes, and began walking toward the door, when she felt a hand pull her back. “Yes?”

“Don’t ‘yes’ me, little sister, we got some talking to do.”

“About what? I have nothing to say to YOU.” There it was again the accusation in her voice, and now Simone knew why. For a few moments she had like she could actually like her new ‘sister’, but then the Cranes walked in, and it hit her. Jody was one of them, and not just one of them, but the one responsible for ripping her families to shreds.

“You have a lot to say like ‘sorry’ or ‘thank you’, or how about a reason for this act of stupidity would be alright now too.”

Simone turned around, fuming. “What the Hell do I have to be sorry for you’re the one that stuck her nose in my business?”

“If getting picked up by two grown men is ‘your business’ then we have more to talk about then I thought.”

Noticing that Jody hands was still on her arm, Simone shook it off, and stepped up to her sister, meeting her icy blues.

“Ladies…” Julian stepped forward ready to intervene, but was pulled back Sheridan, who shook her head, while the two women continued to face off.

“If you think I’m going to listen to you…” Simone started but was cutoff quickly by the other woman’s laugh

“Listening requires a mind, and I have seen NO PROOF that you have been given one of those that is in working order. So why don’t I rant for a little while, and any you catch you look up in the dictionary later, okay?”

“Why you little…”

“Whoa… check your vision little sister, I ain’t little, or at least not as little as you.” To demonstrate her point she straightened her shoulders, which showed her to be her half a foot taller then her younger sibling, a fact which Jody relished, if you were to go by the glint in her eye.” Now I don’t know how Whitney handle your LITTLE wisecracking @$$ , but I ain’t the one.” Jody closed the small gap separating her from Simone and gave feral grin that was pure Crane. “Act right before you get smacked right.”

Once again Julian steeped forward ready to end the escalating fight, when Sheridan pulled him back, he looked at her questioning but she only nodded toward the girls and whispered. “It’s the only way.”

Ignoring the conversation going around them Simone narrows her eyes at her opponent, before she lifts her hand and slaps her Jody across the face, leaving a growing red mark. “Act Right or….”

“Get smacked right.” Jody says as her hands shots out and caught the younger women on the chin, knocking her down.

~~~

Antonio looked down at the bed again critically, before sighing in frustration and ripping the sheets off completely, unaware that he was being watched from the door.” Damn sheets.”

“What are you trying for hospital corners?”

He swiveled around meet Kay’s eyes, and began twisting the sheets around his hand. “Ah Jody said you could have the guest room, what she neglected to mention was that we’ve never had guest so, it’s actually just a room where we threw in a couch that folds out.”

“Yeah that sounds like Jody.” Kay she watched Antonio nod, and then let the silence fill the room, they hadn’t had anything to say to each other since they left the Crane Party. Concern for their friends had overridden their earlier passion, and now all that was left was awkward silence. “Do you think she’s going to be okay?”

“Yeah.” He nodded glad to have something else to focus on. “Jody’s tough, she’ll bounce back form this, she just needs to sleep on it.”

Kay nodded, and then looked at Antonio questioningly. “You know she not in her room right, that she took her car and bolted?” again and

“Yeah, I fell sorry for whatever runs into her tonight.”

The silence fell again and Kay let her gaze fall to the fold out mattress, and then mistakenly to Antonio. He had gotten rid of the tux, which hadn’t really done anything to quench his good looks, if anything the pajama bottoms, and wife beater just added a new fantasy, the growing list in her head. Worse yet the shirt just showcase the scratches she left on him from their earlier dalliance. “Uh… let me help, after all it’s my bed right?”

“Okay.” Antonio handed one side of the sheet to her, flinching when his hand brushed hers, and he felt his blood began to boil. Jody had handed her some clothes before she made her disappearing act, unfortunately clothes that were fitted to Jody’s body, dwarfed Kay, basically drooping all over showing more skin then the dress she had taken off.” Uh let’s start at the top and do it that way okay?”

“Okay.” They moved quickly not speaking or looking at each other, and doing their best to not to touch, and the finished result of a made bed, left them feeling accomplished but no better then when they left off before.

“So I’ll just leave you to rest, and…”

“Antonio…”

“Kay.” He stopped just inside the door and turned round to face her. ” Tonight isn’t the night to get into this.”

“But there is something to get into right?” She waited anxiously holding her breathe, the feelings she was developing for Antonio were too close to the feelings she had about Miguel, and no way was she going through that again, for anything else then true love.” I’m not imaging things or having another breakdown am I?”

In answer to her question he moved inches from her, and touched her cheek with his hand. “You’re not having another breakdown, there’s something.”

“Good.” Kay inched closer unable to bear even the smallest distance between them, she licked her lips, and began to arch her neck when the ringing of a cell phone broke the spell surrounding them. She looked over at her handbag and realized that it was her phone.” Excuse me?”

“Sure.” Antonio backed up practically ran from the room, he paused outside the door. He was about to take a deep breath when he heard the phone in the kitchen ringing.

A few minutes later he was stood in front of the ‘guest room’ door dressed and ready to knock, when Kay opened the door, back in her ball gown, zipping up her purse.” Hey what’s going on?”

“I need a ride that was Simone she’s in ….”

“Jail.” Antonio finished for her already knowing the answer.

“Yeah, how’d you know?” A look of confusion marred Kay’s features.

“Jody. Also in jail.” He held up his keys, and gave a warily smile.” And they say New York in the city that never sleeps.”