1.32

“This was a good idea huh Bug?”
Sitting down on the edge of the hammock Kaylee smiled as she heard Nana humming happily to herself. It had been two weeks since she’d had the twins and Ty had suggested a little together on the beach with some friends and family. Friends meaning Kava and Karrick. Kaylee was still wary about going back to work with Hannah. Shaking the gloomy thoughts away she looked over to see Nana pouring drinks.
“Where’d you learn how to tend bar?” she asked as she got settled. Ty had told her, in no uncertain terms, to rest and since she felt like resting she decided to listen.
“A little dive on the outskirts of the Valley. I worked there for a few years. Never had a bar as fancy as this though. Ty really enjoys the finer things.”
Kaylee laughed. “You wouldn’t know it to talk to him but he grew up rich. He’s never been without the finer things. Well, except that one year when he and I moved in together. You should…”
By the time Kaylee finished the story Kiki was laughing so hard she had to hold her sides. “Oh god! I can just see his face. That’s great!”
“Kaylee! Are you talking about me?”
She rolled her eyes as Ty yelled out the kitchen window. “No, why would you think that?” she asked innocently.
“Because every time I look at Nana she bursts out laughing.” As soon as he finished talking Kiki did start laughing. Kaylee had to bit her lip to stifle her own laughter.

Ty pushed open the sliding door and stepped out onto the deck with a pan of chicken in his hands. He had seasoned this up just right and now he was ready to show off his grilling skills.
“Did you make sure you seasoned that right? And where’s your foil? You always want to put foil down when you cook-”
“Dad! I’m cooking this! Just step back and watch the master,” he said with confidence before he had to juggle the pan to prevent the chicken from sliding off. He ignored his dad’s gaze, and Kiki’s infernal chuckling, as he made his way over to the grill.
“Where’s your charcoal?”
Carefully setting the pan down Ty pointed to the propane tank. “I’m using propane Dad.”
Damon sucked his teeth. “Propane? What’s the point of grilling if you’re going to use propane? Back when I was growing up-”
“Dinosaurs ruled the world. I know dad, you’ve told me a million times.” He ducked instinctively but he still wasn’t quick enough. He rubbed at the stinging spot on the back of his head. You would think after all this years he would learn how to avoid his dad's swats.

Lifting up the lid Ty carefully placed the chicken down. He was standing there, admiring his handiwork, when his dad stepped up behind him.
“You keep that open much longer and you won’t know what part is burnt chicken and which part is burnt flies.”
Slamming the lid down Ty spun around to glare at his dad. “Dad, I’m almost thirty now. I think I know how to barbecue,” he snapped.
His dad nodded. “Really?”
“Yes!”
“Okay, mind telling me why there’s so much smoke coming out from under that lid?”
“Shit!”

Ty bent down and pressed a gentle kiss to Kaylee’s mouth. “Hey, how do you feel?”
She had to concentrate hard on not laughing as the scent of smoke engulfed her. “I’d feel a whole lot better if you’d give me a real kiss,” she said as she tugged on his shirt front.
Laughing, he bent down and swiped his tongue across her bottom lip before dipping it into her mouth. Just as quickly he retreated. Her hand tightened into a fist around his shirt.
“Tyrese! Kiss me like you mean it!”
“I always mean it babe,” he said before kissing her like she wanted, like he wanted.
When they broke apart they stared at each other in silence before Ty straightened. “Where’s Gabe?”
“Sitting next to Fran as she watches him eat sand.”
“He’s eating the sand?” he asked horrified.
She waved her hand dismissively. “A little sand never hurt anyone. Ty?”
“Yeah?” he asked, distracted as he watched Gabe shove a fistful of sand into his mouth before laughing hysterically.
“You don’t think Gabe feels left out do you? I mean, we have been spending a lot of times with the twins and I don’t ever want him to feel as if-”
Running a hand through her hair he shook his head as he crouched down beside her. “Kaylee, I think being left out is the furthest thing from Gabe’s mind. He enjoys spending time with the twins as much as we do. And we always make sure to include him in everything. As far as I’m concerned he is my oldest son.”
She blinked away tears. “Have I told you lately just how much I love you?”
“Sure you have…but you can always tell me again.”

Ty carried the extra food into the house just to shut his father up about the damn flies. Putting the food on the table he looked down when he heard a sharp bark. He grinned when Buster looked from him, to the food, and back again.
“No way Buster. Kaylee would kill me if she saw me feeding you human food. And even if she didn’t see me she’d know. She always knows!”
Buster whimpered.
Taking a quick look over his shoulder he tore off a hunk of meat and was just in the process of bending down to give it to Buster when Kaylee yelled his name.
“Ty, don’t give Buster any of that chicken. It will put him off his food for days.”
Ty started to snatch his hand back but it was almost as if Buster could understand them. His paw flew out, slapped against Ty’s hand jarring the food loose. Before Ty could make a grab for it Buster leaned forward, twisted his neck and snapped the food out of mid air. Ty blinked down at him in amazement.
“We should so put you in show business.” Putting the plate on the table Ty pulled out a chair. He’d just take a few quick bites before he went back outside and ate his plate.

“PAAAAAARTY!!!!!”
Ty jumped when the door flew open and Kava came flying into the house. He absently noticed that she was barely wearing a bikini. All those workouts did do a body good, he thought as he admired her taunt frame. Of course, no one beat Kaylee in a bikini but still…he could enjoy the view. And she knew he was enjoying because when she ran by she shot him a wink.
Laughing he looked behind her to see Karrick following at a much more sedate pace. Something had been off about their relationship ever since Karrick had gone to visit The Wise. And no matter how many times Ty asked him what was wrong he would just shake his head and look away. There was something wrong. Ty wanted his friend back instead of this husk of a man that he had become.

“Ty.”
“Karrick.”
Ty watched as Karrick opened his mouth to say something else but instead he closed it and continued on his way. Suddenly having lost his appetite he tossed down his fork. Scrubbing a hand over his face he looked over his shoulder when the door opened. He gave Kiki a tired smile as she carefully shut the door.
“My, that Kava looks stunning doesn’t she? That suit is something else!”
Much to Ty and Kaylee’s amazement Kiki hadn’t been freaked out in the least by Karrick’s and Kava’s appearance. In fact, she had been fascinated.
“Yes, she does. I was thinking the same thing a few seconds earlier.”
She chuckled as she walked to the sink. “Good boy. For a minute there I thought you were going to lie and say you hadn’t noticed because you only had eyes for Kaylee or some cheesy crap like that. Then I would have had to-”

Ty stopped paying attention when Buster barked. Looking up he saw a figure in the doorway. Squinting, he realized that she looked vaguely familiar. He shoved his chair back when the sound of glass breaking reached him. Turning he saw Kiki standing by the kitchen sink with a broken glass near her feet. She seemed frozen in place as she stared at the figure at the door. It suddenly hit Ty who it was.
Kaylee didn’t have any pictures of Janet…well except for one but there was no denying the look of recognition on Kiki’s face.
“Kiki, are you-”
“Sweet, merciful Christ! That bitch has some nerve.”
Kiki loosened her grip on the edge of the sink as she tried to calm her racing heart. Stepping forward she kept putting one foot in front of the other until she stood in front of the door.

The two women stared at each other for a moment before recognition flashed across Janet’s face. Her hand flew to her mouth as she took a stumbling step back.
“Tyrese, go and get your mother and father. I think they’ll have a few things to say to her as well. And then go and keep Kaylee busy. I don’t want her to be stressed out. Janet has done enough damage to that girl. She’s not doing it again.”
“First, I have a couple of things that I want to say to her.”
Reaching past Kiki, if looks could kill Janet would be a withering mass on the front porch, Ty pushed open the door and stepped out.
Janet tore her eyes away from Kiki to look at him. Giving him a quick once over she held out her hand. “You must be Ty. I’ve never had to the pleasure of meeting you. I’m-”

“Oh, I know who you are.” At just the thought of this woman leaving Kaylee, his wife, all alone at the age of seventeen just made him see red. And for her to act as if nothing was wrong with it, as if they were strangers meeting on the street with no history, just made him want to deck her a good one. Instead he stared at her hand with disinterest until she dropped it.
“Look, you can’t keep popping in and out of Kaylee’s life when you feel the need to. It ends now, today Janet. I’m sick of it. You’re nothing but a leech but you’ve latched yourself onto my wife for the last time. Don’t come here again. Lose our address, quit following us around. I won’t tell you again. Do you understand me?”

Janet thrust her chin out and leaned closer to him. “You don’t tell me what to do boy,” she hissed. “This has nothing to do with you. I’ve come to see my daughter and son. I have the right to-”
Ty’s laugh cut her off and she stared at him in surprise. “What are you laughing at?” she snapped.
“Oh boy!” He held onto his stomach with one hand as he finished laughing and with the other he wiped tears away.
“I’m laughing at the fact that you still think you have rights. Kaylee is my wife, Gabe is my son. What they do is no concern of yours Ms.Ravensworth.” He leaned in close all signs of mirth gone from his face.
“Do I make myself fucking clear?”
He took a step back when he saw movement from the corner of his eyes. The door opened and his dad and mom stepped out followed by Kiki.
His dad's hand landed on his shoulder. “Go to Kaylee Ty. We have this.”
There was a note in his dad’s voice that he had never heard before. Giving Janet one last look he spun on his heel and went out back.

“Oh, I’ve been waiting for this day,” Fran said with barely disguised malice. She scowled at the woman who looked so much like Kaylee. And to think, if Kaylee hadn’t had her head on right, she might have ended up like this. At that thought Fran started to shake she was so angry. To imagine that girl, the girl that she considered the daughter she never had, could have ended up like this….
“I just wanted to thank you.”
“W-what?”
Fran shrugged. “I just wanted to thank you for being such an uncaring bitch. If you hadn’t been I’m pretty sure you’d have dragged Kaylee down into the mire with you. But because you were that girl had a chance at a semi-normal life. But I’m going to tell you something so listen and listen good. You are not to come near her again. Don’t call her, write her….you know what? Don’t even think about her. Severe all ties with the “daughter” you didn’t love enough to get over your own pain. You’re done disrupting her life.”

“Who the hell do you think you are? Just because you have money you think you can boss me around and tell me that I can’t see my own kid? Fuck you. I’m the one that gave birth to her, I’m the one that dragged her around and fed and clothed her for all those years. I’m the one-”
“Who dumped her in a strange town, with no family and friends and a little bit of money. You’re the one who didn’t bother to write or call as she struggled with college and love. You’re the one who nearly ruined her future by demanding money from the one person who tried to help her. You’re the one who fed her a sob story and then skipped out in the middle of the night. You’re the one who brought Hunter into her life.”
By the time Fran was done she was yelling. Janet opened her mouth and Fran took a step forward.

“I swear to God if you open your mouth I will slap the taste out of it.”
Fran looked over when her forearm was gently squeezed. Kiki was staring at Janet with such unabashed fury that Fran could feel herself cowering. Kiki deserved this, Fran thought as she stepped to the side. Not only had she lost her son but the woman that she had considered her daughter had snatched away her granddaughter and kept her letters hidden. Yes, Kiki had a lot of anger built up and Janet deserved every bit of it.

“How could you?”
Janet looked down. She didn’t bother asking what Kiki meant. She knew. She never thought that she’d come face to face with Terry's mother again. She didn’t know what to say. This woman had been her mother. She had taken her in when her own parents kicked her out. She had given everything she could without expecting anything in return. And in return Janet had taken away the last piece of her son. There was no words to express how sorry she was. No words to tell the depth of her own self loathing.
“Kiki, it was hard for me after Terry died. I…I didn’t know what to do. Who to turn to.”
“You selfish brat. You don’t think it was hard for me? I lost my son. My son!” Her voice broke. “And before I could come to terms with that you had left with my grandchild. You could have left her with me. You should have left her with me. I would have done what you seem incapable of doing. I would have loved her and raised her.”
Janet turned her back and walked a short distance away before she was spun around.

“We are not through. What you did was unforgivable. But for you to do it twice? There’s a little boy in there that’s finally learning how to trust. Sometimes when we leave a room he’ll track us with his eyes as if he fears that we’ll disappear on him. Where do you think he gets that fear from Janet? WHERE?!”
“Kiki, I only wanted what was best for-”
“Yourself. I’ve never hated one in my life but by God the sight of you physically sickens me. My granddaughter is happy now. I’m a great-grandma now.”
Kiki saw the surprise light Janet’s eyes. “Yes, and if I’m a great-grandma what does that make you? Why…I believe a grandma. You’re getting old Janet. Pretty soon your looks will fade and then where will you be? What will you have? Nothing…and no one.”
Kiki felt a pain in her heart for what should have been…but what could never be. Spinning on her heel she walked over to the edge of the porch and stared out at the road in silence.

The silence stretched on until Janet looked around and spotting Damon walked over to him. “What? You don’t have anything to say? Nothing to make me feel bad?”
“If I talk to you right now I’ll snap your neck. Know this though Janet,” he said as he looked through the door to the back of the house.
“Kaylee is a Jameson. If not by blood than by heart.” He slowly turned his head to look a her. “You fuck with her again and you won’t have to worry about Hunter. I will find you and when I do you’re pretty little face will have a scar twice as horrible as Gabe’s. Understand?”
She flinched away from his cold eyes.

“I believe my husband asked if you understood,” Fran said as she placed her hands on her hips.
“You do a lot of talking for someone who’s about to hit fifty soon. You think you can take me? Bring it!”
“Oh god!” Damon groaned before walking to the other side of the porch.
“What did you just say?”
“Bring...it,” Janet said slowly, enunciating every word.
“Oh sweetheart, don’t tempt me,” Fran said as she poked Janet in the shoulder. “You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”
Janet rubbed the spot that Fran had jabbed then frowning reached out and poked her back. “Why don’t you show me?”

A surreal hush fell over the porch as Fran looked from Janet, to the spot she had poked and back again. Then quicker than anyone could blink Fran punched Janet dead in the eye. She let out a startled cry and stumbled backward.
“Fran, don’t do it. Remember what happened the last time. You-”
“Frances, make sure you hit her again for me,” Kiki yelled cutting Damon off. He looked over at her and she winked back at him before she shrugged.
“What? I’m an old woman. My bones aren’t as sturdy as they used to be but back in the day I used to kick some ass!”

Fran let out a war cry as she leapt toward Janet.

“So, I was thinking that we should enroll Gabe in a pre-school. So he can be around kids his own age. Maybe he’ll pick up some things faster than what we can teach him.”
“Or he’ll pick up disgusting habits that you’ll try to break him out of.”
“Ty, be serious. I want Gabe to have a normal childhood.”
“Normal is in the eye of the beholder.”
“I want him to have the childhood that I never had,” she said softly.
“Sweetheart, I’d hate to break it to you but it’ll be an easy feat to make sure he doesn’t have your childhood. Why-”
“What’s that sound?”
Ty cleared his throat. “What sound?”
“I don’t know what sound Ty! That’s why I asked you. It sounded like someone was yelling a battle cry.”
He laughed nervously. He had recognized his mom’s voice. “You’re imagining things sweetheart.” He scooted closer to her.

“Have I told you how good you look in purple?” He whistled softly under his breath.
Kaylee looked at him oddly. “What’s your deal? Your acting all weird and you’re sweating. Why are you sweating? It’s not that hot out here. Are you feeling alright?”
He batted her hand away as she reached out to touch his forehead. “I’m fine!” He had to raise his voice to be heard over what sounded like a dying cat being strangled.
“Did you hear that? What is that?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know but whatever it was someone needs to put it out of its misery. Have I told you how good you look in purple?”

“Kaylee?”
“Hmm?” she asked as she cuddled against his side. She would never grow tired of his scent, his touch. She shivered as he ran his hand up and down her bare arm.
“You know I’d do anything for you don’t you? I’d lie, steal, even kill for you. You know that right?”
“Ty, I wouldn’t want you to do those things for me.”
“And it’s because of that that I would.”

“I suggest you stay down.”
Janet winced as her body reminded her she had just lost a fight. Frances had made sure not to leave brusies. She had just done some sort of karate techniques with chops to the body that had left Janet too weak to do much of anything.
Fran squatted down beside her and grabbing a fistful of her hair yanked her head back until she was looking directly at her.
“Now, repeat after me. ‘I will leave Kaylee alone.’ Come on, say it.”
“I will leave Kaylee alone,” Janet repeated through clenched teeth.
“Awww…say it like you mean it Janet.” Sighing, Fran helped Janet up. “I don’t like to torture people. I really don’t but you deserve everything that you’ve gotten and then some. You should be happy that-” She abruptly stopped talking when the door opened.

“So, is this how human’s settle their differences? No wonder your world is crying out for help.”
“What the fuck is this shit?” Janet demanded sliding away from Fran. She crossed her arms and stared at the man in the doorway. He calmly stared back and she felt as if he could see into her very soul. She took a quick step back and crossed her arms defensively. A brief smile crossed his lips before he looked at everyone else on the porch.
“I am the Guardian and I’ve been asked to come here today for a simple task.”
“And what task is that?” Janet snapped.
“As a guide.”
“A guide for who?”

Kiki sighed at the interruptions. She was so tired. Just seeing Janet again had brought back all the old memories and all she wanted to do was go to her room and cry. But she couldn’t show that weakness in front of Janet. She would take it and run with it. The girl she had once known was no more and in her place stood a woman that, in her wildest dreams, couldn't have imagined her becoming.
“Janet, if you would shut up the man could speak and we could all go about our business.”
The man nodded. “Thank you. Now, I come as a guide for those that need no guidance…only those that seek peace.”
“I hate fucking riddles,” Janet grumbled. “Just say what you have to say and be done with it.”
The Guardian looked at her once again. “Do you seek peace Janet Elizabeth Blackwell? Or do you seek to only disrupt?”
“I-I don’t know what you mean,” she said in a whisper.
“And you Keylane Nikki Harris. What do you seek?”
She answered without hesitation. “I seek peace.”
He smiled at her. “It was as they thought and so it is granted.”

Karrick and Kava stopped swimming as an invisible current seemed to sweep through the air.
“They are here,” they said in unison.

“Hello Mama. I’ve missed you.”
That voice. It couldn’t be. No, her mind had to be playing tricks on her. Her prays had gone unanswered for so long. They couldn’t be coming true now.

The voice was familiar but spoke in a hard tone she had never heard before. Her heart clenched in her chest. No, her worst nightmare was coming true.
“Janet...you and I have a lot to discuss.”