Angel Flower

Chapter 2

"Why would you talk to him like that?" Alexis burst out angrily as she stepped through the front door.

"Honey, things aren't like they used to be around here. After you left, things went... south," she said hesitantly.

"What aren't you telling me?" Alexis sat down at the island, feet rooted to the floor stubbornly.

"It's nothing sweetheart. Really," her aunt busied herself with tea. "How was Los Angeles? Where is it you're living now a days?"

"Santa Monica, don't change the subject," Alexis snapped. She and her aunt always had a strained relationship. Alexis was always more of the edgy type, her aunt wanted her to be the pink princess like all the other girls. When she did like pink, it was the bright neon and it was her hair that ended up being that pink.

"Honey, we don't have to start right up like this. Your uncle wouldn't have wanted it that way. Give me a hug, it's great to see you... though you do seem a little lean." A cold hug was exchanged, that was exactly why Alexis bought her own house.

"You said you needed some help with the business. Where are his things?" Alexis asked walking towards her uncle's study. A room she could remember being banned from as a young girl...

He came home late from a business meeting, Alexis had only been curious about what he was doing. She wanted to be just like him when she grew up. He tore into the room, angry; faced with a frightened eight year old moved nearly to tears. He wasn't great with emotions, showing or dealing, but he had a special way to her heart. By the end of the fiasco they were sitting out on the porch with ice cream sandwiches; a smile on her face and his arm around her shoulders.

"You really are just like him," her aunt stepped into the room, finding Alexis behind the desk; flipping through what few papers remained in his file cabinet. Alexis barely looked up, searching for some sort of clue.

"No bullshit. What kind of trouble are you in?" She pulled out a final folder.

"Don't swear in my household, young lady. It's not..."

"What? Proper?" Alexis stood up, manilla folder in hand. "Sorry. I left proper when I left town," she had little time for the niceties she knew her aunt wanted.

"Well honey," she sat down. Martha was, at one time, a fairly attractive woman. Alexis could remember the days when she would get dolled up for date night. High heeled shoes, pretty perfume, a beautiful dress that showed off all her curves. Now she sat in the desk chair, defeated... alone. Alexis was the closest person she had to family, she didn't know how to say it but she needed her.

"When Uncle Mason died..." Alexis looked down from the paper. Of course none of this could be on a computer. "It looks like he had a few bills to pay... for the company. Did those get paid?"

"No, I doubt they did. I haven't paid, and I don't think he wrote the check before..." her voice cracked.

"Ok so the first step is to get us caught up. Then we can look at what we have left. Are there any other bills?"

"Alexis, honey. I don't know. This was your Uncle's business, not mine."

"It pays for your house, right? Your food? Everything you own?" She was growing impatient, something about the house did that to her. "I think I have what I need here," she pulled the ledger from the desk. "I'm going to go home and do some number crunching. I'll be back tomorrow."

"Oh." Martha looked slightly disappointed, her eyes looking down at her fingers. "You aren't staying..."

"No." Alexis stood.

"Well. It's nice having you in town." She shrugged, fighting back tears.

"Thanks. You have my number if you need anything." Alexis threw a couple files into a box and passed through to the hallway. Remy was still waiting outside, sitting on the hood of his car.

"Mr Hunt," Martha started.

"He's here for me, leave him alone." Alexis threw the box into the back seat and climbed into the car.

"That was... awkward." He smiled, closing the roof.

"Yeah."

"Got any plans for tonight?" He looked over his shoulder back at Martha as she paced on the porch, starting back down the gravel road.

"Numbers, numbers, and more numbers." She shrugged.

"Want some company? I can bring popcorn..."

It really was great having Remy around. He had gotten skinnier... musclier... since high school. He was a bit of a pudge back then, but none of that showed now.

"So what the heck happened to you, man?" Alexis couldn't hold back.

"Huh?" He looked down, hoping not to find a stain.

"You're so... different."

"Life, sweetheart. Life happened. You changed too," he went back to the movie. He had always called her sweetheart or tuts or some other pet name, but it never gave her the reaction she just had. She sat back in the chair testing it out.

"Life... you know? Breathing... laughing... smiling, crying, getting wasted... making bad choices and then fixing them... LIFE." He continued.

"Yeah, I get it. It just... you..."

"I'm a cop." He recognized he wasn't going to finish the movie tonight. Turning to Alexis. "I went to college for criminal justice, I got a bachelors and then a masters. Specifically I'm involved in the psychological side of things. I'm actually in the middle of getting my doctorate in criminal psychology."

"You always were smart," she grinned, remembering many papers she copied.

"You weren't too bad either... when you applied yourself."

"Jesus!" Alexis tipped her beer bottle up on it's end, pouring the final remnants deep down her throat.

"Too... parent-y?" He chuckled. "I'm a cop, it's my job."

"Can I see it?" She asked scooting closer. Without hesitation, Remy pulled out his wallet. "It's so shiny! Do you polish it?" She joked.

"Nope, the dark souls of criminals polish it as I book em and chase em down with the almighty power of the law!" He preached.

"Now you sound like your father," Alexis jibed. "How is he doing?"

"Dad... he's still running the church. It was a surprise to him when I chose to go with law enforcement instead of religion. There was some time when we didn't talk, but..." he looked off as if thinking of something in particular. "Now we're ok."

"So tell me about these dark souled criminals we have lurking around town... sounds dangerous, should I be scared?" she joked.

"You're the deepest darkest of them all, love." It felt just like old times, curled up on the couch with Remy. Her baggy sweats comfortably draped over her cold toes.

"But you're safe out there, right?" She looked intently.

"Yeah, you know this town. A shop-lifter here, old confused lady there... but I'll tell you what. Rubin saved my life more than once!"

"I'd like to meet him some time. Maybe when he's not bleeding all over me," she looked down at her shirt as though she was still covered with his blood. "Who do I send the dry cleaning bill to, by the way?"

"Oh I'll dry clean it for ya!" He chuckled jumping on top of her, wrestling her to the couch his strong arm wrapped around her neck; gently giving her a noogie.