So what now? (Katydid50 x 5Bulletproof-Marshmellows)

[Katydid50]

Daniel was glad to know that Michael's strong and verbal opinions, and his blunt attitude when delivering them, didn't bother Elenore. It also gladdened him for a reason he couldn't understand to know that she would prefer to raise her kids in the country, though he could understand why she didn't. Properties sales were scarce out there and renting a place was even scarcer. Everyone that lived out there owned their own homes, except for Screech and his son and grandson but there was another matter altogether.

When Elenore asked Michael if he wanted three kids running around, he rolled his eyes. She wasn't making the point she probably wanted to. Michael loved kids, all kinds of kids. Well, most kinds of kids. Like Daniel, the man couldn't stand kids who were stuck-up or thought they were better than everyone else. Though, both of them did enjoy bringing those kids, and their parents, down a peg or two. Or ten. Unlike Daniel, Michael had an immense well of patience and he seemed to be attracted to troubled kids -like Daniel had been- the most.

Michael smiled as he raised an eyebrow. "I would love that. Not nearly enough kids around 'ere," he said. Daniel realized that Michael did have a point. The Johnson's last kid had just left for college so there weren't any kids around for at least ten properties, which was quite a large amount of land since the properties themselves were quite large.

"There's certainly more than enough room for them to roam," Daniel pointed out before taking another drink from his mug. His own property alone was twenty acres by fifteen. Michael was next to his and was even bigger, and he had no doubt that the man wouldn't mind having Elenore's kids running around his property. Daniel had his land bordered by fence on three sides, the only one being the border he shared with Michael. The fence, for the most part, had already been there when he'd moved in. All he'd had to do was repair and maintain it. Even still, he went around every few weeks to make sure that the fence hadn't broken anywhere.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Her kids would definitely create quite a bit of noise, except for Nicholas.. but perhaps he would be better out here in the country. Who knew? It seemed Michael wanted kids around this place. For some reason she got the feeling that Deserai would love Michael. She didn't know why she got that feeling but it was there. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips once more as she took a sip of the coffee, going over to the table to sit back down. Setting the cup down on the table, her fingers still stayed around it though.

"I think they would like it out here.. except maybe for Grace." she said quietly, it would be loud enough for them to hear her though. She really did miss her kids though and they really weren't too far from here. Taking another drink of her coffee, she knew that Daniel told her to take a break, but she wanted to patch things up between her and Grace and then just have some quality time with her family. That would be the best thing.

Glancing at the two for a moment, she then took another drink of the warm liquid. "I'm probably going to head over to Rose's place in a bit if you two don't mind." she bit her lower lip after that. Yeah, she did enjoy spending time with them. Michael was nice, even if it was a bit nosy but she was used to that since Deserai did it all the time, and she just enjoyed being around Daniel. They had definitely been rather welcoming.

Closing her eyes briefly, her fingers tightened for a moment, an image entering her mind.. one that shouldn't have made it this far. It was her, Daniel, her three kids.. all just having fun out in one of the fields doing nothing in particular. It almost made her want to just tell him here and there what she felt.. but instead she took another drink of the coffee. Her little dream was going way too high. She wasn't even in a relationship with him yet. Why did her dreams sore like that?

Biting her lower lip, she took another drink of the coffee, loosening her fingers a little bit since the tips of her fingers had started to turn white, she then swallowed. "The coffee's good." she looked over at Daniel. It really was good.. usually when people made coffee it was too strong for her or it was too sweet or bitter.. which is why she made her own coffee most of the time or just asked for something else.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel was sure that Elenore's kids would enjoy living out there, except for Grace. He wasn't too sure on her but teenage girls had always been a mystery to him and he was sure they always would be. When Elenore spoke, his suspicions were proved, at least somewhat, correct. After all, who better to judge their possible reactions than their mother? But even she didn't seem to know how her eldest daughter would react to such a move.

After taking another drink from his mug, he followed Elenore's example and took his previous seat at the table. At the news that she would probably go visit her kids after she left, he frowned slightly. "So much for taking a break," he said. Even though she seemed to want to fight it, he could see that she did need to take a rest, a long rest. She was worn out and he couldn't help wondering how much more -or little- she could take before snapping.

But, he wasn't going to say anything. Really, it was none of his business. If she wanted to work herself into the ground, who was he to tell her 'no'? He was just some guy that had helped her out in the past. He was nothing more than an acquaintance. But he did want to be so much more. It was a ridiculous hope and it wouldn't work out even if she did feel the same, but he wanted to be more than what they were, more than just friends. He wanted to see how far their relationship could go. But he wouldn't. He was no good for her and her family. They needed someone they could rely on and he just wasn't that guy. At any time he could relapse and go back to the way he used to be and he couldn't bring himself to risk that happening with them around. And, even if he didn't relapse, it didn't mean that his past couldn't come back to haunt him.

Glancing down at Elenore's hand, he raised an eyebrow at how tightly she was clutching at the mug. Not a second later, she eased her grip and commented on the coffee. Michael scoffed at that but Daniel pointedly ignored him. "You'd be the first to say so," he said before taking a drink from the mug. "My tastes never quite suited anyone else's." Though Micheal was the only one who made it known. The others were all too polite to say so but he'd easily been able to read the dislike in their expressions, plus their mugs had been still mostly full by the time they'd left.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

She rubbed her temples briefly. She wanted to be around her kids and she had nothing to distract her. Elenore couldn't spend a couple of days here, it just wasn't possible and she seriously doubted that he would be willing to let her stay here.. besides she didn't even know if she wanted to stay here. It wasn't her home. Closing her eyes, she didn't say anything to his comment, she didn't want to think about it. Why couldn't she take a break with her kids?

Hearing him speak once again about the coffee this time, she looked over at him after opening her eyes. "I can say the same thing about my tastes as well." she took another drink of her coffee, looking into the mug afterward. Elenore felt a bit lost when she wasn't busy with one thing or another and now her mind was wandering once again. It wasn't a good thing. She let her dreams sore far too high. Deciding to think about something else, she chose moving into the country. Sure, she could move in with her Aunt again.. but they definitely had to talk about that first. The bus would probably be able to come and pick Nicholas and Grace up for school and as long as they were together there she wouldn't have to worry about them.

She would have to pay more for gas though.. but in the end it would probably be worth it. If her kids were happy it would definitely pay off. Elenore would have to decide now though because she wouldn't be able to take anymore days off. Moving was definitely stressful. Her fingers silently tapped the glass before she took another drink of the coffee. Why was she listening to his advice so intently? She didn't know. Her relaxed and laid back mood was slowly disappearing and she was becoming a bit tense. Thinking about her kids and letting her mind wander to what could happen if she told Daniel how she felt had caused it all. Perhaps it was best if she just left now..  

[Katydid50]

Daniel smiled weakly when she said she had the same problem. If she liked the way he made coffee, she probably did. Raising his mug, he took another long drink from it, wincing as the hot coffee burned his tongue. Lowering the mug, he frowned before letting it ease as the burn slowly faded. No doubt his taste buds were swollen now. Oh well. A burnt tongue was nothing compared to what he'd gone through before.

He wondered, for a few moments, if anything he'd said, or Michael had said, had gotten through to her. He knew for a fact that her life and her children's lives would be better if they lived in the country. Not to mention their health too. City living was no good. Decent food was scarce and the water and air was absolutely filthy. He remembered well what living in the city was like. His only regret was that he hadn't moved to the country sooner.

Sitting there, he could see that Elenore looked slightly lost. Perhaps she did need something to do, not so unlike himself. But the difference between them was that he had a large property to maintain and he was renovating his house. Her, she had an apartment that she was probably renting, rather than owning it herself. That was another thing he liked about living in the country. No one could tell him not to do this, that and the other. If he wanted to make lots of noise, he could. If he wanted to renovate, no one could tell him 'no'. Of course, he'd never taken well to being told what to do.

"I best be going," Michael said before pushing himself up from his seat. "Got to feed 'orace and clean out 'is stall." Horace was Michael's horse, a painted quarter horse who was just as rough and shaggy as his owner.

Daniel nodded. "Alright. Thanks for stopping over."

Michael nodded before looking to Elenore. "It was nice to meet you, Ellie. You look after those little ones of yours, and yourself." He had a knowing look in his eyes as he looked between the two of them before nodding again and slipping out the door. A few seconds later, Daniel heard the front door open and close.

Turning back to Elenore, he said, "I assume you'll be moving off soon too." After all, she'd been there for a while. She probably wanted to get over to her aunt's and check up on her kids.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Closing her eyes once again for a few moments, she found that she really didn't want to go back to the city.. but that also meant that she had to stay with her kids unless she drove out into the middle of nowhere and just looked out at the horizon. That sounded like a good idea.. Taking a small sip of the coffee once more, she decided to wait and see what she would do with the rest of her day instead of planning it out. Living by a specific schedule wasn't that fun.

Hearing Michael, she was pulled back from her daze. Horace? Maybe it was a cow.. or maybe a horse, some kind of farm animal since it lived in a stall, probably a big one at that. She almost felt like she should get up and lead him out, but this wasn't her home. It just showed how long it had been since she had been over at a friend's house.

Smiling a little bit at the sound of her nickname before she looked back at him. How much did he know? "It was a pleasure meeting you too." she replied before looking back at the mug. The door opened and closed and she felt silence surround her. Taking another sip of the coffee now that it wasn't so hot, she then glanced over at Daniel. "Yeah." she nodded her head.

"Thanks for your hospitality." Elenore added after a moment before finishing off what was in the cup. Getting up, she held the cup in her hands, for an unknown reason she hesitated for a moment and then moved to the kitchen and placed the empty cup in the sink so he wouldn't have to worry about moving it around and things like that.

She couldn't think of the right words to say good bye. Her fingers tapped the counter briefly before she turned back around, knowing that it was time for her to get going.

((Sorry it took so long for me to reply >.< I'll be a lot more free as soon as this month is over.))  

[Katydid50]

((It's alright. And that's good to hear))
Daniel watched as Michael left before turning his attention back to Elenore. She seemed to have genuinely enjoyed Michael's company, something he was glad for. Michael seemed to like her as well, something he was even more grateful for. Of course he liked Elenore and wanted to be around her but that would have been very difficult if Michael hadn't approved. At least he didn't have to worry about that happening.

When she confirmed that she did indeed have to get going, he nodded slowly. She couldn't stay there forever, no matter how appealing that thought seemed to him. She had a life and kids that she needed to look after, despite the fact that they were in capable hands just so she could have a break. But she was one of those women that lived for her kids. He'd seen that right from the very beginning.

When she thanked him for his hospitality, he shrugged. "I don't often get visitors who aren't Michael," he told her. "What else was I supposed to do?" It wasn't any real extra work for him so why wouldn't he show what little sense of hospitality he had? He didn't go out of his way for Michael because the older man was practically family -the only real sense of family he'd ever had- and a person could get away with that with family, couldn't they? Well, Daniel did, whatever the case.

He watched as Elenore carried her mug over to the sink before standing up himself. As he looked at her standing by the sink, he couldn't help thinking about how she looked like she belonged there. But he quickly pushed the thought away. Even if there was the chance of them getting together, it wasn't just about them. She had three kids she needed to consider and he was hardly the kind of guy most women wanted around their kids. Anyway, there was always the chance of his past coming back to haunt him and he didn't want Elenore or her kids around when it happened, because it would happen one day.

Picking up his own mug, he walked right up to Elenore, stopping mere inches away from her. Without looking away from her face, he reached around her and placed his mug in the sink. "You should probably get going," he said quietly. "George, the farmer down the road, pushes his cattle across from one paddock to the other across the road about now. You don't want to catch them or you'll be waiting for quite a while."  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

She didn't usually visit people so in a way they were in the same boat. She didn't answer his question though, she simply smiled. It was nice when people treated you with kindness. She hadn't gotten a lot of that after her mother died, except for a little while with her ex but that could have been all lies for all she knew.. she didn't care at this point now, not about Sebastian.

When she turned around, she then found Daniel walking straight at her. Looking back at him, she could hear the soft thud of the cup being placed in the sink. Her eyes slowly scanned his face before returning to his eyes, barely hearing what he said. His handsome blue eyes. Tilting her head slightly, she placed her hand on the edge of the sink behind her, she knew she should go. He knew that as well.. and yet she didn't want to leave.

Moving an inch closer for a few seconds, she knew she could just stay and wait for the cattle to cross, how long would that take? An hour? She then parted her lips, responding to his words with a whisper, "I'll see you later then." A small soft smile tugged at the corners of her lips before she hesitantly and gingerly stepped to the side and headed towards the door and she lowered her head. She barely brushed against him before she lowered her head and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. What was she thinking?

Her heart was beating slightly quicker than it usually was. What was the point of day-dreaming like that? Except he had been that close to her.. and yet she wasn't a young girl anymore. She was a mother with three kids that counted on her. She reluctantly walked away from him. What if she had stayed there? What would have happened then? She shouldn't have asked herself that because the next moment the image of them kissing came up. Why was she letting herself act like this?

Swallowing, she was tempted to turn back around but she somehow kept herself from doing that. She had to go see her kids.. and then she didn't know what would happen after that. Perhaps.. they could talk more sometime tomorrow.. or maybe tonight. Why could he get to her so easily by barely doing anything? He had just walked up to her.

((Yeah, I miss this roleplay a lot >.< ))  

[Katydid50]

Daniel found himself staring down into Elenore's emerald gaze. He knew it was rude to stare -not that he'd ever really paid attention to manners anyway- but he couldn't bring himself to look away. He'd seen real emeralds once. His gang boss's wife had favored emeralds and he'd been invited over for dinner a few times. Even when at home, she had still been decked out as if she was going to some fancy dinner with a celebrity or politician. Elenore's eyes were the exact same shade of the emeralds the woman had worn around her neck and wrists and in her ears.

His eyes darted down to her hand when it pressed back against the sink before he looked back to her face, watching as she tilted her head. As if she was preparing herself for a kiss. And oh it was so tempting, especially with her so close. All it would take was him putting his hands on the counter on either side of her and leaning in. She wouldn't fight him. He could see it in her face. Something, some instinct, told him that she wanted this as much as he did. But it couldn't work! He was no good for her! She just didn't seem to realize that and, more and more, he was starting to not care.

When she moved closer, he was sure his heart had skipped a beat. He'd only ever experienced it once before and that had been under very different circumstances. At her whisper, he nearly groaned aloud. He wanted her to stay as much as she wanted to stay. He could ask her to stay. It was right on the tip of his tongue. But he couldn't. She wanted to be with her children and he couldn't bring himself to stand in the way.

"Yeah," he whispered. "See you." When she smiled at him, he smiled back, albeit weakly. He didn't move as she stepped to the side and headed for the door. Her brushing against him had left his arm tingling where she'd touched it. His sleeves had been rolled up before he'd started working on the living room and goosebumps broke out on his arm despite the fact that he didn't feel cold at all. Damn it all! No other woman had ever had this kind of effect on him! Except for one, and she held a place in his heart but not like the one Elenore had. The other woman had simply helped him move along in life, sort of. He would always be grateful to her but that was the extent of his feelings for her.

Taking a deep breath, he turned and watched as she disappeared through the kitchen doorway. Walking after her, he followed her to the front door. Manners had never been a big priority for him but even he knew that it was only proper to escort a guest out.
((I've missed it too. But, hey! Now you're back!
Should we do a time skip to when Nick goes missing again and Elenore calls up Daniel for help?))  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

She had wanted to stay so badly.. and of course she still did but perhaps for another time. Sighing softly she reached the front door without too much of a problem, hearing his footsteps behind her. Looking over at him, she felt like saying so many things and mind you, she was usually straight forward, but she found that the only words that could escape her lips were those of a good farewell.

After that she headed out and in a few steps she had reached her car. The cattle was probably crossing the road by now.. and that would give her time to recover before she reached Aunt Rose's house. Waving good bye as she climbed in, she then started the ignition and backed out of the driveway. She happened to be pretty good and parking and pulling out of tight spots since that happened a lot in the city so this wasn't too much of a problem. Driving off after that, she bit her lower lip. They had been so close..
_________________________________________

A few (months or weeks?) went by and she was still in the same situation she had been before her little vacation. In the city with her three kids, making dinner for them. Thankfully she had been able to come home earlier since Ruggles was out sick and the person in charge let her go home a few hours earlier so that she could feed her kids. Opening the oven to check on the steak, she poked it with a long fork before closing the oven again and checking up on the potatoes that would be mashed as soon as she was done. Deserai was playing in the living room and Grace had just finished setting it table. To be honest she wasn't quite sure where Nicolas had gone off too.. she had come home half an hour ago and he hadn't been there to greet her. Grace had told her that he had gone into his room.

Placing her mitts on top of the stove, she decided to go check up on him. If he had been taking a nap he would have been up by now by the smell of the food. Knocking on the door gently before she opened it she looked around the room even though it was dark. "Nicolas?" she said quietly. There was no response. Not even a rustle of sheets. Something was out of place. Flipping the lights on, she then walked around the room and looked for him but he wasn't there and his bed was cold. Her heart felt like he was going to burst.

This couldn't be happening again. "Grace!" she called her over and she appeared by her side in a moment.. Deserai following her after a moment. "When's the last time you saw him?" she asked her sitting down on the child's bed, running her shaking fingers over her face. Grace immediately knew what had happened. He was gone.

"About two hours ago.. " she said softly. "I'll go look for him." she was about to leave with Elenore told her to stay.

"Keep on eye on the steak and food. I'll go look for him and lock the doors, close the windows. Don't let anyone in. I have the key if I need to get in." she told her. Getting up, Grace didn't argue with, she got her coat and pulled it on. Deserai would have been asking questions if it wasn't for that fact that she realized that something horrible was going on.

Shivering a bit, she put her keys in her pockets as well as her phone and her wallet. The police wouldn't look for him until twenty-four hours had gone by. She couldn't wait that long. A lot could happen to a kid in one night. Running down the stairs after she had locked the door to her apartment, she got to her car in no time. That's when she remembered that Daniel had found her son last time.. maybe he could help her this time around. She would have hesitated if it was for her own sake but it was for Nicholas'. Pulling out her phone, she dialed his number and let it ring, she could only hope that he would pick up.
((Yes ^^
Yeah, I can do it.))  

[Katydid50]

Daniel watched as Elenore looked back at him. He could feel the words on the tip of his tongue, the words that he knew would make her stay, if only he could get them out. But he couldn't and neither did she. When she big him farewell, he nodded and murmured something along the same lines. She wanted to stay -he could see it in her eyes- and he wanted her to stay. So why couldn't she stay? Why couldn't things be that simple?

But he knew the answer. Life wasn't that simple. It never was and never would be. If they had been younger, free of any responsibilities to other people, maybe it could have worked that way but those days were long since gone. From the doorway, he watched as she managed to back up and turn around, something he was surprised she managed in a car that looked like the roughest ground it ever saw were the speed bumps around fast food places. His driveway, if it could be called that, had managed to stick cars bigger than hers.

As she drove off, he stayed where he was until her car had vanished from sight. He allowed himself a quiet sigh before turning and heading back inside. This was ridiculous. He had work to do and distracting himself with Elenore was hardly progressive.

In the weeks that followed, they saw more of each other. Daniel still wasn't happy about how much she was working and how much stress she was under but at least Ruggles' fill-in was a decent, and professional, man. He didn't see much of the guy but from what he heard about the offices, he was a saint compared to Ruggles. Daniel could believe that.

Things didn't change for him, though. He continued delivering packages at work and continued working on his house when at home. He had managed to get most of the walls replaced in the living room and he was now working on cleaning out the spare room. As it turned out, it was even worse than he remembered. Granted, he hadn't been in there for years so it was expected that it would decline.

That night, after he put the vegetables and meat into the oven to cook, that was what he was working on. Picking up the broom again, he swept up the floor again and it came back with just as much dirt and dust as before. Huffing in irritation, he wondered if it was worth it sweeping it over and over and over again. Perhaps he should just pull out the floor completely. It was certainly an idea since the floorboards had this nasty habit of creaking whenever he stepped in a particular spot.

Leaning the broom up against the wall, he scowled as he examined the room again. The walls were stained with smoke, he guessed. No doubt some squatters had stayed in here before Screech had sold him the property. Probably some stoners or something, he thought with irritation. It would probably be less work to rip down and replace the walls as well. Even though it would be less work, he didn't like the idea.

A sudden meow caught his attention and he looked over his shoulder to see Max standing in the doorway. The cat didn't usually come in at night. Turning Daniel walked over and knelt down in front of the tabby. "Hey Max," he said as he stroked the feline. "What are you doing back so early?" Of course, he got no response other than a contented purr. Smiling weakly, he sat down and let the cat climb into his lap. Looking around the room, he asked, "Hey, what do you think? Should I try to salvage what I can or just replace the whole room?"

Max looked up at him with deep green eyes that reminded him of Elenore's. The cat meowed in such a way that it made Daniel frown. "I was afraid you would say that," he said just a moment before the phone rang. Pushing the cat off him, he jumped to his feet with the ease of a man half his age and walked over to the phone that hung on the hallway wall.

He couldn't help but be curious as to who could be ringing at this time of the night. It wasn't late but it was usually when people were making or eating supper. Michael wouldn't call and he couldn't think of who else would be calling at this time. Certainly Elenore would be making supper right now? Picking up the phone, he brought it to his ear. "Hello?"  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

That one ring seemed like an eternity to her. She glanced outside several times, thinking that maybe Nicolas wasn't too far off but he was probably in the heart of the city by now.. or on the outskirts. Neither of those places were good for a kid at night. She could only hope that someone hadn't gotten to him by now or if someone had that it was the police, or someone that he trusted, not that he trusted a whole lot of people after what had happened. Taking in a deep breath when she heard the phone being picked up, she was glad that he was actually there.

Hearing his voice, closed her eyes briefly, not wanting her voice to shake. "Hey.. it's Elenore." she said in a low voice, lowering her head as she tugged gently at the tips of her red hair, trying to keep her voice in check. "Nicholas.. Nicholas has gone missing." of course it was possible that he was busy or in the middle of eating dinner but she didn't know who else to call at this time to help her. Aunt Rose would help but she didn't want to have the older woman out looking for her son during such dangerous part of the city. That woman wasn't afraid of anything but she doubted the police would be happy with her if she brought her rifle along.

"You know this city better than I do." she added as she ran her fingers through her hair, trying to calm down, she still had to drive the car and if her hands continued to shake like this she wouldn't be able to do it. Biting her lower lip. Putting the car into reverse, she thought of all the places he could possibly go. There was the school.. but then again, perhaps he was just roaming the city. Why did he have to go at night? Why couldn't he go during the day with Grace? Another chill ran down her spine. She didn't even know where to look for him.

Letting out a shaky breath of air, she pulled out of the parking lot. Sure it wasn't smart to talk on the phone and drive at the same time, but she just wanted to have Nicholas back, safe at home. They had discussed all of this so long ago, why did he do it again? Swallowing, she then spoke again. "Please.. help me find him." would he agree to? If he was busy then she would still go out looking on her own. All night if she had to though she hoped she would be able to find him within the first hour. Making the car go forward, she stopped at the exit of the parking lot, making sure no cars weren't going by before she drove onto the road. Elenore knew that she shouldn't be driving in this state but she had to find him.

Grace ran her fingers through her curly hair, it was a habit that she picked up from her mother without realizing it. Deserai was looking at her with her big light colored eyes, questioning her slightly. Patting her younger sister's head, she stood up and lead her out of the room. "Come on, Mom should be back soon." if Nicholas hasn't gotten into any kind of trouble she walked into the kitchen after turning off the light. "Nicholas will be back too." she almost thought about leaving and going to look for Nicholas as well but she couldn't leave Deserai alone. Nicholas had all of them worried, even Deserai was keeping her plectra of questions to herself.

Looking at the boiling pot, she frowned slightly. She had been happy to have her mother back early for once so that they all could spend some time together, though she would never admit it. She could live without a father, she just wanted the family that she had to be together. "I'll call you over once dinner is done." that was the usual routine when their mother wasn't home unless they decided to make cookies or cake then they all helped.. but roasting steak was different. She probably wasn't going to get any homework done either but that was the last thing on her mind at the moment.

She had long ago come to terms with the fact that they weren't going to be a 'normal' family and she was fine with it. Of course she wished that they could spend more time together, or that she had a bit more free time and less responsibility on her shoulders.. but sadly that wasn't going to happen. Sure she had thought about the possibility of her mother finding someone else to be with, and yet.. she didn't know how she felt about that. Grace was rather protective of her family and she didn't want the same thing to happen again. If another man came she was definitely going to put him through a number of tests and it would be a long time before she called him 'father' let alone 'dad'.  

[Katydid50]

The moment Daniel heard Elenore's voice on the other end of the phone, he knew something was wrong. The same instinct that had kept him alive on the streets and his time in the gang came back to him and told him that something was very much wrong. He could hear the worry and fear in her voice, as well as the tremble. Not many things could bring a person to sound like that and it worried him. What could possibly have happened since he saw her that day at work?

Before he could speak, she came right out and said what was happening. Nicholas has gone missing. The words echoed in his mind, bouncing around and coming back on themselves. For a moment, he felt his blood run cold. After he'd run away from his father's house, and even before that, he'd started exploring the city's heart. He knew how dark it was, how cruel and merciless. It was dangerous for those who knew the streets and how to protect themselves but for a kid...

"You know this city better than I do." He glanced over his shoulder at the open doorway to his bedroom. Yes, he knew the city better than she did. Better than most people did. Even now, he had weapons stashed in his room from his time on the streets. The blade he had used to kill Darren McKnight. The gun he'd used to cripple Aren Tensford. The brass knuckles he'd used to break the jaw and eye socket of Craig Wald. And those were just to name a few. Some of the older weapons were still stained with blood, but not for his lack of trying to clean them. The metal had just seemed to absorb the color.

For several seconds after that, he said nothing. When she pleaded with him to help her find Nicholas, he still said nothing. He would help. Of course he would. No one deserved to go through some of the things that happened to those caught out on the streets at night, especially not a kid. Especially not a good kid like Nicholas.

"Stick to the suburban area and outskirts. I'll check the inner city," he told her, his voice calm and relaying none of the anxiety he felt. "If you haven't gotten word from me yet, meet me back at your place in an hour." He hesitated before adding a quick "Be careful." and hanging up. It was funny. She should've been the one warning him to be careful, although she probably didn't realize just how dangerous it was for him. He'd left some loose strings in the inner city when he'd straightened his life out. Hopefully he didn't run into any old acquaintances.

Swallowing, he ran a hand over his face before looking back to his bedroom doorway. His stomach was twisting itself into knots and it was almost a minute before he could bring himself to move. With a swiftness and sense of urgency he hadn't felt in a long time, he went to his room and reached under his bed, pulling out a long and wide but shallow wooden box. Flipping up the catches, he opened the box to reveal a range of old weapons that he had once used -or at least worn- on a daily basis. A quiet sigh escaped from him even as he felt a sneeze growing in his nose. It had been a long time since he had opened this box and a fine layer of dust had gathered on its lid.

Grabbing a sheathe, he tied it around his thigh before slipping the six inch -not counting the hilt- blade into its sheathe. He grabbed another knife and sheathe and attached them to his belt. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to use either of them.

Getting to his feet, he left the box open as he hurried out the door. He grabbed his keys from the kitchen counter before all but running out the front door and climbing into his truck. The drive to the city was tense. His hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were probably white. He couldn't tell in the darkness and, even if he could, he didn't dare take his eyes off the road. His heart was racing in his chest, so much so that it was almost painful.

By the time he reached the city, he was anxious to get out of that damned truck and get moving. His truck wouldn't be any good to him in the inner city. There were just too many places Nicholas could be that were off the roads. Once he reached the inner city, he parked in the parking lot of a gas station slash convenience store and hoped out. After locking the doors, he slipped his keys into his pocket.

As much as he hated to, he forced himself to stop and take a few deep breaths. Nicholas wasn't too much unlike himself at that age so he tried to think of the places he'd gone when he was young. A few places came to mind immediately so he decided to start there.

Minutes passed quickly but slowly at the same time. He checked place after place but there was no sign of Nicholas. As time went on, he felt himself starting to panic despite the fact that that was the worst thing he could do. Ten minutes passed. Fifteen. Twenty. Thirty. Forty-five. The hour was almost up before he finally found Nicholas, and in the exact situation he had feared most.

Daniel had almost passed by the alleyway without a second glance but the sound of a familiar voice had stopped him dead in his tracks. "You think you can get away from me, you little rat? Well, you guessed wrong."

Daniel stepped into the alleyway, his eyes scanning over the form before him -its back turned to him- and over the cowering figure beyond that. It took him only a moment to recognize Nicholas, trembling on the ground and backed into a corner. Looking back to the man, he rushed forward as the person reached out to grab for Nick. However, the sound of someone coming towards him made the man look up, giving Nicholas the chance to dart away but not able to escape as the man lunge forward and grabbed hold of him as he tried to pass.

The child firmly in one hand and a knife in the other, the man pressed the knife to Nicholas' throat before turning his icy gaze to the newcomer. Daniel felt his stomach drop at the man. He skidded to a halt at the obvious challenge and unspoken threat in the man's eyes. But, after a few seconds, the glare changed to an expression of disbelief, then cruel mockery. "Well, well, well. If it isn't little Danny Oxley. Granted, not so little now."

Daniel forced himself to breath slowly and deeply, forcing down his fear. Fear turned to panic and panic made people make mistakes. Mistakes were one thing that he and Nicholas couldn't afford for him to make. "Let him go, Damien."

The man raised one eyebrow, glancing down at the boy before looking back to Daniel. "This kid belong to you, Danny? Funny, never thought you'd be the kind to be interested in little boys."

Daniel felt the corner of his mouth twitch. This had to be handled very delicately or else it would be all over before a person could blink. "Just let him go."

"And why should I? I found him and you know the old saying about keeping what you find and losers crying." A sudden smirk appeared on Damien's face, contrasting deeply with the pale, terrified Nicholas. "You want him? Come and get him."

Daniel watched Damien closely before slowly starting forward. Damien didn't move and the blade remained against Nicholas' neck. Daniel forced himself not to look at Nicholas, knowing that the pleading expression on the boy's face would distract him and that was another thing he couldn't afford. The distance between them steadily vanished until Daniel was only a few feet away from the pair. Damien was watching him like a lion would watch a gazelle. Daniel just hoped he would be fast as one.

The following minute passed in a blur. Daniel lunged forward at the same time that Damien slit Nicholas' throat. Unfortunately for Damien, Daniel hit him in the same instance, throwing him off balance and giving Nicholas nothing for than a scratch. Nicholas was thrown to the ground and he quickly scrambled away. Daniel turned his focus to Damien who was swearing like a sailor. The two wrestled on the ground, Damien lashing out with his knife and Daniel trying to reach his own.

Pain flared in Daniel cheek as he felt warm blood pour down his face. Grabbing Damien's wrist, he twisted it, earning himself a pained yell from the other. Reaching for one of his own knives with his other hand, he just barely managed to avoid getting head-butted. Grabbing one of the daggers, he aimed for Damien's neck but missed as he was thrown off to the side.

The air was forced from his lungs as Damien slammed an elbow into his chest. Daniel was sure that one of his ribs had cracked. The two wrestled again, rolling over and over and fighting for the upper hand. Sometime during the fight, Daniel had gotten a cut on his forehead and one of his teeth had come out. He had several other cuts on his arms and one on his leg but they were all minor.

Finally, Damien came out on top, pinning one of Daniel's arms to the ground while trying to grab the other one which eluded his grasp. Knowing it was now or never, Daniel lashed out. He felt his knife connect with flesh just before blood poured down and covered most of his face and upper chest. A scream reached his ears before it quickly died away to a disturbing gurgling noise. Throwing Damien off him, he jumped to his feet and took several steps back, watching as the man crumpled to the ground, his hands covered in red as he tried vainly to staunch the flow of blood coming from his throat.

In less than a minute, it was all over. Daniel stood there, staring down at the still figure. He was aware of the sticky warmth that covered his skin and clothing but, for the moment anyway, he didn't care. His pulse boomed in his ears and it took him a few seconds to remember Nicholas.

Nicholas was, for the most part, no worse for the ware. He had some scrapes and scratches but nothing too serious or even something to worry about. The cut on his neck looked more like a cat scratch than anything else. A cat with one claw. But Nicholas was white as a ghost and he was shaking terribly. Even getting to his feet seemed a challenge. That didn't change as they made their way to the truck and back to the apartment. After making sure Nicholas was ok, Daniel didn't say anything. He knew this disturbed and worried the boy but he couldn't bring himself to care. His fear and worry had been replaced with a mix of emotions that he knew would lead him to verbally blow up if he said anything. So, he remained silent.

When they reached the apartment building, the two got out of the truck. Nicholas had brought a key with him when he'd left so they didn't need to wait for Grace to let them in. As they made their way up to the apartment, Daniel was aware of the trail of blood droplets he was leaving but didn't care. When they reached the apartment door, Nicholas unlocked it and the pair walked in. When Daniel spotted Grace, he stopped and Nicholas stopped beside him. The boy was still shaking and he felt his own hands beginning to tremble.

"I'm going to assume you have your mother's cell phone number," he said to Grace, his voice quiet but cold as he dripped blood -both Damien's and his own- onto the floor. "Call her and tell her Nicholas is back." Not waiting for Grace to reply, he looked down at Nicholas. "Get cleaned up and go to your room." Nicholas looked up at him for a moment before nodding shakily and slowly crossing the apartment to pause at the beginning of the hall. Nicholas looked back and opened his mouth to say something but Daniel cut him off. "Get cleaned and go to f**kin' room!" With a squeak of fear, Nicholas bolted into one of the rooms and slammed the door behind him in his haste.

Daniel swallowed with some difficulty. His own trembling had spread and now even his breathing was shaky. Turning his attention back to Grace, he said, "I don't think you'll have any more problems regarding his nightly wanderings." Without another word, he turned and started back towards the door.

((How's that for a post? XD ))  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

((Damn! o.o It's a really good post though. Mine is like half of yours >.<))

He stayed silent, she didn't know what to expect but her heart was racing. Maybe it was just intuition but she sensed that Nicholas was in grave danger. What was a mother supposed to do? She was doing everything she could to get him back home. It didn't matter if she had to turn this city inside out to find him, she would. Taking in a deep breath, she then sighed with some relief when he said that he would help. "Take care." she managed to say before he hung up. Placing her cell phone on the passenger's seat, she then went back to focusing on the road, looking for her son. Nicholas.

Driving out the to the edge of the city, she decided to head in slowly as she continued her search. All she saw was empty streets and at one point she almost ran over a stray dog that was rather large. Her knuckles were white and she was rather pale. She needed to find him. Why did he do this?! Why did he have to go out at night? Elenore continued to scan the area with the headlights of her car as well as her eyes. She had seen a couple of people walking around but they were all adults. There was a small line forming behind her since she was going below the speed limit and one of them honked at her. Her eyes narrowed, they could go around if they wanted to, she wasn't speeding up.

Going into the parking lot of the school, she got out and walked around the place but she didn't see him anywhere. Where in the world did he go? Trying to keep herself from having a complete emotional break down, she then got back into the car and then drove around some more. If he had gone over to a friend's house she wouldn't even know. He never talked about school whenever they got to spend time together.. and he never seemed too happy about it either so she guessed it wasn't the best environment.

Stopping the car when she saw a little kid running across the street, her heart swelled with hope but then she realized that he had blond hair, not red. Left with disappointment and a hole in her heart, she sped up a little bit, not giving up hope yet though. She had to find him. Her son. Her little boy. Tears started to come up and she remembered him as a little kid. Grace and him would always get into fights and then he would come to her so that she could protect him. Then when he took his first steps. He had never really crawled with he was a baby, he just took off walking one day. His first birthday.. she had been so proud of him.

He had been wearing his little birthday hat and there was a light blue cake with red cursive letters that said 'Happy 1st Birthday Nicolas' the woman at the bakery shop had missed the 'h' in his name and they hadn't noticed until they had come home. There was a big white candle as well in the center and he would puff his cheeks, thinking that would blow it out and eventually she had to help him. He had stuck his tiny little hand into the frosting leaving a hand print in the cake before he licked the light blue frosting off his hand.

Hearing a honking sound, she realized she had driven off into the wrong lane and now had to swerve out. Wide eyed, she pulled her car to the side, her heart racing, she parked on the edge of the road and leaned back, closing her eyes for a moment as tears formed once again her shoulders were shaking a bit. She just wanted her child to be home, safe and sound. Was that too much to as for? Sniffling a little bit, she then looked back on the road, her hands still shaking a bit as she started to drive once again.

When her phone rang, she jumped slightly before reaching over and picking it up in a hurry. "Is Nicholas safe?"

Dinner took a bit of time to prepare and by the time it was done, Deserai had fallen asleep on the couch with a couple of stuffed animals surrounding her. Brushing her curls away from her face, she got four plates down but she didn't feel like eating at the moment and Deserai wouldn't eat by herself so she just turned the stove and oven off before sitting down in a chair that she had put facing the door, waiting for her mother to come home after she had draped a quilt over her little sister's body.

Hearing footsteps, she stood up, hoping that it was her mother with Nicholas. Waiting for the door to open eagerly, she was then shocked when it finally did open. The man that had brought Nicholas home the first time was covered in blood. The color drained from her skin. She wasn't about to faint but she knew that something had gone horribly wrong. Swallowing, her lips parted but she didn't know what to say.

She nodded when he mentioned her mother's phone number. With a shaky hand she reached for the home phone. Under different circumstances she would have told the man to not order her little brother around and not curse at him either, but they were all a bit frightened and Deserai was looking over the back of the couch at Daniel, her eyes wide. She was afraid.

Grace didn't know if she should thank him.. or invite him inside to clean up, but to be honest, she didn't know what to do. Nodding her head once more, she then watched as he left before staring at the open doorway until Deserai came up to her hand slipped her little hand into her own. Looking down at the little girl, she sighed before closing the door and locking it. "Everything will be alright." she assured her before she told her to bring a towel from the bathroom so that she could wipe the blood up before their mother got home.

Calling her in a minute, she heard her question though it took her a moment to speak. "Yeah, he's home." she said in a low voice and she could hear her mother sigh with relief on the other end. Hanging up after that, she then told Deserai to wash her hands for dinner though she didn't know if they would be eating tonight. Shivering a bit, she slowly opened the door to Nicholas' room and stepped inside. "Want some help?" she asked him, her voice barely above a whisper.

Elenore could hear that something was wrong with Grace's voice but she was glad that her son was home. Making a u-turn she sped home, wanting to be there soon so that she could make sure that everything was alright.

In a few minutes she had parked her car in the parking lot and walked into the apartment building... that is until she saw the specks of blood on the ground that lead up the stairs. Fear over took her and she ran up the stairs, something horrible had happened and a millions thoughts were racing through her mind at the moment, none of them were good.  

[Katydid50]

Nicholas slammed his bedroom door shut behind him, leaning back against it because he didn't trust his legs to take his weight. They didn't and he slid down his door until he was sitting on the floor. He felt cold all over and couldn't stop his shaking, not that he tried very much. His arms wrapped around his legs and he lowered his forehead to his knees. Images flashed through his mind. Running through the streets. Getting chased by that man -Damien, Danny had called him. Getting cornered. Danny showing up. The fight. The sight of Damien's body laying in a pool of his own blood.

A weak sob escaped from him followed by another and another. He didn't try to stop them, simply didn't have the will or energy to. All he wanted was to curl up and go to sleep, pretend it was all just a bad dream. It had to be. He may have been young but even he knew what the look in Damien's face had meant, what he would have done to Nicholas if Danny hadn't shown up when he had.

Minutes passed and his sobbing slowly but steadily died down to the occasional whimper. Lifting his head, he roughly wiped his cheeks with the back of his hands. He felt sick to his stomach but didn't know whether that was from the crying or any leftover fear. Getting unsteadily to his feet, he walked over to his bed and sat down, plucking a tissue from the Kleenex box on his bedside table. He wiped at any leftover tears he'd missed before wiping at the cuts on his hands and the one on his neck. The one on his neck had already stopped bleeding -if it ever had been bleeding. The scrapes on his hands would need to be washed -the ground where he'd fallen had been quite dirty- but he couldn't bring himself to leave his room despite having heard Danny leave.

When he heard the sound of his bedroom door opening, he looked up from his hands. At her whispered question, which he barely heard, he looked back down at his hands. He could feel the burning in his eyes as tears built up despite him trying to fight them back. He had never been in the habit of crying in front of other people -and he didn't plan to make it a habit- but the tears fell and he didn't, any longer, try to stop them.
((There was no way I'd be able to match your post with this.))