1.14

No, it couldn't be here! Kaylee closed her mouth with a snap and squeezed her eyes shut. Taking a deep breath she slowly counted to five...then just for good measure counted to ten. Blowing out the breath she slowly opened her eyes to see Janet standing there with a small smile on her face. Kaylee's stomach lurched and then without a word she spun around and started to walk quickly up the stairs.

"Kaylee!"
Two more steps to go, Kaylee thought concentrating on the sound of her slippers slapping against the pavement. Just keep one foot in front of the other and whatever you do, she thought to herself, don't listen to what she has to say. Don't listen, don't listen, don't-
"Kaylee...please."
Kaylee stood frozen on the stairs. Please? Janet had never said please a day in her life. What was going on? Why was she here? How did she find her? Questions tumbled one after another in her mind before she whipped around and glared at Janet.
"I'm not doing this with you. I haven't seen you in five years. What the hell could you possible want now? You-"
"Technically it's only been a few months since you saw me. I knew you'd make something of yourself kid but I never thought you'd reach the top of your class."
"T-that was you I saw."
Janet slowly nodded then took a step forward. "I just want to talk to you Kaylee. Just for a moment. Please."
There was that word again, Kaylee thought wildly. She peered at Janet in the darkness. Her eyes were shadowed by over sized sunglasses so she couldn't see her eyes. The lower half of her face was covered with a scarf even though it wasn't that cold out. And every so often Janet would look quickly to the left and then the right as if...she was running from something.
"Five minutes," Kaylee growled before starting up the stairs again.
"Fine. I just have to get...something out of the car. Do you have anything stronger than coffee?"
"No...way...in...hell." She spaced the words low and even. She heard Janet sigh.
"Of course you don't. I'll be right in."

After putting two mugs of hot chocolate down on the table Kaylee stared off into space. What in the world could Janet want, or need, that would make her seek her out after five years of not hearing a word from her? She had to want something...or need something in order to contact her again. The more Kaylee thought about it the angrier she became. Her temples started to throb and she realized that she was grinding her teeth just as the door snapped shut and she heard the clicking of Janet's heels on the floor.
"What do you want?" she snapped without turning around.
"For you to forgive me."
Kaylee gave a bitter laugh. "You're joking right? You played me for a good six months before I realized the truth. Had a little laugh at my expense and then left me high and dry."
"Technically it wasn't high and dry. I did leave you some-"
"Shut up Janet! Just shut the hell up!"
Kaylee spun around and confronted her. And for the first time she told her exactly how she felt.

"You left me high and dry. You were my MOTHER and all I got was a note telling me why you were such a miserable parent. I should have been allowed to enjoy my childhood instead I was ridiculed because you were nothing but a whore! Sure, it put food on the table but so would any other job!"
Kaylee gulped in air. "I should have been allowed to enjoy my senior year but nooooo! Instead I had to work to pay bills because the two grand you left me didn't go far after I paid the bills you left behind. And you knew, you knew I wanted to go to college. So, I scrimped and I saved and it STILL wasn't enough. Then Rachael comes in and helps me. For three years things were fine and then I guess you decided you had to screw me over again because I nearly lost everything! If it wasn't for the Jameson's..."
Her voice trailed off when another sound registered past the furious tempo of heart in her ears. "What is that sou...oh for heaven's sake! Janet...what have you done?" she asked in a horrified whisper.

"His name his Gabriel...and he's your half brother."
Kaylee could only stare down at the toddler in amazement. He glanced over at her and grinned widely before clapping his hands and speaking some sort of gibberish. Pressing a trembling hand to her mouth she slowly shook her head.
"Why? Why would you do something like this? You screwed up my life. Wasn't that good enough for you?"
"He wasn't planned Kaylee."
"Well neither was I and looked how that turned out," Kaylee snapped. She watched as Janet sat down and buried her face in her palm.

"I was living in Sim City. You know, bright lights, always the chance to win that jackpot. I figured that I would hit it big, send you some money for college and everything would be great. Well, it didn't work out that way. I lost everything and I owed some people some serious money. That money that Rachael sent me just one payment out of many."
Kaylee watched as Janet rolled her shoulders then fiddled with the handle of the mug in front of her before she continued on with her story.
"I couldn't pay it all back but Mr. Hunter and I came to an...understanding. He's one of the major players in the City. And he's a little rough when things don't go his way so I didn't see that I had much choice." She rubbed at her face again and then took off her shades.

"It turns out Quentin just likes to play rough period. And you're right. I was a whore before but it was always my choice. Not this time. I did what he wanted, when he wanted, with whoever he wanted me to." She gave a bitter laugh. "Hell, they'd all rough me up and Q would just send me off to get more plastic surgery until I barely recognized myself anymore. You think you hate me? You have no idea what hate is kid."

The baby, Gabe, had crawled over and sat down next to her. His little arms were flailing in the air and for the first time Kaylee got a closer look at him. She stiffened and then with a stifled curse bent down and picked him up to study him further.
"What the hell happened to him?" she growled. On his little chin was a fresh scar and he had a wicked scar running down the right side of his face.
"He fell," Janet said quickly before she rubbed at her face. She winced then gingerly poked at the area around her eye. "And let's just say I now know where your father got that scar he never talked about...and I know why he hated his old man so deeply."
Kaylee juggled Gabe on her hip as he softly patted her chest. After a moment he laid his head down and nestled against her. Without thinking about it she pressed a kiss to the top of his head.
"Why are you here Janet?" she whispered.
Janet darted a look around then shook her head. "Can we go somewhere where we're not sitting right in front of such a large window?"

They walked into the living room after Janet had dug around in her purse and gave a small toy truck to Gabe. After settling on the couch Janet turned to look at her.
"You look good kid. I like your hair. Congratulations on the engagement by the way. I would have sent you something but..." Her voice trailed off.
"Thanks. Now what do you want?"
Janet gave a bitter laugh. "I guess I deserve that. I did you wrong. I admit it and I feel horrible about it. I can't imagine how you felt growing up but I'm serious about asking for your forgiveness. Nothing was your fault. And those months before I left...believe it or not I did enjoy spending time with you but I knew it wasn't going to last. I couldn't be anything other than myself. Hell Kaylee, you didn't need me. You never needed me. Even growing up you were always daddy's little girl."
"Yet, I always wanted my mother," Kaylee said softly.
Janet looked away. There was a moment of silence and then Janet got up and walked around the room. Touching objects and staring at pictures until she came to a stop in front of a picture that Ty had taken during the summer right before they left for college.

"He's so in love with you," she said softly. "I can remember feeling that happy with your dad. I was about your age. God, that was so long ago. So many years since I've felt alive."
She seemed to be talking to herself and Kaylee didn't want to interrupt. She leaned back against the couch and stared at Janet. She was rocking side to side as she hugged herself...as if she were trying to hug the happiness of her past to her to ward off the pain of her present.
"I could have spent the rest of my life with him. But my father took it all away just because he couldn't get what he wanted. I found out some interesting things about your grandfather Kaylee. Hanging out with mobsters gives you a direct line to the inner workings of a corrupted mind. And your grandfather is as corrupt as they come."
She took a shuddering breath then turned around. She stumbled but quickly right herself. She absently ran a hand through her hair, tousling it then gripped the strap of her purse. "Anyways, I guess Gabe and I better get out of here. I don't know how far behind me Q is but I don't want him to catch up."
"You're leaving this guy?"
Janet smiled sadly. "Yeah, I'm leaving him. Running away would be a better phrase. I should have done it a long time ago. Before I got pregnant with Gabe. Hell, I don't even know if Q is his dad but he doesn't seem to care if he is or not. He just sees him as a potential solider in the war to gain more territory."
Kaylee hesitated then: "You look tired. You can stay here for the night. We don't have that much space but-"
"I can sleep on the couch. Thank you Kaylee. You don't know what this means to me."
Kaylee shook her head. "Let's get one thing clear. I'm doing this for Gabe. Not you. He can sleep with me in my room if he likes."
"Thanks," Janet said as she curled up on the couch. "And Kaylee? Q doesn't know about you. You don't have anything to worry about."

If this Q was as powerful as Janet said he was Kaylee was almost certain that he did know about her. Making a noncommittal sound in her throat Kaylee picked up Gabe and reached to turn out the lights but was stopped when Janet called her name. "What?"
"Could you...would you leave the lights on?"
Kaylee shook her head. Perhaps Janet had changed. She seemed so child like now. So fearful when before she would face anything head on. "Sure."
Gabe jabbered on in his own little language as Kaylee carried him down the hall to her room. She put him on the floor and watched as Buster climbed out of his bed to sniff at Gabe. Gabe laughed when Buster licked his face and then very gentle Gabe pulled Buster to him. Buster looked up at her with a resigned look on his face. Kaylee laughed and Gabe echoed the sound.

She let Gabe play with Buster for awhile longer before she picked him up and placed him into bed with her. She turned out the lights and Gabe plastered himself against her side.
"Shh," she crooned kissing his hair. She closed her eyes and ran her hand down his small back. Slowly he began to relax and eventually his breath evened out as he fell asleep. Kaylee dozed but woke up when Gabe began to thrash about sometime in the middle of the night.
"Hey little guy, it's okay," she whispered. At the sound of her voice he stilled then began to talk in a high excited voice. Not wanting him to wake Janet she picked him up and walked outside on the small balcony that was attached to her and Ty's room. She sat down on the small couch and rested her feet on the railing as Gabe continued to talk. They both stilled when the sound of a door slowly opening reached their ears. Standing up Kaylee picked up Gabe and edged back until they were swallowed by the shadows.

Janet slipped out the door and slowly shut it behind her before she quickly walked down the steps. She didn't look left or right but headed straight for her car. She opened up the car door, tossed in her purse, then fiddled with something in the car before she got out and slowly started to push it back out of the driveway.
"Look at Mommy Gabe," Kaylee whispered. "This is the Janet that I know."
"Janet?"
She looked down to see Gabe staring up at her as he repeated the word over and over again. "Yeah, Janet." She brushed hair off his forehead then turning walked back into the house just as the sound of an expensive engine starting broke the silence of the night. Kaylee leaned back against the door and blinked back tears. She gave a watery laugh when Gabe patted her cheek. "Well Gabe, we're going to need some help yes?"
"Yes!"
Laughing Kaylee grabbed the phone and dialed the first number that came to mind.