[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
Chapter 115:

" Alex! There you are! Where have you been? " Lauren called as A.J walked into Denise's hotel room slowly. She stopped in her tracks when she saw the look on A.J's face, Chase standing quietly by his father's side, gripping his hand, and Alexandria crying in A.J's other arm.

"Alex?!" Denise jumped as Alexandria let out another loud scream. Her face bright red as her green eyes glistened with hot tears. Denise looked at AJ and frowned, something had gone wrong. She knew the look in his eyes.

Lauren pulled Alexandria into her arms and began to rock her as Chase ran over to his grandmother. " Alex, what happened? " she asked, hugging Alexandria closely, a sickening feeling growing her stomach.

"We had a malfunction..." AJ choked out as he burried his head in his hands. He still couldn't believe how Nastasia had reacted. She had told him she hated him...she had never spoke those words to him.

" What happened? " Denise asked, repeating Lauren's question as A.J slumped down on the edge of the bed, sliding to the floor. " Where's Nastasia? "

"I don't know..." AJ answered as he felt the tears sting at his own eyes. He tried to drown Alexandria's wails out, but she kept screaming.

" What do you mean you don't know? " Lauren questioned, her heart skipping a beat. " Alex? "

"I said I don't know..." AJ answered, "She ran off..."

" What caused her to run off? Alex, what did you say? " Denise hesitated.

"Mom...She told me she was having dreams about her real mother...She was so upset... Mom... I didn't-"

" Alex, you- "

"Mom, I told her that her mother was dead! I thought she needed to know!" AJ blurted as tears finally started to spill from his eyes, only making Alexandria's wails continue to become louder. He feared Howie might hear and come in.

" Alex! " Lauren answered with surprise.

"She needed to know. She knew anyway Lauren. She had those feelings. Those feelings are always right when she has them!" AJ answered back as Chase buried his head in Denise's shoulder.

" We agreed not to tell her yet! We agreed not to tell her until we got home! "

"She needed to know." AJ answered as he buried his head back in his hands. The tears still burning as they trickled down his cheeks.

" She didn't need to know yet! " Lauren shouted as the door opened.

"Why is Lex crying?" Howie asked worridly as he scanned the room. He looked at Alexandria screaming louder and louder. AJ was sitting on the floor crying, and Lauren was yelling. He looked out of place as he rushed and picked up his daughter.

Alexandria continued to cry louder as her father hugged her close to him. Anger began to boil in Howie's eyes as he looked to everyone for an answer, but didn't recieve one.

"What happened?!" Howie yelled as Alexandria struggled in her father's grasp.

" Howie- " Lauren hesitated, seeing the anger in his eyes.

"I want to know why my daughter is crying so loudly. Where is Nastasia, and why is AJ upset?" Howie answered in the most coolest tone he could force out of his mouth.

Lauren could see past Howie's cool front he was putting on. She could tell he was pissed, he knew something was wrong. " Howie, she- "

"It was my fault Howie..." AJ whispered softly as Howie desperatley tried to calm his daughter down.

" What do you mean YOUR fault?! " Howie gritted as calmly as possible.

"Something happened Howie. You need to calm down sweetie. Lex is getting upset because we're upset." Denise stated calmly as Chase looked like he was about to cry also.

" Where is she?! " Howie questioned, his voice raising.

"Howie, calm down." Denise answered softly, no one knew where she was. Denise hadn't even gotten the whole story from AJ.

" I'm not going to calm down until I get some answers! "

"If you would sit down Howie, we will get answers." Lauren muttered.

Howie glared at Lauren and then at A.J, finally taking a seat on the edge of the bed, still trying to calm his daughter down. His heart sank with more worry.

"Now, come on you three." Denise urged, sensing the anger in the room. "AJ, can you please tell us what happened? This is very important baby."

" She needed to know Mom, she did and I told her. She needed to know, " A.J repeated, not being able to look up at anyone.

" Needed to know what?! " Howie shouted, scaring Alexandria and making her crying start up again.

"Come on AJ!" Lauren shouted, ignoring Howie's question "This isn't doing us any good! You knew she wouldn't take it well! That's why Denise and I wanted her home before we told her! We knew she wouldn't take it well!"

" KNEW SHE WOULDN'T TAKE WHAT WELL?! DAMNIT, TELL ME! " Howie shouted again, this time standing up.

"Howie, Nastasia's mother died about two years ago." Denise answered, knowing Howie needed to know about this. She could see he was becoming upset not knowing what was happening with his wife.

" Excuse me? " Howie asked, his voice trembling as he sat down again.

"Her mother was beaten and thrown down a flight of steps by her father...He killed her mother, Howie. He almost did that to Nastasia too." Lauren snapped, feeling the anger seep through her own veins.

" What? Wh-when? How? " Howie stuttered, looking to everyone.

"We don't know when he killed her. Like a year and a half ago." Denise answered, sorry that she had shocked Howie so badly.

" But how did you find out? Why didn't Nastasia know?! "

"She lost contact with her parents awhile ago." AJ answered softly as he thought of the day Nastasia came running towards his house. He was about to go pick her up for a movie. Blood covered her face, she wouldn't stop crying...

" Why wasn't I told any of this? "

"Because Nastasia didn't want anyone to know. She wanted people to judge her as herself, not as someone who needed pity." Denise answered, "We're sorry Howie. We figured she had told you sooner or later."

" Nastasia doesn't tell me anything, neither do any of you. "

"Because we don't want to break the trust between her and us. Do you know what it's like for us to get the truth from her? It's like pulling teeth." Lauren replied as Alexandria's cries had turned to quiet sniffles.

" That doesn't give any of you a reason to keep something like this from me! "

"She ran away from me..." AJ found himself muttering over and over as Lauren and Howie glared darkly at each other.

" This isn't going to get us anywhere if we just sit here arguing. And someone needs to go look for Nastasia, " Denise stated firmly, hating the anger building between everyone.

"Mom?" AJ asked quietly, Denise found it odd that her son was just sitting there. Whenever Nastasia was in pain or in trouble, he was the one who was always out running to find her. She couldn't place what the problem was with him.

" What? " Denise answered softly.

"Nastasia, she told me she hated me." AJ answered as he felt another dark spell take over him. She was like a part of him, if he lost her it was like he had died himself.

" Alex... " Denise said softly.

"She said she hated me... I only did what I thought was right for her mom. She needed to know..."

" Sweetheart, it's ok, " Denise answered, wrapping her arms around her son as Chase watched from his place on the bed with wonder.

"Where's my Aunt Stazzie? And Why is Daddy sad mommy?" Chase whispered as he looked from his grandmother to his mother, then back to where Howie was trying to quiet Alexandria's cries.

" I don't know Chazzie, " Lauren lied quietly as Chase jumped into her arms.

"I want my Aunt Stazzie." Chase answered quietly.

" Well, we're going to go find her. "

"Good." Chase answered as he watched his father stand back up with his grandmother. Howie immediatly rose afterwards.

" Alex, go with Howie to look for her, " Denise suggested softly.

"He'll kill me..." AJ answered seriously, "Why can't I grab Brian or Kevin or Nick? Maybe they should help too..."

" Because Nastasia needs you too. "

"She hates me mom, remember?" AJ asked hurtfully.

" Listen to me, Alex. She just found out her mother died, and I can understand her to be angry, but she's extremely upset. And since you were the one who told her, she had no one else but you to throw her feelings at. You know deep in your heart that Nastasia does not hate you, " Denise answered softly, forcing A.J to look her in the eyes.

"But-"

" Alex. "

"I'm going. Damn." AJ sighed softly as he nodded at his mother. He looked back at Howie, hesitating, "Are you going to kill me before I find my sister?"

" Why would I? Plus, I don't feel like breaking my other hand, " Howie answered, trying to keep his face emotionless.

"Because I'm the one who lost your wife." AJ winced.

" And you're the one who's going to help me find her, so c'mon. "

"What about Alexia?" AJ answered quickly.

" Denise, could you? " Howie asked.

"Sure sweetheart." Denise replied as she took Alexandria from her father. She seemed to become restless again. Denise knew she wanted her mother badly. "Just bring Nastasia home soon, okay?"

" That's the goal, " Howie answered quietly as he leaned down to his daughter's level in Denise's arms. " Daddy's gonna be back soon sweetie, and he's going to bring Mommy with him, " he said as he kissed her forehead. He turned around to leave, instantly resulting in Alexandria beginning to wail again.

"Just go Howie. She'll be fussy till her mommy gets home. Grab Kevin and Brian on your way out. Tell them to look for her too. Lauren? Are you going or staying?"

" I'm gonna stay, " Lauren answered firmly.

"Chase, stay here with Grammy and Mommy okay? We'll be back soon with Aunt Stazzie." AJ promised.

" Why can't I go? " Chase whined, scowling at his father.

"I...ask your mother..." AJ answered quickly, not wanting to fight with any other people today.

" Thanks Alex, " Lauren answered saracastically.

" I want to help find Aunt Stazzie! "

" But you need to stay here...just in case your Aunt Stazzie comes back. "

"But I want to find her!" Chase argued back.

" The answer is no, " Lauren stated firmly.

Chase went to open his mouth again, but closed it. He glared at both his parents and sat on Denise's bed. He gave a low growl. "He'll be fine. Just go." Denise whispered.