The sun was starting to rise and I was still walking. I had gotten pretty far and my feet hurt, especially my bad one. I wasn't crying anymore, but not because I had gotten over it or wasn't sad anymore. I had stopped crying because I didn't have any more tears to spill. I tried not to get attention, kept as low profile as I could possibly do. I figured and hoped with all of my heart that Rick would know better than put out that pic of me again, he knew more now so he wouldn't be that stupid. I was lost in my thoughts while I walked, though I did try to keep an eye out so that no one was following me or anything. My thoughts where pretty far away from the street I was walking on. My thoughts where in one certain loft, with a guy I had come to love in just a couple of days. In my thoughts I was back in time, about seven hours back. To the time when his hands where all over my body. To the time when his naked skin was touching mine. To the time my whole body was electrified and all my worries were gone. I already missed that experience. I was wondering why it couldn't have lasted longer. Why couldn't I have stayed longer? Why did I have to be in a life threatening danger? Why couldn't I get my happy ending? Those were the questions circling around my head while I kept on walking even though my feet were hurting from hours ago. Suddenly I bumped into someone.
"Sorry" I mumbled before I quickly continued walking.
To my surprise the person didn't call for the police or called out anything after me. Then I remembered that the clothes I had on me didn't apply for me being a homeless anymore, which was probably why the person never bothered to try blame me for anything. I found an alley where no people where around, so I looked around and walked into it. I sat down beside one of the big garbage cans and I felt my feet hurt even more. Suddenly I could feel tears in my eyes again and it didn't take long before they started streaming down my face again. I put my head in my hands and sobbed quietly. Before I knew it I had slipped into a darkness no one could control but the subconscious of mine.
Rick stood in front of me, he had tears in his eyes and so did I. He walked towards me and closed the empty space between us.
"Why did you leave me?" he asked hurtful and I cried out my answer.
"I can't let you put yourself through that danger, I can't let you die, I can't live without you. I rather die myself than let you or anyone of the people I've met through you get hurt or possibly die because of me" I cried out and he took my hands in his.
His strong, warm hands held mine as if I was fragile and he stroke his thumbs on the back of my hand in gentle circles. He looked down at my face and our waterfilled eyes met.
"I love you Kate, I don't ever want to leave you. And I don't ever want to loose you" he said and it made my tears stream down my cheeks.
"I love you too Rick, that's why I did this, please forgive me. Don't hate me, it's for your own good" I pleaded and he hushed me.
"Kate, I could never hate you. It's not possible to hate someone you love as much as I love you" he said and I stood on my toes and let our lips touch.
He kissed me and soon we somehow ended up in Rick's bed. He was on top of me and his body was pressed into mine. My hands where in his hair and his hands were all over my body. My shirt was soon off and so was his pants. When I started pull off his shirt I heard a shot and I saw something red come out from Rick's chest. I screamed and pushed him off me so I could quickly push my shirt to his wound. The blood streamed out of his chest and I saw he was trying to tell me something. His eyes looked into mine and I was crying.
"Stay with me Rick, please, stay with me" I kept on saying but I saw the life leave his eyes.
"Kate? What happened? Dad!" I heard a small voice screaming and Alexis jumped up on the bed on the other side of Rick.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen" I cried and before I could react another shot was heard and Alexis fell down beside her dad. "No!" I screamed and took her small body in my arms.
I held her tight to my body but there was nothing I could do. She was already gone, just like her dad. I turned my head and saw a man standing with a gun smiling at me. It was none other than Bracken.
"Any last words?" he asked and rised his gun towards me.
"Why?" I asked and he shrugged his shoulders.
"Because this is what you deserve" he said before pulling the trigger.
I jumped up on my feet and looked around. Eyes hurting from all the crying. I had an awful feeling inside my stomach, in my whole body actually. I looked around and saw it was probably in the middle of the day. There wasn't anyone there which was a big relief. I sighed and sat down again. I wiped my tears and smelled the sweater I was wearing. It was Rick's and it still smelled like him, his scent calmed me down and I got up from the ground with new strength. I walked out of the alley and continued in the direction I was heading before. The directon leading away from my safe place, away from Rick. I had no plan on what to do. Right now my plan was to get as far away from the people who could get hurt from me as fast as possible. I really hoped Rick wouldn't be too devastated from waking up without me at his side, but somehow I knew that was exactly how it had been for him. I hoped he wasn't looking after me, yet I knew he would do that too. I knew that if he involved the two cops and Lanie they would try find me too. I hoped Alexis didn't ask Rick where I was too many times. I had learned she didn't want me to leave, but I couldn't stay if that meant getting them in danger. Maybe I could take Bracken out? But then that would mean I ended up in prison, and that wouldn't help anyone. Not me, not Rick and not Alexis.
"Excuse me miss, do I know you" a guy asked but I ignored it and moved along.
To my surprise that same guy took a hold of my arm and turned me around to look at me closely. I immediately recognized him as the guy who Rick save me from.
"Wait, I do remember you, but you were a little filthier last time we met" he said with a smirk on his face.
"Let me go" I said and tried to escape his grip but it only tightened.
"You owe me a good time" he said with a low voice.
I didn't know what to do, there was no people around us so there was no one who saw this happen. My heart started to beat harder and I tried to remember every little thing I had learned in fighting as a kid.
"Let me go, I'm warning you" I said and he chuckled.
I kicked him between his legs and his grip loosened as he gasped. I pulled away and started running as fast as I could with my feet hurting. Though the pain quickly left my body and I understood it was because of the adrenaline pumping through my veins.
"Bitch! Come back!" the guy called out behind me and when I quickly glanced back he was running after me.
"Hey!" a familiar voice screamed from behind me and I twirled around in time to see Rick knock down the guy with a fist in his face.
I watched with wide eyes and an open jaw.
"Never ever bother her again, you understand? Next time I will kill you" Rick threatened and I felt tears running down my cheeks again.
He looked up at me and his eyes turned from anger to worry. He took two steps closer but stopped, not sure how I would react. I started sobbing before I ran towards him and he quickly opened his arms embracing me. I hugged him hard and he returned the hug making it even tighter.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" I cried but Rick hushed me while stroking my back up and down.
I hid my face in his chest and I could feel how wet his shirt got from all my tears but since he didn't seem to care I didn't either.
"Come on, we should get going" a familiar woman said and when I pulled away to look at her I saw Lanie look at us from an open car window.
Rick pulled away and took my hand, leading me to the car. We jumped inside and Martha drove off. Alexis was in the car too and when I got inside, I had to sit in the middle back seat, she immediately hugged me and I hugged her back.
"H-how did you find me?" I asked and the little girl continued having her arms around me.
"We decided to split up, the guys, you know Javi and Kevin, took the other way from Rick's apartment and we decided to just follow the road and hope you hadn't made too many turns" Lanie said from the front seat beside Martha.
I blushed, how could I have forgotten to try make it harder for them to find me? Guess it was because I during the whole time couldn't stop thinking about Rick, and I suppose I secretly wanted him to find me.
"But, I can't stay, you know that" I whispered towards Rick but never looking him into his eyes.
"Of course you can, we will find a way to keep you safe, we have to" Rick said and I saw Lanie turn in her seat to look at me.
"Now, you don't do anything stupid like that again because we can't protect you unless you stay put" she said with a serious voice.
I could feel my inside twist. I didn't know if I could promise them anything. I really, really, wanted to stick with them and stay forever, especially with Rick together with his sweet family. I sighed and looked at Alexis who was eyeing me.
"Why did you leave?" she asked and let go of me so she could see me better.
I felt my heart twitch and I glanced at Rick with fear written in my eyes. I didn't want her to know anything, I didn't want her to know that I put them in danger just by being near them.
"Alexis, it's complicated, but she's back now and that's all that matters" Martha said and I looked at her with a confused expression.
Did she know? I hadn't told her, had I? Had she heard me and Rick talking? Had she figured it out herself? Maybe she figured it since I don't exactly have the 'homeless' looks, at least not after I had gotten that shower in her command.
"I told her, she found me hysterically trying to find you in my loft this morning" Rick whispered in my ear, "I'm sorry, hope you don't mind."
Oh, that made more sense.
"Where are we going? We can't go back to your loft, what if they're there waiting for us?" I turned to Rick.
"We're on our way to the loft, but once we get there we're just gonna pack some stuff and then you, me, Lanie and the guys are going to a house where they can't find us" Rick said and I looked at Alexis.
"And what about your mom and Alexis?" I asked even though I knew they could hear me.
"We're gonna go to Paris for some shopping, the tickets are already bought" Martha said and I looked at her.
I felt bad, bad for making them escape their own home. If I hadn't been in trouble that day when Rick passed that alley, or if I hadn't followed him home, they wouldn't be in danger right now.
"We're going to Paris?" Alexis said full of excitement. "But wait, Kate and dad aren't going with us?" she added quickly with a sad face.
"We're here, I'll call the boys, you go up pack" Lanie said as Martha stopped the car and I looked out the window.
We had gotten to the parking garage and now Martha was killing the engine. She jumped out and so did Alexis, Rick took my hand and dragged me out of the car. We walked to the elevator and together we all four went up to the loft. I was still frightened that there would be someone waiting for us but there was no way we could turn back now.