Alex was bone tired as he entered Ezio’s Pizzeria a blast of wind blowing him inside. It was an hour from closing, the only customers a teenage couple in a back booth wiling away their final moments before curfew. He was absolutely famished, having spent the tail end of the afternoon and well after dark out on the water. Normally he wouldn’t have gone out when it was this cold, 45 in town, 38 on the beach and around freezing out on the water but today was his last day with the Echo Delta. He’d finally made the call to Samson Grath accepting his offer and would be turning over the slip to him tomorrow afternoon.

While he was out on the water, the moon a giant silver dollar in the sky, he had a fleeting moment of insanity where he considered hoisting her sails and running west out to Corpus. He had some old Marine buddies still stationed there. He knew they’d help him out if he was down on his luck. He could rebuild somewhere far away from bikers and his brother and…

Kelsey’s face had surfaced in his mind and it was like a tether had snapped tight and he was brought back to everything he had in Lambency. A home, a job and rental income. And her, something quietly whispered in the back of his mind but he ignored it. He wasn’t his brother. He couldn’t just up and run.

Reva was sitting behind the counter and the utterly bored look slid off her face as he stepped inside, her back straightening as she tossed her glossy black pony tail over her shoulder. She beamed at him as he stepped up to the counter and he gave her a tight smile in return.

“Usual?” Reva asked, her finger poised over the ancient register and Alex nodded. “One large pepperoni and mushroom coming up.” She turned her head back to the kitchen and Alex jumped as she began to shout. “Papa! Grandi funghi e peperoni per andare! That’ll be twenty even,” she said turning back to him and grinning widely.

Alex reached behind him to fish his wallet out of his back pocket when the restaurant phone began to ring. Reva reached for it but it stopped halfway through the second ring and Alex could hear Ezio’s muffled voice from the back announcing the restaurant name and asking how he could help them. Reva rolled her eyes and gave Alex an exhausted expression.

“He tells me he needs my help tonight but what has he let me do?” Reva complained, throwing a hand in the air as the other took Alex’s money. Alex slipped a couple dollar bills in the near empty tip jar next to the register and Reva smiled sweetly at him. “Thank you Mr. Danvers. You should be up in un attimo.”

“Grazi,” Alex replied and Reva giggled.

“Prego.”

Just then Ezio emerged from the kitchen his white chef’s apron splattered with tomato sauce, his coal black hair dusted with flour. He spoke in stutters into the phone in an attempt to halt the shrill voice on the line, not even able to finish a single word. Reva looked at him with brows drawn and he heaved a perturbed sigh throwing his free hand in the air.

“Lavali, Madonna, I cannot…” He pulled the phone away from his ear, the shrill screeching still emitting from the earpiece and he stared at it pensively. “Your mother. She switched to Hindi I can’t…” He held the phone out to Reva who rolled her eyes and pressed it to her ear.

“Ami,” she said and winced. “Ami. Slow do-“ She pursed her lips together “gati kam karo!” Reva was looking down at the counter her brows drawn as she listened intently to her mother. “Wait, kya?” Another pause and Ezio reached for her arm as the blood drained from her face, her coppery skin going jaundiced. Alex looked at Ezio concerned and the older man just stared back wide eyed, still keeping a comforting hand on his daughter as she let fly a rapid string of Hindi, her tone becoming shrill.

“What is it? Reva, che cosa è principessa?”

She ignored him still speaking into the phone. “Ami mil gaya hai maan, main abhee ja raha hoon.” She had a hard time clicking the phone off her hand was shaking so hard. Ezio and Alex shared a worried look. “It’s Kelsey,” Reva said her eyes filling with tears. “She’s hurt. She’s in the hospital. In Mobile.”

Alex’s vision tunneled and he had to reach for the counter to keep himself upright, his knees buckling. There was a roaring in his ears that blotted out the conversation that Reva and her father were having, not that he would have understood it anyway since it was in Italian. He swallowed hard, his tongue feeling as if it were three sizes too big for his mouth and he felt his jaw working, trying to form words but all that came out was a stuttering consonant, a clacking K sound as his swollen tongue rutted against the roof of his mouth. He changed tactics.

“Wh-wh-what happened to Kelsey?” He managed after a moment, his voice rising over Reva and Ezio’s panicked conversation and the looked over at him as if they’d forgotten he was there.

“Did you know she was going to Mobile today?” Reva accused, her eyes still brimming with tears but none had yet fallen.

“N-no,” Alex said and pressed his lips together, trying to calm his galloping heart Come back, Alex. Come back. He took a deep breath. “No, when she left her tutoring session she said she was going home. To watch some show. With you.” Alex nodded to Reva and her brows crinkled in confusion, a hint of suspicion in her eyes. Why would Kelsey tell you that? But it was quickly snuffed out by the widening of her eyes as she whipped around on her father, yelling at him in hurried angry Italian.

Alex almost felt sorry for the older man, his face going panicked as Reva read him the riot act for what Alex didn’t know. Then as if remembering he was her father, Ezio’s face began to burn red with anger and he blustered back at her, his voice echoing throughout the dining room but Reva merely crossed her arms and scowled, replying back with what sounded like heavy sarcasm. Alex shook his head. They were wasting time.

“Reva!” He said harshly and both father and daughter quieted instantly, looking at him with wide eyes. He pursed his lips and sucked in a deep breath through his nose. “I’m sorry. Miss Sarno, what happened to K-Miss Charming?”

“I-I don’t know,” Reva said, the fight going out of her instantly and Ezio held her arms as she sunk onto her stool. “Ami said the hospital in Mobile called. Kelsey was brought in an hour ago. She asked them to call me, but someone put my phone in the safe in the back because he is a control freak who non comprende la cultura amiercana e tratta la sua unica figlia come uno schiavo-!”

“You do not speak to me that way young lady I am your Papa. Mi mostrerai il rispetto!”

Reva made a rude gesture and pretended to spit. Ezio let out a loud Eoh gestured in a way that reminded Alex of an old mafioso on TV.

“Please!” Alex yelled, his voice sharp and both fell silent again. “Why is she in the hospital?”

“Ami didn’t say!” Reva exclaimed, a single tear falling down her cheek in a black line. “Papa I have to go. She needs me.” Reva begged looking at her father with pleading brown eyes and Alex didn’t see how the older man had a chance at saying no to that look. Alex certainly wouldn’t have been able to.

“Of course, principessa. Of course,” Ezio said, taking her hands in his and squeezing them.

“I’m going to take the Prius,” she said stumbling off her stool and reaching for a set of keys on the wall.

“I’ll come with you,” Alex found himself saying, the words out of his mouth before he could even comprehend them.

Both Ezio and Reva looked at him blankly and Alex sucked in a breath. He hadn’t been thinking about anything except getting to Kelsey, making sure she was okay. He hadn’t stopped to consider how odd it would be for her English teacher to want to run up to Mobile at 11 pm on a weeknight with another female student. In fact it was downright suspicious and the look on Ezio’s face proved it.

“You’re in no state to drive,” Alex blurted after a moment, forcing his racing heart to calm and his face to remain stoic and sensible. “I would be happy to do the driving,” his eyes moved from Reva’s to her fathers. “That is if it’s okay with you Mr. Sarno?” Alex raised his hands in surrender, showing his palms and taking a step back from the counter. “I just… I only…”

“Yes… yes of course,” Ezio said, a look of relief replacing his suspicion as he reached for the towel that hung on his apron. He dabbed at his damp forehead. “That’s very kind of you, Mr. Danvers. Reva?”

“Yes,” Reva said, looking scared and lost and so very young in that moment that Alex felt a pang in his chest for her. “Yes thank you Mr. Danvers. Is… do you have your car?”

“Yes,” Alex said, reaching into his pocket for his keys the movement quick and almost manic. “It’s out front. Mr. Sarno are you sure? I don’t want to be-“

“It’s fine. Let’s go,” Reva said suddenly pushing herself off the stool and ripping the apron off her waist. She handed it to her father. “Non preoccuparti di papà tutto andrà bene. Sono sicuro che Kelsey sia brava. Ti chiamo quando arriviamo.” She leaned over and planted a red kiss on his cheek that remained there when she pulled away.

She ducked under the counter and Alex had to jog to catch up with her as she scurried around the corner to the back entrance, Mr. Sarno calling for them to be careful and all Alex could do was raise a hand in acknowledgement before hurrying out the door.

* * *

If anyone had told Alex a year ago that he would be riding alone with a female student in his truck up to Mobile at 11:30 at night he would have laughed right in their face. As surreal as this entire experience had been he didn’t have the emotional capacity to worry about it at that moment. All of his anxiety was swirling around what had happened to Kelsey. Why had she even been in Mobile in the first place? Why hadn’t she told him she was going?

Reva kept up a steady stream of conversation the entire drive without really needing any input from him so he was able to fully contemplate all the angles and if there hadn’t been another person in the car with him when he came to the realization that this might have something to do with the money he - well, Drew - owed he would have pulled over. Instead he merely tightened his grip on the wheel and focused entirely on the road, drowning out Reva’s babbling and concentrating solely on keeping the vehicle between the white lines and breathing steadily in and out. In and out.

Could they have taken her? He had until Friday and it was only Wednesday. They hadn’t contacted him. Surely they would have contacted him if they’d changed their minds. They wouldn’t just take her. God, he would never forgive himself for getting her mixed up in this. If they’d only gone to her place that night. If I’d only been strong enough to stay away from her after that first kiss. He felt as if his chest were caving in, guilt weighing heavy on him, threatening to suffocate him.

When they arrived at Providence Hospital, Alex had to fight the urge to sprint through the hallways like Reva. He knew the role he was supposed to be playing. Responsible adult, the cool headed chaperone and he had to compartmentalize his panic and his rage in order to be that man. He forced Reva to walk, or at least not flat out run. The Emergency Room desk informed them that Kelsey Starlet Charming had been taken to radiology for x-rays and a catscan and they would send a doctor out to them when there was any news.

The waiting room was only about half full, Alex observed as he followed Reva over to a bank of plastic chairs. She sat and he debated leaving a chair between them for a split second before just taking the seat next to her. He would swear later that she didn’t move an inch for the next hour and a half, perched on the edge of her seat, her back ramrod straight, not taking her eyes off the swinging doors through which a steady stream of doctors and nurses disappeared and reappeared.

A doctor finally came to speak to them around one a.m., Reva propelling herself to her feet while Alex drug his weary body up into a standing position. Kelsey had suffered severe trauma to the head and torso resulting in a concussion, three broken ribs and a sprained wrist aside from multiple contusions to her face, neck and abdomen. Reva immediately began to sob when the doctor confirmed that while badly beaten up Kelsey would likely make a full recovery. Alex, startled by her outburst didn’t have time to think as she threw herself against his chest and he weakly patted her back with trembling hands as she wailed into his chest, smearing make up all over his sweater. The doctor waited a bit for her to calm down before letting them know that Kelsey was being transferred to a room for overnight observation and a nurse would be down to get them when she was settled.

They sat down again in the hard plastic chairs and waited, Reva leaned over with her elbows resting on her knees as she continued to cry quietly into her hands. Alex didn’t know what to do. Shouldn’t she be happy Kelsey was going to be okay? He sure as hell was. He’d though his knees were going to give out from relief when they’d been told. Maybe they were happy tears but with the way her shoulders were shaking he doubted it. He tentatively placed a hand on her back and she jumped, tensing but then her muscles loosened and eventually the shaking stopped.

Reva sat back finally and Alex barely had a moment to mask his look of shock at the state of her face. Her cheeks were streaked with black, bronze and pink her make up in complete disarray. She sniffled as she grabbed her pursed and fished around inside, pulling out a jeweled compact. She let out a short shrill “Oh my God” upon seeing herself and then frantically began digging in her bag. He watched with interest as she ripped open a small packet of wipes and immediately started wiping her face, all of the lines and smudges disappearing, the wipe turning brown and black and shimmery bronze. It took three of the tiny wipes before she was satisfactorily clean and Alex marveled at how different her face looked. She was a lot paler than he’d ever seen her, eyes still large and almond shaped but not as distinctive or sultry. Her lips were still full but not in their usual pouty way. Her face was much more round, the hallows of her cheeks having apparently been all contour and not bone structure. She looked impossibly young, rubbing at her running nose, her eyes sad and scared.

When the nurse finally came to get them it was nearly two a.m., and both of them were dead on their feet. Reva’s crying jag had seemingly taken everything out of her while Alex never had much to give to begin with, his panic settling into a tight knot in his chest that he knew no matter how fatigued he was would never let him sleep. The nurse accompanied them up the elevator to the sixth floor and then down a long hallway to wooden door with a chart on it, the window next to it covered by vertical blinds. She opened the door for them and neither moved, just looked into the shadowed room, the single hospital bed back lit by dim medical lighting as machines beeped and whirred.

Alex was the first to take a step and he felt Reva’s hand curl around his bicep, her touch making him tense but he let her hold on to him as he walked them into the room. Kelsey looked impossibly small all bundled up under the scratchy blue hospital blanket a large bandage wrapped around her head. Her face was distorted and swollen, her lip busted open, one side of her face already blackening. He could feel Reva trembling next to him and he wanted so badly to shake her off and reach for Kelsey’s hand, press it to his lips, tell her how sorry he was, having spent the last three hours convincing himself this was all his fault.

Reva stepped in front of him, startling him out of his daydream as she lowered herself into the chair by the bed, searching for Kelsey’s arm over the covers. Kelsey jerked then, crying out and both Reva and Alex jumped, Reva’s hands snatching back as Alex’s rushed forward. Brown eyes met his, one completely bloodshot the other hazy from whatever pain medication they’d given her. He saw the recognition in her eyes, her tongue sneaking out to wet her lips.

“Alex…?” She mumbled and he felt Reva’s shock, her back straightening.

Alex stood stock still as Reva’s head slowly turned to look at him, her eyes wide. “She…she doesn’t know what she’s saying Mr. Danvers,” Reva said, shaking her head and looking back at Kelsey. “She would never use your first name like that…”

Alex let out a breath of a laugh and shook his head. “I think I can let it slide this once,” he said, his voice strange to his own ears as his eyes met Kelsey’s again.

“Kels…Kels…” Reva whispered, leaning over her and Kelsey finally managed to pull her eyes away from Alex to blink slowly at her friend.

“Your face…” Kelsey slurred, her brow creasing as she struggled to free her arms from beneath the blanket. Alex saw then why she’d cried out when Reva had touched her. Her wrist was tightly bandaged. “You look awful.”

Reva let out a watery laugh and Alex chuckled as well.

“What… what happened?” Reva whispered and Kelsey blinked slowly at her, her eyes staying closed for longer and longer moments before they didn’t open again. “Kelsey? Kels!”

Alex grabbed Reva’s shoulders just long enough to still her as she reached to shake her friend. “It’s the pain meds. She’s gonna be in and out.”

“Excuse me.”

Alex and Reva turned to the doorway and found a formidable nurse, her mousy hair tightly wrapped back into a bun striding purposefully into the room followed by another nurse, waifish and dark, who looked wary as if she’d been on shift entirely too long. The first nurse nudged Alex out of the way, her large frame causing him to take a few steps back so she could check the various tubes and bags that were attached to Kelsey. The nurse barked numbers at the other nurse who dutifully recorded them on the chart.

“I’m Nurse Holcomb. That over there is Nurse Tillins. We’re at shift change so Nurse Tillins will be taking over Miss Charming’s care until tomorrow afternoon. You’re family?” Nurse Holcomb asked looking at Alex over her shoulder and then at Reva. Her nose wrinkled ever so slightly. “Well, you’re obviously not.”

Alex’s neck jerked in shock, eyes widening as they found Reva’s. She was wearing a bored expression, her eyes sliding over to Nurse Tillins with whom she shared a look.

“Yes I am,” Reva insisted, looking up at Nurse Holcomb defiantly. “I’m her big sister. Our parents adopted me because they wanted a girl after that disaster of a kid.” She indicated Alex who blinked back astonished. “And wouldn’t you know it Mom got pregnant right after the adoption papers came through.”

“Was good of them to keep you,” Nurse Holcomb mumbled, adjusting something on the computer by the bed and Reva gave her a sweet smile that was all teeth.

“Yes it was. Anyway, we’re family.” Reva looked over the nurse’s shoulder at Alex and gave a sly grin. “Look these two are practically twins. Matching black eyes and everything.”

Alex glared at her as Nurse Holcomb turned to take in the bruising on his face, just beginning to fade to purple and green. Her eyes narrowed. Reva was looking at him with pleading eyes. Alex sighed and nodded at the nurse who snorted.

“Family of brawlers huh? Tillins, make sure this girl gets her rest despite her brother and sister being here,” Nurse Holcomb said and Alex caught the slight roll of her eyes as Nurse Tillins handed her the chart to sign. “This one’s lucky to be alive. That part of Dauphin isn’t a place a young girl wants to be after dark. She was lucky she wasn’t raped.”

Alex’s face must have blanched because Nurse Tillins stepped towards him, her coffee colored hand resting on his bicep. “Your sister is going to be just fine. She’ll likely be released tomorrow afternoon. Her stay is just a precaution. For the concussion.”

Alex looked at her, taking in the warm assurance in her eyes and nodded, looking back at Kelsey’s bruised and battered face, inanimate in sleep. The nurses left the room, Nurse Tillins assuring them she would be back in an hour or so to check vitals and closed the door behind them.

“Why’d you tell them I was her brother?” Alex found himself asking peevishly and Reva looked up at him.

“You know they only let family stay past visiting hours!” Reva replied and in fact Alex had known that, he’d just forgotten. “I’m not leaving her. You should probably get back. Thanks for the ride.”

Reva curled a leg underneath her, settling more firmly in her chair. Alex sighed looking at the door and weighing the risk. He didn’t know how he was supposed to leave Kelsey now. A great weight of responsibility seemed be trying to suffocate him, the feeling that he should have known she was hurt, that he should have been there. The idea of someone doing this to her was too overwhelming for him to comprehend, his fists balling at his sides and the carefully controlled rage beginning to boil over.

“I’m not leaving you here,” he said, his eyes on Kelsey until he felt Reva’s stare on him. “How are you going to get home tomorrow? The bus? No.”

Alex grabbed a heavy wooden chair with a green seat cushion and lifted it easily, plopping it down on the opposite side of the bed from Reva. He sat down with a force that seemed to end the discussion and Reva only blinked at him. She opened her mouth as if to question but then snapped it shut, her shoulders sagging and he saw a tiredness in her large brown eyes that seemed to have taken all the questions right out of her. She rested an elbow on the arm of her chair and leaned her cheek on her hand, her other reaching to gently lay over Kelsey’s on the side of the bed. Alex looked at her other hand laying against the blankets, chipped teal polish on her nails. He longed to take it and hold it in his, press his lips to her fingers.

He realized then as he leaned over and pressed his hands together in front of him that she had no defensive wounds. His own busted knuckles were scabbed over now, most of the swelling gone. She hadn’t even fought back and this is what they did to her. He should go out to that bar, what was it, The Showbar? He should find these guys and-

“Why did she come up here?” Reva asked, her voice quiet and tired, eyelids drooping. “Why did she come up here without me?”

Alex didn’t answer and eventually Reva fell into a fitful doze. Alex didn’t even bother trying to get comfortable. As bone tired as he felt, he wasn’t going to be able to sleep. When Reva began to snore lightly he slipped his hand over Kelsey’s letting her feel the warm weight of it and her head rolled from one side to the other, her eyes cracking open the tiniest bit. He felt her thumb curl around his the best she could before her eyes fluttered shut again. He sat and kept watch, the room eventually beginning to lighten as daybreak approached, his eyes never leaving Kelsey’s face.

* * *

Kelsey continued to float in the soft cotton fuzz of pain medication, half the time unsure if she was dreaming or not. At one point, Bobby had been next to her bed, telling her that she was part of their crew now and she needed to learn how to ride a motorcycle. At another Gram had been floating above her, the edges of her glowing and feathered as if she weren’t anything more substantial then a cloud. Still then there was a moment where Reva had been holding Kelsey’s hand with Alex standing behind her both looking scared and sad. She’d said his name, wanting to reach for him but her limbs were too heavy and it was all she could do to move her head so that her eyes wouldn’t lose him as he crossed the room.

She shifted and suddenly consciousness was right there, hard and bright, brought close by a myriad of aches and pains. Her face was throbbing and she had a headache. She had to make an effort to pull air into her lungs feeling as if something heavy were crushing her ribs and when she moved her arm she realized her ribs were bandaged tight as was her head. She heard the creak of a chair and opened her eyes just slightly, the morning sun seeming to stab at her brain with a sharp stick. She struggled to focus and once she did she was met with a stormy sea of blue, Alex’s eyes holding hers with worry as he leaned closer to her from his chair.

“Kelsey,” he said, his voice low, barely a rumble in his chest but she heard him.

“Hey…” The movement of her jaw hurt like hell. She groaned.

“Are you okay? Do you hurt? I’ll get the nurse…”

He made to stand but Kelsey’s hand stuttered towards him and fell to the bed as if leaden, her fingers still stretching towards him. He settled back in his chair and looked pensively across the room. Kelsey felt as if her head were a rusty bolt slowly turning on her neck as she looked to see Reva, curled in what could not possibly be a comfortable position, deeply asleep with her mouth wide open. Kelsey let her head grind back to face Alex.

“She’s asleep,” Kelsey said her voice low but not quite a whisper. Her fingers waggled at him and he looked at the door before he took her hand in both of his.

He pulled himself closer, the chair making a soft scraping sound as he pulled it with him, resting his elbows on the bed as he brought her hand to his mouth. He pressed his lips to her knuckles and then lowered his head, breathing slowly through his nose and out his mouth at the terrifying well of emotion the contact brought him. This wasn’t right. He shouldn’t be here.

“The Echo Delta,” Kelsey rasped and Alex looked up at her, her brown eyes hazy but the most alert he’d seen them since coming here. “You still have her right?”

Alex blinked and the stone that had settled into his stomach since he’d agreed to sell to Samson Grath seemed to double in weight.

“I’m turning over the slip today,” Alex said quietly and a smile tugged at her cracked and busted lips.

“You don’t have to-”

They were interrupted by a knock at the door and Alex dropped her hand, sitting back in his chair immediately. His eyes widened as he saw Sheriff Lockheed followed by Blake Braum, Elliot’s older brother and then Elliot himself. Kelsey blinked at what in her hazy, drugged state seemed like a firing squad, everyone in police tans except for Elliot who wore his usual gray hoodie.

“Sheriff Lockheed?” Kelsey asked, blinking at him and she ran a dry tongue over her cracked lips. “What… what are you….” She couldn’t complete the thought, felt it carried away as if on the wind.

The sheriff removed his hat. “Well… Elliot needed his brother to take him up here, since apparently he was grounded from using the car,” Sheriff Lockheed gestured to Elliot who blushed and looked at his shoes. “And rather than spend the day watching Kurt do all the paperwork he’s neglected for the last three months I decided to tag along.” Sheriff Lockheed looked around the room as if interested in the decor and then his eyes fell on Reva. “That Reva Sarno?” Kelsey started to nod but found her chin already tucked against her chest. Holding her head up to look down the bed at him was giving her a headache and her tongue felt scaly and dry.

She felt Alex lean close to her, reaching for something next to the bed, and she could smell the ocean in his hair. Had he been sailing yesterday?

“It was cold yesterday,” she said to him without thinking as he sat back in his chair, a remote control in his hand. He blinked at her before realization lighted his eyes and he pressed his lips together, giving a slight nod before looking down at the remote.

“Would you like to sit up?” He asked and again she tried to nod but only succeeded in giving herself vertigo. She smacked her lips trying to drum up some saliva but it didn’t help.

The bed made a loud whirring sound as Alex pressed the button that lifted her into a sitting position. She breathed slow in through her nose and out her mouth, gritting her teeth against the pain of her ribs settling into a new position. She was about to lift her hand to tell him to stop when he set the remote down next to her on the bed. She felt a smile try to pull at her lips as she looked at him but he refused to look at her and that’s when she remembered their audience. She looked back at the sheriff who had watched all of this with a blank expression.

“Thanks for coming to check on me,” Kelsey said after a moment, not really knowing what else to say and feeling a little like a freakshow with them all standing there in a line like that. She smacked her lips again.

“Course,” Elliot said finally breaking rank and stepping towards her.

He looked almost as if he were in pain just looking at her and she wondered just how bad her face looked. She reached up to touch her face and hissed remembering her injured wrist. Elliot’s hands lifted and reached but merely hung in the air for a moment before they dropped back to his sides helplessly.

“You came up to Mobile to buy a car is that right?”

Kelsey’s stomach knotted, swallowing hard on a sandpaper throat. She winced and looked around for water but didn’t see any.

“Mr. Braum,” Alex said softly and both Elliot and Blake looked at him. He pointed to a yellow plastic cup on the bedside table.

Alex watched Elliot spring forward, struggling to step around Reva’s chair without waking her and it was clear to him, this was who Kelsey should be with. Someone who could kneel next to her bed and hold the straw in her cup for her so she could take a drink. Someone who could actually worry about her and care for her without consequence or fear of ramifications. Someone who didn’t have a felon for a brother and got her beaten up when she was just trying to buy a car. When did she decide to buy a car?

Alex glanced at the group and saw that the Sheriff’s eyes were on him, his expression speculative. Alex looked down at his hands which were pressed together in his lap.

“Why…why do you want to ask questions? You can’t do anything,” Kelsey said and there was no accusation in her voice, just confusion. The Sheriff gave her a short smile.

“You’re right, we don’t have any jurisdiction,” he said looking around and gesturing with his hat again. “But one of the captains here in Mobile is an old buddy of mine from my Atlanta days. Thought he wouldn’t mind the help and I’m right curious about how all his happened.”

Kelsey wiggled on the bed which caused her ribs to ache. “I got mugged, Sheriff. Surely you’ve seen a mugging victim before.” She crossed her arms over her chest very carefully.

“Yes I have,” Sheriff Lockheed said and stepped forward to begin his line of questioning anyway. “You arrived in Mobile a little after 5 pm yesterday. Took the Greyhound.” It wasn’t a question but Kelsey nodded anyway.

“Mr. Ludlin told me you came up here to buy a car.” Kelsey nodded again. “He had Cheryl over at Lambency Bank draw you up a certified check is that right?”

“Yes,” Kelsey said beginning to feel a tightness in her chest that had nothing to do with her injuries and everything to do with anxiety.

“A check for eleven thousand dollars.”

“I told him I only needed eight,” Kelsey said and she felt Alex shift in his seat. The Sheriff’s eyes flicked to him briefly before returning to Kelsey. “The dealer said if I had cash I only had to pay eight. Mr. Ludlin insisted on me taking the full asking price.”

The sheriff hummed. “You cashed that check out. Went to the Wells Fargo down from the bus station?”

Kelsey blinked. How did he know where she cashed the check? She glanced at Alex who had narrowed his eyes with suspicion and she looked away immediately. “Yes…”

“Why would you do that?”

Alex shifted again and Kelsey looked from the sheriff to the others in the room as if asking if they had heard the question too. “I told you. The guy at the dealership said he’d give me a deal if I brought cash.”

“Oh my God, Kelsey,” Alex muttered, bringing a hand up to his forehead and she looked at him and then at everyone else in the room. The Sheriff was shaking his head.

“What?”

“When they say that they don’t mean literal cash, Kels,” Elliot said quietly. “They just mean you’re not getting a loan. The money is there in your bank account.”

“Well…” Kelsey said her brows furrowing as she made herself look embarrassed. “How… how was I supposed to pay them? The check was made out to me?”

“You sign it over,” Alex said through gritted teeth and Kelsey looked over to find him pinching the bridge of his nose which he only did when she was severely trying his patience.

“I understand the confusion, Kelsey. No one had ever told you. We’ll get back to the money in a moment. What I’m interested in is where you were from about five-thirty to ten pm. That’s when the 911 call came in.”

Kelsey shifted. “Well… I went back to the Greyhound station to try and get a taxi but they’d all left. So I called an Uber…” She trailed realizing Blake was taking notes. Could they check her Uber history? If they could she was so fucked…

“What did the driver look like?” Blake asked distractedly, still scribbling on his pad.

“No wait…” Kelsey said and scrunched her face up in confusion. “No I did take a taxi. I was about to call an Uber when one pulled up.” She let herself blink a few times then looked up at Elliot helplessly. “Everything is all fuzzy and jumbled.”

“It’s okay,” Elliot said, immediately placing a hand on her shoulder. “You have a concussion. It’s normal you don’t remember stuff.” Elliot looked over at his brother and the sheriff. “Right?”

The Sheriff pursed his lips in thought. “I suppose.” He paused and thought some more. “Where’d the taxi take you?”

“To the dealership,” Kelsey said with a nod and both Blake at the Sheriff blinked at her. “What?”

“There’s no record of you being at the dealership, Kelsey,” Blake said his eyes sliding to his brother and Kelsey looked up at him as well, seeing Elliot’s eyes wide with concern. She looked at her lap then, her expression one of confusion and thoughtfulness, chancing a look at Alex out of the corner of her eye. His face was completely blank but his eyes were stormy.

Just then Reva gave a loud snore, startling nearly everyone in the room except the sheriff who merely looked her way. Her head had slid off her arm, her foot thumping to the floor as she pulled herself into a sitting position. Kelsey wasn’t entirely sure if she was even really awake. Her answer came soon enough as Reva looked around briefly through slitted eyes and then realizing she was in a room full of men her eyes flew open, her hands reaching to cover her face.

“Oh God!”

“Good morning, Reva,” Kelsey said, a giggle escaping but it melted to a hiss as her ribs ached.

“How… how… ugh,” Reva flopped back into her chair looking exhausted. “What are all of you doing here? Sheriff? Is that you?”

“Good morning, Miss Sarno. Glad you could join us,” Sheriff Lockheed said with an amused smile and Reva rubbed her face hard. “Now, Kelsey do you remember talking to anyone at the bus station? Maybe you asked someone for the nearest bank?”

“No,” Kelsey said closing her eyes and leaning her head back against her pillow. She hadn’t planned on this. She figured a uniform would take her statement and that would be the end of it. She hadn’t expected to have to account for her time.

“What’s going on? Why are you asking her these questions?” Reva asked, her voice sharp now that she was more coherent and Kelsey felt uneasy. Reva could always tell when she was lying.

“There are about five hours Kelsey can’t account for yesterday,” Alex said plainly and Kelsey opened her eyes in time to see Reva’s neck jerk, her eyes falling on Kelsey, her expression growing worried.

“I mean… I took… I took a cab. I told him to take me to the dealership. To McConnell Automotive. It’s on Dauphine Street it’s only 10 minutes from the bus station-”

“Do you remember being brought here?” The Sheriff interrupted and Kelsey looked down at her lap, thinking. This part she didn’t have to fake.

“Sort of.”

The Sheriff nodded then looked back at Blake. He gestured for him to step closer and whispered something to the young man who nodded, flipped his notebook closed and exited the room.

“Did anyone tell you where you were found?”

“N-no,” Kelsey stuttered, feeling her heart beat watched up.

“Shell station about a block from the dealership,” Sheriff Lockheed said, crossing his arms over his broad chest and stepping up to the end of her bed. “You were out back, just outside the bathrooms. Some biker found you.”

“I’m sorry?”

It was Alex, his head inclined towards the sheriff, a look of disbelief on his face and Kelsey wished he would look at her. He had to hold it together. Alex cocked his ear more towards Sheriff Lockheed and the older man waited a beat before saying,

“A gentleman from a motorcycle club. He’d gone around back to use the head and found her. Alerted the cashier to call 911. Mobile PD took his statement.”

“They did?” Kelsey asked surprised and the Sheriff’s eyes immediately locked on hers. She looked away. “Do… do they have his information? S-so I can thank him?” She shifted uncomfortably on the bed. Her ribs were really starting to ache and all this talking was making the side of her face throb.

Sheriff Lockheed gave her a small smile. “I’ll see if I can get it for you.”

“Do you think it was the taxi driver?” Reva asked, her hand reaching for Kelsey’s automatically and Kelsey let her hold it even though it really hurt her wrist. “That did this?” Her eyes widened and then she looked at Kelsey with horror. “Oh my God did he… like… touch you? If he touched you I will KILL him.”

“No!” Kelsey exclaimed, her face scrunching up in disgust which hurt immensely. “Jeez Reva.”

“Miss Sarno, please,” Sheriff Lockheed waved a hand at her and Reva settled back in her chair, eyeing Kelsey suspiciously. “You have no memory of arriving at the gas station?”

“No,” Kelsey said shaking her head.

“Do you remember getting into the cab?” He asked.

Kelsey paused to think and then, injecting real fear into her voice she softly said, “No.”

“Did you ever feel as if someone was following you? Anyone that stood out to you and gave you the heebies?” Sheriff Lockheed asked and Kelsey blinked at his choice of words. “Think now, at the bank? Or even on the bus with you.”

Kelsey just shook her head for a third time and looked up at him apologetically. “No. Sheriff I’m sorry. I just…” She looked down at her hands in her lap and squirmed uncomfortably. “It’s all blank.”

Sheriff Lockheed paused and then nodded reluctantly. Kelsey let loose a slow breath, her shoulders sagging in exhaustion. That seemed to be the end of it. Or so she thought until the sheriff’s eyes narrowed again.

“Aren’t you worried about the money?” He asked and Kelsey looked at him, confused for a moment before realizing she was supposed to have just lost eleven thousand dollars. Her eyes widened.

“Did you find it?” She asked looking at him hopefully and the sheriff gave a short laugh before shaking his head. Kelsey let her head fall back against the pillow and looked up at the ceiling. “Mr. Ludlin is going to kill me.”

“Mr. Ludlin is only worried about your safety, Miss Charming,” the Sheriff said sternly and she looked at him then. It was weird to be called Miss Charming by anyone but Alex now. She glanced over at him and he had his head bowed, looking at his hands.

“But my car…” Kelsey trailed feebly and Sheriff Lockheed gave her a sympathetic smile.

“There’ll be other cars,” he said assuredly and and Kelsey let herself sigh. “Reva? Elliot? Would you mind stepping outside with me? I want to ask you guys some questions. Kelsey looks pretty tuckered out, maybe we should let her rest.” Sheriff Lockheed’s eyes fell on Alex. “You don’t mind sitting with her do you Mr. Danvers?”

Alex looked up at him abruptly and then glanced at Kelsey who immediately looked away. “Uh… I mean… sure. Yes. Yes of course.” Alex cleared his throat and sat up more in his chair.

The sheriff eyed him a moment longer before gesturing to Elliot and Reva to follow him out of the room. Reva gave Kelsey a painful pat on the arm before she got up and filed out the door behind Elliot and the sheriff. The door fell closed behind them with a soft snap.

Kelsey jumped as she heard the scrape of Alex’s chair and he was suddenly right there, mere inches from her face. “Kelsey I need you to tell me what the fuck is going on right now.”

Kelsey swallowed hard, her stomach rolling over itself at the low angry tone of his voice. His face was calm but she could feel it radiating off of him. Alex’s eyes stayed trained on the side of her face, the unwounded side and with her head tilted down like that it was almost easy to pretend she wasn’t hurt. She moved to pull her bottom lip between her teeth and winced at the pressure it put on the split.

“I took care of everything,” she said, her voice small and quiet and Alex blinked at her.

“You what now?” he asked, leaning closer still, his hand bracing himself on the rails of the bed by her head.

“I said… I-I took care of everything. Our problem. With… with those people,” she said still looking at her lap, but her eyes cut to him briefly and saw astonishment mixed with the anger and fear. He coughed out an unbelieving laugh.

“You… you-“

“I took the bus here and then went to the bar where you were supposed to meet them tomorrow. I gave them the money and they promised it was over.”

“Have you lost your Goddamn mind?” Alex asked in a heated whisper, his eyes blazing and Kelsey cringed away from him. He breathed sharply out his nose and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose hard. “You could have been killed,” he said, his voice even as his hand fell to his lap. “Do you understand that, Kelsey you could have been killed!”

He wanted to shake her because the look on her face, this apologetic cringe, she had no fucking clue what kind of danger she had put herself in. His mind rushed through a thousand different scenarios each more horrific than the next and closed his eyes, forced the panic down and took a slow calming breath. Come back, Alex.

“I’m fine though,” Kelsey said meekly and Alex fought the urge to bang his open palm against the rail of the bed, sitting back abruptly and crossing one leg over the other as he wiped at his mouth in frustration.

“You’re…” He paused, dipping his head to laugh at the absurdity of her statement. “You’re in the hospital with a concussion, broken ribs and a busted up face.”

“But I’m fine,” Kelsey said looking steadily into his eyes and she couldn’t possibly think this would have her desired effect. Not with half her face a dark purple color, blood turning the whites of one eye pinkish red.

“How did this even-”

“I did what I had to do,” Kelsey said fiercely and for the first time he saw past the blood and bruises, her earnestness shining back at him, her determination. “I did what I had to do to protect you.” She winced. “Protect us.”

Alex felt a heavy dread settle in his stomach like a stone. She loved him. It hit him then like a hard punch in the gut and he supposed he shouldn’t have been so shocked by it. He’d worried about this since they started whatever this was between them, her becoming too attached. He’d never dreamed of this however. That she would run off alone to a biker bar carrying a wad of cash without any regard for her safety. Teenagers. They think they’re invincible, he thought to himself and shook his head, feeling suddenly sick at his stomach. He wanted nothing more than to get up and leave. He couldn’t even look at her, the guilt lacerating him, that little voice in the back of his mind he’d been able to silence since October growing louder and louder.

“You still shouldn’t have done it. I had it handled,” Alex said, his mouth dry, rubbing his hands together slowly. “You shouldn’t-”

“You couldn’t sell the Echo Delta, Lex,” she said, her voice ragged with sadness.

“You did this… for a stupid boat?” Alex asked, his voice rising more than he intended and he winced glancing at the door.

“No!” Kelsey spat petulantly and Alex stared at her. “Not entirely,” she amended her voice still defensive. “I did it for me too. Eyes popped out like a ping pong ball, remember?”

Alex exhaled heavily, looking at her and found his anger was burning away despite his desire to hang onto it. What she had done was incredibly stupid but the relief at the realization that he was off the hook was palpable. He didn’t deserve to feel this. She had paid the price for his brother’s idiotic mistakes and he was feeling relieved because it had left him relatively unscathed?

“Wait a minute,” Alex said suddenly holding up a hand. “Drew owed those guys twenty grand.” Kelsey blinked at him. “You only had eleven.”

Kelsey smiled at him sheepishly. “I… I kind of took your portion from the drawer before I left yesterday morning.” She grimaced, her eyes extremely apologetic.

He merely looked at her for a moment and then laughed, making Kelsey jump at the unexpected sound. It lasted for a short moment before he forced himself to stop, running a hand over his weary face.

“You stole twelve thousand dollars from me?”

“No! I didn’t steal it. I took it. To use it for what you were gonna use it for anyway,” Kelsey replied defensively and Alex eyed her, chewing the inside of his cheek in contemplation.

“But…” Alex said after a moment, doing the math in his head. “You had more than you needed. What happened to the extra three grand?”

Kelsey looked down and refused to look back up at him. He had to say her name twice, the second time using his teacher voice which always made her talk. “I gave it to them as an incentive to stay away.” She thought about leaving it at that but couldn’t stop herself from adding, “And to help me with this.” She gestured vaguely at her face.

Alex’s eyebrows shot up, his jaw working but no sound came out. “You… you paid them to beat you up?”

“What else was I supposed to do Alex?” He sat back chastised by her tone. “I said I needed the money to buy a car. Don’t you think it’d be pretty suspicious if I came back without a car and also without the money?”

“So your solution was to stage your own mugging?” Alex asked, his voice pitching high in disbelief and Kelsey glared at him.

“I’m sorry, do you have any better ideas?”

“Anything but what you did,” Alex exclaimed in a harsh whisper and Kelsey looked at him wounded. Alex looked away, guilt burning away the anger as quickly as it had come on. He hated when she looked at him that way.

“I can’t believe you’re actually mad at me,” Kelsey said quietly after a moment and she gritted her teeth against the stinging in her eyes. “I worked really hard on this plan and maybe it’s not the way you would have done it but it worked!” Her eyes met his and he frowned at the two wet streaks on her face. “They got their money. You got to keep your boat and no one lost any eyes. I took a couple hits to the face and a kick in the ribs,” she said and Alex’s jaw tightened his eyes going hard. She jutted her chin out. “And I’d do it again.” Alex rolled his eyes, flopping back in his chair with a sigh, glaring at her and she glared back. “Also,” she said after a moment of them both pouting in silence. “You suck at saying thank you.”

Alex squawked looking at her incredulously. “Are you kidding me? I’m supposed to thank you for-”

His voice cut off as the door opened again and only Elliot and Reva returned both looking sober and on edge. Reva resumed her seat and Elliot stood next to her.

“Mr. Danvers, were you planning on staying up here until Kelsey was released?” Reva asked and Kelsey and Alex both looked at each other quickly before looking away.

“Uh… well…” Alex said, rubbing a hand along the back off is neck. “I kind of don’t really have a choice do I?”

Reva smiled at him sheepishly. “Is it okay if Elliot catches a ride back with us too?”

Alex glanced at Elliot who looked embarrassed but also curious, as if he was interested to see what spending an extended period of time with strict Mr. Danvers outside of the school environment must be like. He wondered what all Kelsey had told them about him, if she’d ever tried to explain that he was different one on one. He wasn’t sure if wanted her to or not. He looked at her then, not bothering to try and hide it and found her looking right back at him. Something pulled tight in him, a strange ache in his chest that hurt but didn’t at the same time. He swallowed hard against it.

“Of course Mr. Braum,” Alex said tearing his eyes away from Kelsey’s to look at his other two students, forcing himself back into the role he should have never let himself fall out of.