Invisible

Chapter 13: ~A~

Scarab Beetle'~

Kayli put a hand on Corey's shoulder, leaning her head against his back as he stared out the narrow window on the side of the far cherry wood front door.

"I don't think she's coming back tonight. It's nearly 11, she'd had to have been back before now." Corey sighed heavily. He couldn't help but worry that they were still making mistakes.

"She took off with that kid on the bike again. I feel like we're losing her, Kayli." Kayli echoed Corey's earlier sigh. Her hand dropped from his shoulder to grip his hand tightly.

"C'mon. Everyone's waiting in the Kitchen." Corey nodded, his eyes desperately scanning the empty night one last time for his daughter. Kayli tugged him into the large, well lit kitchen where Axel, Brandon, Marc, Raven, Kevin and Mindy were all waiting. Corey sat down next to Marc, leaning into him while still holding tightly to Kayli's hand. Axel took in the look on Corey's face.

"Not coming home then?" Kayli shook her head, "Then this is as good a time for this any. Some of us have concerns?" He knew they all did, hell Axel had his own concerns. Someone had to put a start on the meeting though. Corey straightened, leaning forward on his elbows.

"I'm starting to...no, that's not right. I have for a long time now wondered if we really are doing the right thing for Lacey." Actually he wasn't sure he had ever thought they we're doing the right thing for her.

Marc scowled, "I always thought Dr. Mackenzie was a quack." That was true. Marc had been very vocal about his opinion of Dr. Mackenzie but, at the time, Axel had shot him down. Now it seemed even Axel was starting to question the good doctor.

"He came highly recommended by Dr. Roberts and he's Academy," Axel replied with a heavy sigh, rubbing his temple.

"But he said himself he had never dealt with an Academy kid who didn't know about the Academy and certainly never one in such a unique family situation. How could he possibly know what should be done for her?" Brandon sounded off for the first time, his irritated gaze shooting around the table.

"He is a professional, Brandon." Axel replied with a firm tone.

"I do not understand. Doctor tells us we need to back off and leave her alone to prevent problems. So we do because he is the doctor. Now we have tissues again. What help was he?" Even after all the years he'd lived in the states Raven's english still suffered.

"Issues," Brandon, Corey and Marc all mutter. Raven waves his hand around dismissively.

"I'm not so sure this is the same issue, guys" Kevin leans forward, getting their attention, " I think backing off to prevent more attacks, for which we were the trigger, was the right thing for that problem at the time but it's created a whole new problem." Glances were shared around the table, entire conversations without a single word spoken. Kevin made a lot sense. It had been nearly three years since she'd had an attack, ever since they took the doc's advice and started appearing to back off. Watching over her from a distance had become a family affair, not to mention had been very hard on Corey. That was his baby girl. He just wanted to protect her, wanted to especially confront that kid she'd been spending so much time with and make sure he was treating his baby girl right, but he didn't dare risk it.

"So if this is a new issue, what do we do?" It was more a thought out loud from Brandon than an actual question.

"How about talking to her guys?" Mindy brushed a lock of her dark brown hair out of her eyes, "She's not a scared kid on the edge of puberty anymore, she's a young woman who deserves to know what is going on, especially since it's all about her!" This was a familiar refrain from Mindy, one she'd been trying to get across for over a year now. Kayli met Mindy's eyes.