[&] my heart's steady as a drum.

[Katharine Jacey]

It wasn't that late at the moment - but, late enough for the sun to have begun its setting in the sky.. this was Kate's favorite time of day.. she used this time to let everything go.. memories, people, everything.. and leave it to set with the sun. It sounded a bit cheesey, really.. but it was Kate's way to cope with the errotic, frightening life she was living.

Jack and William were safe and sound at Kate's home with the babysitter, while she'd dragged Wyatt here - to the beach. Why she'd chosen the beach, she didn't know.. they could have just as easily driven over to a restaurant or something.. but, strangely enough, the woman didn't want to be around people - unusual, for Kate.. for she knew that, when she was around people, it was less likely that she'd be spotted by her greatest fear.

She doubted that in the while she and Wyatt would be at the beach, though, Tony would find her. It just wasn't likely.. but Kate knew how to protect herself, anyway. She'd escaped him once.. she could do it again, and again, and again. Even if it continuously left scars upon her, physically or mentally, Kate was a tough girl.. she wouldn't give up without a fight.

"Ohh, look at the sunnn!" The woman drawled as she stepped onto the sand, her eyes drifting over to search for where Wyatt was.. she hoped he wasn't uncomfortable around her, since earlier, when she'd asked him about William's mom.. or when she'd told him about Covey. Kate could just as easily make someone feel uncomfortable as she could make them feel the opposite.. though, she hoped she wasn't posing a bad impression on Wyatt. He seemed too kind for that.. it wasn't often that people made conversation with the woman, even if she could be the sweetest, most kind-hearted girl out there.. when it all came down to it, she was alone in this world.. alone and vulnerable, no matter how much she convinced herself otherwise.

[[.Wyatt.]]

Piercing gaze broke through the air watching the beach with a slight determination,though he knew not what he was determined to do.He could not remember the last time he had been to the beach,in Ohio there were not`t many around,and he was always to protective of William to go much further than a few mile from his small one room apartment.His heartbeat was slow in his chest,slower than normal,and it was as if he was anticipating something,yet there was nothing to look forward to.

A low sigh escaped his parted lips,his stoic face holding up the facade that lay gently but firm across his features at all hours of the day and night.He spotted her in the distance,and he smiled slightly.He had just met her,but she seemed like a great person,and just the sort of friend Wyatt could use.Wyatt had to admit,he was hurt very easily.Cali leaving had left a bigger scar upon his heart then it should have.But he was always strong for Will,always,there was never a time when he showed pain,unless he remembered.He tried so hard to fight those memories that pooled in the dark recesses of his mind,their haunting shadows pressing down upon him when he was conscious,and even when not.

Upon hearing the sun he shook off any negative aspect that had been plaguing him and laughed slightly.He looked briefly to the color laced sky,murky brown pools reflecting the tinged light of the sun.He shook his head softly and bit his lip,but in the way when your trying to fight a smile.

[Katharine Jacey]

For the past two years, everything Katharine had ever done had been all for Jack, every single thing.. she was absolutely sure of it. At first, the feeling had been a been strange.. but not unfamiliar. As a child, Kate had really only been interested in helping herself, and that trait had only grown as she'd gotten older.. and then the day that Tony whisked her away, was when she'd begun to change. Her entire view of the world changed.. she no longer viewed it as one big, exciting adventure.. no, it had become a world of hate and crime and betrayal, like light becoming dark. Kate's life had made the ultimate turn-around.. she'd gone from an innocent little girl to a guilty and dangerous woman in a short matter of time.. but Jack had saved her, really. If she hadn't fallen in love with Covey, Jack wouldn't have been born and she wouldn't have experienced all that she had since then.. how to care so much for another person, how she learned that she'd do anything, anything for that child.. it was so.. different.

The day Jack had been born, Katharine had worried of what would happen after.. where she'd go, what she'd do with him, would she love him? That had been her biggest issue.. Kate hadn't known what she'd felt towards the infant inside her until the nurse placed the beautiful baby boy in her arms, and Kate's heart leapt and she kissed the top of the boy's head, unable to express the amount of love welling inside her.. she'd been lucky. Some mothers never felt that sort of love for their children.. and Kate had never been sure if her mother had felt the way for her as Katharine had felt for Jack.. but she'd heard stories. As a small child, Kate used to ask her older sister, Nastasiya, to tell her a story before bed.. and Nastasiya would sit beside the toddler and stroke her beautiful blonde locks as she told Kate over and over again the story of the day she'd been born, how Marina had cried and cried and cried once she'd held her new little baby Aikaterine, and Nastasiya hadn't been able to see the new baby or see her mother's tears, but she'd known that they'd been tears of joy, and that Aikaterine brought happiness to their family, and that Marina had repeated over and over and over again that Lyaksandra Aikaterine Sofiya Anne-Viktoriya Vika would bring happiness to every single person in this world.

Amazingly, those words had perfectly described Katharine down to a 'T'.. she had, indeed, brought happiness everywhere she went.. and remembering those words that her mother had said on the day of her birth, Katharine had repeated them to her little Jack when she'd first cradled him in her arms.. and it was like a spell.. because, in fact, he did. Jack brought happiness to Kate.. and in her mind, that was the definition of those words.. that she'd brought happiness to her own mother, and Jack to his.

Hopefully, Katharine was continuously turning this pessimistic world up-side down to this day, but she couldn't be sure.. it wasn't as if she kept track, or as if she did it on purpose.. it was more of an.. instinct, or something. Which was part of the reason she was there with Wyatt.. she wanted to fix the somberness she knew he held in his eyes.. because she couldn't fix her own loneliness and her own guilt, and it made her feel better to mask her own feelings of pain and pretend they were never there.

As she made her way down to the water's edge, so her feet were just four inches far from it, the woman reached up and pulled her hair binder out of her hair so as to let it flow freely in the wind which always seemed to be more powerful near the bay. Resting her hands on her hips, Katharine sighed and kept her gaze on the sun before her, as if entranced.

[[.Wyatt.]]

Wyatt had loved his child the day he knew he was to exist.He couldn`t explain it,but it was there,every-time he would look at Cali,or even just think of what his life would be like in a year from now.He had thought that Cali shared that love with him,but as she left,without even a look back at her son,he knew he was wrong and that Cali never really loved anyone.Including him.And that had scarred him,leaving it`s trace upon his heart so that he would never be the same.But he had Will,and it that thought kept him from giving up,even when he couldn`t see the light.Even when he could hardly find time to pay the bills,when they would live on potato chips and baby food.He always had Will.Being a young father was never easy for Wyatt,at times he felt like he couldnt`t go on,and was filled with an inexplicable hate toward the world,but he had to go because another life was depending upon him.

The day Will was born,it was cold and bitter and the snow hung in the clouds like a threat but did not fall.Cali had merely called him from the hospital,telling him if he wished to see his sons birth to get his ass down there.It wasn`t like he knew before hand,but he was there as fast as the speed limit would let him.Or wouldn`t let him,Wyatt always the rule follower,didn`t seem to notice the speed signs that night.When he got to the hospital she was already in the delivery room.He threw on the gown and all,and raced inside.Twelve minutes later Will was born.Cali looked at him,but didn`t really look.Wyatt was mesmerized,his eyes stuck on the bright blue eyes of his son.That day would forever change his life.He clung to the love he felt for his son moments after Cali turned and went back into the airport.He was defeated and he didn`t like the feeling one bit.But,the feeling he had toward Cali was not hate at all.It was pity.He knew that later on in life she would regret this,leaving her son.But for now,Wyatt was all Will had.And Will was all Wyatt had.

Steps slow,and purposeful he stopped on her left side,chocolate swirled optics gazing at the sun,then casting over the endless ocean,and he began to imagine the deep expanses that existed far beyond his eye could see.And a part of him refused to believe it was there,because he couldn`t see it and couldn`t comprehend the vastness.Another part clung to the fact that it was there,even though you couldn`t see it ,it was there.

[Katharine Jacey]

There had been certain sections of her life where Katharine had gone through stages.. at an early age, the girl had gone through simple stages such as innocence, and then rebelliousness. And once she'd been adopted into the Lewellyn family she'd gone into a quiet and lonely phase, and then there was the period of exclusion.. and then came Uncle Tony and his recklessness, which had only rubbed off on Kate and resulted in Jack. And now, the stage she was trapped in now.. was a stage of reflection. She didn't know where to go or what to do with her life, because she was trapped in between who she wanted to be and who she had to be to keep herself and her son safe.

All she could really do was feel guilt ridden because of her past.

She always wondered when it'd end.. when she could stop hiding and finally have a normal life, and raise Jack in a normal environment because.. at the moment, she wasn't raising him in a normal environment.. in fact, it was far from normal. It was sick. She wasn't ready to be a parent.. let alone, a single parent. She was still learning.. how would she know that Jack would get sick from having six bowls of ice cream in a day? And she still didn't quite understand that leaving him to sit in front of the television wouldn't help him fall asleep, but it'd actually keep him awake longer.. and that he didn't understand what 'Clean Up' meant yet, and why he needed assistance with so many things. She's always figured that babies were just.. born with that sort of knowledge, you know? But she was wrong.. boy, was she wrong. And it made her feel like such a horrible mother.. not understanding her child.. though, she was nothing but a child, herself.

Turning her head to Wyatt and opening her mouth to speak, Katharine was surprised to see movement out of the corner of her eye and she slowly turned around to see what it was, lips closing and curling into a slight frown as she did so..

Two people, heading towards Wyatt and herself.. and to be quite honest, Kate had a feeling that they weren't there just to 'chat'.

[[.Wyatt.]]

The sand was soft beneath his feet,firm for a while before the ocean swept it away,leaving him to sink.Much like his life,he`d be on firm ground for a while,then it would be sucked away,leaving him sinking.But he held his head above the water,because without Will,he would have drown already.Something about responsibility comforted him,yet at the same time scared him badly.He couldn`t place it,he did not want to.So for now,he was on firm ground,waiting for the sand to sink.

Will was a blessing,calm and gentle,yet still held the childish personality that made Wyatt laugh.Sure,Wyatt didn`t always know what to do when Will knocked something off the table,or when he colored on the walls with crayons.He was never big on punishment,and couldn`t recall ever hitting William,for anything.With a sigh,he shifted once more as the sand was towed away,out into the swirling depths that would love to claim him.

He saw her turned,and he did as well,murky sea brown optics narrowing as he tried to discern the two figures.Something about them told him trouble.His heart sped up,but outside he remained calm,his expression intense and studying.

[Katharine Jacey]

The first time Katharine hd ever seen Tony's face, she'd immediately known it'd be a face she'd never forget.. it was easy to differentiate him in a crowd. For one thing, the man had a long scar running from just below his eyebrow to his plump cheek on the left side of his face.. apparently, from when he'd been a kid and his brother had taken the scissors to him. But, she couldn't have really been sure of the story for, later on, a friend of Tony's had told Kate that Tony had never had any siblings in the first place.. he'd been an orphan, just like her. She'd always wondered if that was why he'd taken her in - the two of them were alike.. though, she didn't want to be like Tony, not in a million years.. sometimes, when she'd been younger, Katharine would have continuous dreams of the cause of Tony's scar.. dreams in which involved her own self taking scissors, or a knife, or a piece of glass to his face.

Because, really, when it all came down to it.. Kate had hated Tony all along.

But she wouldn't forget his face, ever.. and she knew it. And when she'd realized that the male of the two figures looked familiar, Katharine knew exactly who it was.. to her horror. But without even a twitch, the woman kept her cool as she glared into the eyes of Tony.. Tony, who looked so amused.. Tony, who looked so confident. And all the while, all Kate could do was pray to god that he wouldn't hurt her this time.. that he'd take what he needed and go, without a hassle.. but most of all.. that he never found out about Katharine's little.. secret.

A sudden trace of panic hit Kate's chest and, in slight fear she just couldn't suppress, the woman's eyes widened and she took a step back, just as Tony took a step towards her.

"Fuck."

[[.Wyatt.]]

Jaw clenched tight as the man approached,something about his face alerting Wyatt that this man was anything but good.Preoccupied by the man who was stepping a bit to close to Katharine,he did not notice the female who was walking up behind the man.And when he did,his heart stopped.

His eyes almost welled with tears but the sorrow was soon replaced by a white hot anger seeping and searing deep into his chest.His jaw clenched tighter.Caityln.His one love,the mother of William who had put the boy in his arms and fled.His murky brown optics narrowed,but hear pushed it`s way into his heart.What if she wanted William back ? He was almost sure that was what she would want and the thought made him panic.To add to his fear,Caitlyn looked different,she still held the rebel look of her teenage years but she had grown up and somehow gotten to look deadly.Her brunette hair wavy at her shoulders,cut at an angle her blue eyes cold and threatening peering laughingly into his own pools.He took a step back.

Fist curled at his sides,glancing over to the man who was approaching Katharine,a flare of protectiveness flaring through his veins that he had only felt once in his life when someone had threatened William.He licked his suddenly dry lips,trying to stay standing underneath all the pressure of the past that lay over his shoulders.

"Cali" he echoed.

[Katharine Jacey]

She didn't know what to do now.. she was stuck, and she hated the feeling. Katharine was rarely ever stuck.. well, when things didn't involve her son, at least. Because raising Jack was a whole other story, really.. glancing over at Wyatt as if pleading him to just.. run.. Kate stopped when she noticed something in his eyes.. a sense of familiarity, and hurt. But of what? Of Tony? Did Wyatt know Tony?

Glancing back over to the two figures, Katharine realized that Wyatt's attention hadn't been on Tony, oh no.. it'd been on the female. What the hell? Was this some sort of reunion? Katharine had no idea who the woman was but.. seemingly, Wyatt did.. and that didn't make for a good reunion, the way he was looking at her. It really didn't.

Without hesitation, Kate silently volunteered to be the first to speak. figuring that, they wouldn't get anywhere if no one said or did anything.. after all, the life of her son was at stake here.. not to mention Kate's own life, and the life of Wyatt, the man she hardly even knew.. she would absolutely go insane if Tony did anything to hurt Wyatt.. he hadn't even done anything. He didn't even know him.

"Well, well, well.. isn't it nice to see you again." She was being sarcastic, of course, but the glint in her eye showed much anger and hate.. exactly what she was feeling towards Tony.. along with fear and somberness, but that was something Kate kept to herself.. that showed weakness.. and weakness, was something Tony fed off of.

But she was forming a plan.

"Save the bullshit, Annie," Tony had replied, his gruff voice filling the tense and yet silent air, along with the sound of the waves behind them.. Kate winced as the name 'Annie' flew out of her name.. it may've been Tony's way of expressing his fondness of her, but that'd been years ago.. it was quite obvious that Tony held no fondness of her now. Not now, because she'd betrayed him.. not now, because the only thing that he was fond of now was the only thing he didn't have.

And Katharine did.

"You know what I'm here for. Don't play this fucking game again. Or do you want a repeat of last time?"

[[.Wyatt.]]

Wyatt gulped,no longer able to focus on anyone but Cali.She had changed,so much and the way she was staring at him with her cool blue pools.Like she was superior,like she had something on him,and whatever he had,she was going to get.He swallowed hard at that look,challenging her though,by letting the sharp hue of anger cross into his pools.

"Cali." he muttered again,trying hard not to take another step back and pronounce himself weak,from experience he knew Cali hated when people were weak and would feed off it.He had seen it happen many times.She merely raised an eyebrow,giving him a sweet but lethal smile.He stopped his response when he finally noticed there was a man and Katharine there.

He listened to the words,a growing feeling of dread creeping into his stomach.He couldn`t help but step forward at the mans tone,eyes watching him warily even though he probably wouldn`t be noticed,hand clenching and unclenching at his sides.

[Katharine Jacey]

"I don't have what you're looking for," Katharine protested in an extremely low tone, her eyes set on Tony and Tony alone, hardly noticing Wyatt beside her.. it was only a few minutes into their game and already Katharine was shaking violently.. from what, she wasn't sure of. Fear? Anger? Hurt? Perhaps all three combined..

But she wasn't focusing on her trembles at the moment. Tony laughed softly and shook his head, dark eyes glaring down upon Katharine with the utmost pity and anger. Geeze, everyone was angry these days, it seemed. And when he'd begun to speak again, raising his arm out to touch Katharine, that's when she'd flipped.. and she'd reached behind herself, for the gun she kept in a belt loop on her belt behind her, hidden from her shirt.

She'd been saving it for a day like this.

Once her grip had tightened over the weapon Katharine had brought it around to face Tony and she glared at him, pointing the gun directly in his face. He stepped back a little, obviously surprised by the quick movement of it all but.. seemingly, not that surprised. "Don't. Touch me." She made it loud and clear, her eyebrows raising a bit as she spoke. She felt better with the gun out in the open now. Kind of.

Nodding towards the girl behind Tony, Katharine bit her lip before speaking again. "Who's your friend? Wait wait wait.. lemme guess. You're conning her, too? Watch out, sweetie. You're in for a -" The last part of her comment had been directed at the female, but Katharine had been interupted by the feeling of the gun falling from her hand as Tony grabbed a hold of her arm and twisted it, the pain too much for Kate to keep her grasp on the object.. gasping in pain and surprise, the woman tried to wriggle out of Tony's grasp but was unable to do so, until he, with all his might, finally let go, pushing her to the ground.

"I want the fucking case. What did you do with it?"

[[.Wyatt.]]

Murky brown optics peered the man,slightly confused.Pushing his confusion roughly to the side he looked to Cali,who stood looking rather bored,examining her finger nails.He almost snorted,a feeling of disgust sinking deep into the pit of his churning stomach.She was so different from the rebellious Cali he had known.If she had been how he knew her in her teen years,there would be now way she would be standing there doing nothing.Eyes widened ever so slightly at the draw of a gun,his throat going undescribingly dry.He had let his son near someone with a gun ? She seemed nice enough...but ...He refused to think anything more about it,taking Katharine for the nice woman he had met and not a gun wielding murder or what not. He swallowed hard again,as the man knocked the gun from her hand,and winced as he twisted her arm.He froze.Out of the corner of his eye he saw Cali heading toward the gun,and knowing that would be anything but good,he lunged for it,a few feet away from the man and Katharine.

His hand closed around the gun,his breath coming sharply as Cali let out a angry cry.He had never held a gun before,and it was surprisingly heavy in his hands,the cool metal contrasting to his skin.His face paled when he straightened up,the gun pointed square at Cali.She eyed him boredly,pale blue eyes betraying her fear.He bit his lip,hand trembling under the increasing weight of what he possesed,what he could do.And maybe he pondered this a little to long.

She stepped forward before he knew what she was doing,she mirrored the move the man had pulled on Katharine and the gun was in her hands,his arm aching.

"What are you doing !" he gasped,looking into the cold eyes of his once lover.

"Oh Wyatt,you knew I`d want him back someday." she said,her tone cold and patronizing.

"You can`t take him back,I raised him,you have no right !" he spat,his voice cold with fear of losing the only thing that kept him alive.He looked toward her hand.The gun was pointed right at his heart.A cold sweat broke out on his cool skin,he knew she wouldn`t hesitate to pull the trigger.

[Katharine Jacey]

<sup>"Shit." The words were muttered angrily from Katharine's mouth just as she watched this girl jack the handgun from Wyatt.. it seemed that Tony had learned a few new tricks since she'd last seen him.. she could only hope that he wouldn't pull the knife out on her, though.. she already had a scar from that.. a scar which ran just under her shoulder blade, but never visible due to the clothing Katharine wore on purpose to hide it.. and others.

"I don't have your goddamn case! Why won't you leave me the fuck alone?" She screamed, although she realized her mistake a little too late.. she couldn't attract attention.. not in a place so public like this one. That was a big no-no, really. First of all, she'd pulled a gun on a man who hadn't even attacked her.. and second of all, Tony would only have more of a reason to kill her.

Tony began to inch closer to Katharine, smiling down at her like a clown in the circus, or maybe a psycho in a mental institution.. on instinct, the woman began to crawl backwards, still facing her 'god-father'.. the fear still trapped inside her and unwilling to let itself out.. the only thing exposing itself was anger.. and that was something that wasn't exposed a lot, in Katharine's world. As she'd begun to move backwards, the end of her shirt had begun to rise up just slightly, exposing the end of a scar on her stomach.. Kate was filled with scars, really, and usually this one wasn't a scar she was too embarassed of.. but she would have never dreamed of showing it to Tony.

And he saw it, too. "What the hell is that, Annie?" To be quite honest, Tony had almost sounded.. taken aback. At first, Katharine hadn't exactly been sure of what he'd been referring to but.. after a second or two, she'd become well aware of the scar exposed and immediately reached down to pull her shirt to cover it.

"That one's your fault, you bastard." A complete lie. But it wasn't as if Tony would be able to recognize a scar due to a cesarean section, would he?

"No no no no.. I think you're lying, Annie," Tony began, and immediately Katharine's feeling of fear worsened. "It's easy to tell when you're lying.. don't you think your own father would be able to tell?" She'd grown more than upset and angry as Tony referred to himself as 'her father'.. he never was, and would never be.. didn't he understand that?

"No no no.. that looks like a.. fuck, Annie. You had a kid?" As soon as the words spilled from his mouth, Katharine's heart skipped a beat and she could've honestly fainted right there on the spot.. since when had Tony turned into Dr. Tony? But she didn't say anyting.. her eyes completely set on Tony's, glaring into them, as if she had the power to set him on fire. And she wished she did.

She wished for a lot of things right now.

And that was when Tony hit her.. right across the face, with the back of his hand.. his large, white knuckles scraping themselves across her cheek, and she didn't say a word. Her head violently turning to the side, Katharine was now able to study Wyatt's situation more clearly.. he was certainly in more danger than she was. Ignoring the horrible sting of pain she felt on her cheek, Katharine raised her head a bit and mustered up all her courage and strength, trying to catch this woman off guard, trying to give Wyatt the upperhand.. and trying to erase the panic she felt in her chest.

"Wyatt.. stick!" She felt a little dumb yelling it aloud, but it wasn't as if she had mind powers or whatever.. grabbing a large stick that'd been literally right next to her, Kate threw it towards him, praying to god that he'd catch it.. and if he didn't.. well, at least it was nearby.. at least it was a form of protection against the woman who was holding him at gunpoint.</sup>

[[.Wyatt.]]

Wyatt watched as she moved her finger to the trigger,his face drawn and pale,his chest heaving as he struggled not to move an inch.He could hear the muted sounds of what Katharine was saying,but at the moment he was not fully capable of comprehending.The fear cursed his veins and choked him,the fear that if he died,the fear for what would happen to his son,and as if she could read his mind,

"And if your gone,where do you think your precious." she paused with a mirthless laugh,"Aw fuck,please correct me,my precious son is going to go ?" she giggled as she watched Wyatt's face loose any color it had ever had,leaving him stark white."That`s right he goes right back to mommy." Her voice was teasing and very cold,it cut into his chest like a knife and twisted until he feared he would never be able to breath again.His fist clenched ever so slightly,no matter what,he would never let his son be with this woman,she sure as hell wasn`t the same Cali as he had known,and he feared her.

The words almost came at him to fast,before he turned and barely caught the stick,and without a moments hesitation thrust it toward his former lover.It jammed into her stomach,eliciting a gasp and the drop of the gun as it flew to the sand a few inches away.He held the stick,watching as she straightened up,a small trickle of blood flowing from the corner of her pale pink lips.He glared at her,fingers gripping the worn wood as tight as he dreamed possible,color still lost from his stoic no more face.She lunged at him with no warning,and he didn`t see the knife until it was to late,as the blade cut into his stomach,the pain hot white.

With a grunt he shoved her away,cursing out loud of the pain that was inflected upon his abdomen.She smirked at him from her position on the sand,her eyes hot with the knowledge that she had the upper hand and had caused damage.His hands found there way to his stomach,pressing on the wound.When he pulled them away,thick crimson liquid coated them.He stared down at them,feeling a tiny bit weak.He gulped,his murky green tinged brown optics blazing with anger.The fear was only a mute feeling in the background,as the sounds blazed through his mind that never truly existed at all.He was bleeding heavily,but nothing vital seemed to have been punctured.Cursing himself for wearing a white shirt he coughed slightly,trying to clear his vision.He was fine really.

"What happened to you Cali ?" he asked,his voice almost a plead but hot with anger.
"Nothing." she replied seeming to take pleasure in watching the crimson liquid drip onto the sand.
His face hardened at those words,his breath coming in shuddering gasps as he tried to control his fury.
"You won`t ever see him again.I swear Cali." he cursed.She merely nodded.

His nostrils flared as he fought to stay strong.No matter what injury he had,he would never give Cali the satisfaction of his son.She would have to kill him.His eyes burned a dark flame of fury,mixed with hurt and the faintest tinge of fear.His cheeks were a pale ghost like white,his fingers trembling as he eyed the woman he once gave his heart to.The stick clattered to the sand.

[Katharine Jacey]

<sup>She didn't know how in the world Tony had let her watch, but he did.. perhaps he'd known, that he'd come out victorious.. the bastard. And as she sat there, the palm of her right hand now rested on her pain-filled cheek, her eyes wide with panic.. Katharine only then realized the entire situation.. Cali, was it? Well, whatever her name was.. it was obvious that Wyatt knew her.. knew her. How likely was that? That this woman, accompanied by the very man that'd ruined Katharine's own life, was the very woman which had.. mothered Wyatt's child? Now that she thought about it, William really did look a lot like Cali.. it was almost like old news. She could've smacked herself upside the head for being so blind. But her face still stung too much from Tony doing that favor for her already.

As soon as Katharine saw, to her horror, the knife cut into Wyatt's stomach, she almost screamed.. and immediately she put her elbows down in the sand and tried to get up, to run to his side and help.. but Tony thought faster than she had.. and just as she'd arched her back, she felt his foot ram into her stomach and send her flying to the ground in a fit of coughs.. her body still shaking as violently as before, if not worse. However, she knew she couldn't give up.. no matter what happened to her, she needed to make sure that Wyatt ended up okay. Because, if this Cali was really William's mother.. well, frankly, Katharine didn't want her to take custody of the boy should something happen to his father, either.

Before she could react, Katharine heard Tony's voice booming from above her. "So was it a boy or a girl, huh?" he asked in a demanding tone, his eyebrows furrowed and mouth curled into the deep frown that Tony had used to give her when he was extremely upset. "If I do remember correctly, it was a boy, right? Something like Jake.. Jacob Covey? You know, it really makes one wonder.." he laughed his evil, conniving laugh.. and Katharine shuddered angrily. How the hell did he know? If he'd known all along that she had a son.. why hadn't he said anything?

"First of all.." she managed to say through the reocurring pain in her stomach, "You should get your facts straight." Pausing for a moment to inhale deeply, she opened her mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by the man towering over her.

"What facts? That you were fucking the enemy? I don't think I'd need a reminder on that one. Nor would I need a reminder that you killed him." He laughed again, but this time it sounded much more amused. Glancing back at Cali, as if he were inviting her in joining the laughing-fest as well, his eyes widened once he noticed her wound, having [somehow] not noticed it before.. and while he was preoccupied, Katharine held her breath to lessen the pain as she jumped up and jabbed him right in the face with her elbow.

Scrambling over to the gun on the ground, Katharine made no hesitation in grabbing it and pointing it at this 'Cali'. Cocking the weapon, the woman tried to ignore the pain in her stomach as she attempted to keep the gun steady.

"I don't think we've met yet," she suggested, and with that, Katharine pulled the trigger..

..but was unable to see if it hit Cali or not, for Tony had intervened yet again.. lunging towards Katharine and bringing her down to the ground with a loud 'thud'.</sup>

[[.Wyatt.]]

Wyatt grimaced on unsteady legs,determined not to go down just yet.The pain was overwhelming,churning his stomach.He took in all the man said to Katharine with a morbid fascination,letting the information sink in though really he was just watching.He just couldn`t seem to place the words with the movements of his mouth.Pools watched in fascination as the intimidating man spoke,the hate for him overpowering the pain that was manifesting itself in the pits of his nerves.Briefly his hearing cleared,in time to hear the brief statement about killing.Kate had killed a man ? Wyatt fought back a grin as he watched.He should have been afraid,and deathly angry that she had killed a man and went anywhere near his son.He only grinned.Perhaps it had something to do with the immense amount of blood flowing through his fingers that clasped his lower abdomen.

The memories trickled through his brain,flowing through his eyes until he was to dizzy to try and concentrate upon them.If this was life flashing before his eyes he wish it would hurry up.He started,somehow managing to be appalled at the statement.He could never,would never abandon Willaim.It was as if that thought had triggered all the adrenaline in his body,he would not give up,if he died he knew his son would too.

Shaking his head slowly,he locked gazes with Cali,her blue eyes staring through him.He tore his gaze away quickly,watching with mounting anger as the man kicked Kate in the stomach,but not able to find the strength to do anything about it.His gaze never flickered as she picked up the gun,and aimed at Cali.Just before the shot,he turned his gaze toward Cali,locking blue pools upon his.

Her scream tore through the air,the bullet piercing a major artery.She would bleed to death.With the last amount of strength he had,he stumbled over to her,his face a wild mask some strange emotions.He looked into her ice blue optics,as she lay dying,as they filled with fear,but Wyatt could feel no sympathy.

Her raven hair fanned out about her,her hands reaching wildly for Wyatt,murmured pleas wrenching from her lips,the fear in her voice one to haunt one for many years.He swore he heard her murmur 'I`m sorry' a few times,but in his state he could not be sure.His expression fell stoic and remained as he watched the light drain slowly through her eyes.He stood over her lifeless body a moment later,swaying slightly.He dropped to his knees, the impact jarring his every bone.He bit his lip,drawing in a ragged breath.

With some sort of strength he had to idea that he possessed,he lunged clumsily to his feet,stumbling over to where Kate struggled with the other man.His mind wouldn`t think,wouldn`t allow him to move another step,but he pushed past this barrier,gripping the stick he had dropped,but promptly dropped it again,not able to summon the strength to keep hold of it.Pulling in a breath of air that just could not quench his need to breath,he drew back his leg and aimed for the man`s ribs,contacting soundly,with whatever strength he had left.

The man probably would not even notice,Wyatt thought bitterly,not aware that his throat was chafing from yelling.He had no clue what exactly he was yelling,except perhaps fight a man if he was one,or something equally stupid,and that it was barely a yell.But Wyatt seemed to be in fog,sweat dripping from his brows,careening softly down the ridge of his nose and to drop unseen into the sand.His muscles protested violently when he aimed another blow,and despite his not quite alert state,his aim was well enough to stay clear of Katharine.

Skin was a cool clammy pale ivory,deathly white.His head ached so badly he could barely stay upright.Though he did somehow,the image of Cali lying dead on the ground giving him strength and an anger,that she had left,and the knowledge that she had probably taken other lives.And what scared him the most,was that she would not have hesitated to kill him.

[Katharine Jacey]

<sup>As soon as Kate felt her body hit the ground, she felt as if she were done for.. she'd just suffered a blow to the head [ahem, cheek, whatever] and a kick to the stomach.. and now this.. she could've sworn she'd heard every single bone in her body crack, and her head.. oh god, her head.. that was what had landed first.. another 'blow to the head'.. and she had to struggle from giving into those white dots clouding her vision. She couldn't give up.. not yet.. not until she was sure that Wyatt was okay.. and that she'd conquered Tony and Cali.

It was amazing how much she could care for someone when she, herself, was in so much pain.

And there Tony had her, on the ground, and there he was, beating the hell out of her.. a series of kicks and punches.. and she tried to fight back, tried to point the gun in her hand towards Tony, but he had her pinned down.. and that's when it'd come. She hadn't even seen it.. Wyatt, up above her and Tony, his foot raised.. and her immediate thought was, what the hell was he doing? And the moment she saw what his intentions were, she screamed, having thought he was aiming for her.. but no.. the kick went right into the ribs of Tony and must've caused some more damage than she'd thought because.. well, after the second blow.. he just sort of.. fell over dead. And not in the most graceful way, either.

And it'd taken Katharine a few moments to really comprehend what was happening.. her body was shaking so violently that it was literally affecting her vision.. but the moment she'd realized Tony was dead.. everything just.. stopped. Her shaking, her blurry vision. Time, even. Everything seemed to be in slow motion.. and immediately she wished she could just make it go faster, or pause it, or rewind it.. anything but this horror. Because as Tony breathed his last breath, Katharine felt the tears well up in her eyes and she sat up with a gasp of surprise, and yet relief.. opening her mouth to scream, Kat wasn't too surprised when all she heard was a slight whimper.. and then something entirely unexpected happened.

She cried.. over him. Over Tony, and over Covey, and over Jack and over her life.. she cried like she had the night she'd murdered Covey.. tears of guilt and loneliness and emptiness and memories betrayed Katharine as they fell down her cheeks endlessly, her body now hovering over Tony and her hand clutching his, body racking with sobs.. but she knew she couldn't remain this way.. even though, in a way, she knew she'd miss Tony.. she always had, ever since she'd left.

And now that he was gone, she didn't know what to do. She didn't know if his friends were looking for her still.. and she didn't know how to live her life without running.

She finished her crying as quickly as she possibly could.. she didn't keep track of how fast that was. Wiping her tears way, Kat stood up and brushed herself off, looking around herself as if she didn't know what to do.

Slipping the gun back in its holster, Katharine stepped towards Wyatt in a guilty fashion, her head turned down so as not to have to look at him eye-to-eye.

"C'mon," she murmured softly, "Let's go get you cleaned up."</sup>

[[.Wyatt.]]

He froze,eyes wide.He found suddenly he couldn`t breathe,he had killed a man.His throat suddenly dry.And he panicked,when he saw Kate begin to cry.Maybe,just maybe it had been a mistake,and no matter how much Wyatt knew it was untrue,the panic kept on mounting.How could he live with himself,with William knowing he had killed a man ? That`s about the time he began to sway,his legs threatening to fail him,give out beneath him and leave him to die.Somehow,even though the blood was still trickling from the wound that now stained his white shirt crimson,he managed to stay upright,his eyes betraying the fear of taking another's life.

The pain hit him like a ton of bricks,his arm aching violently,most likely minorly fractured,and the wound in his side a very sharp sting mixed with a pain far greater than he would ever wish on another.He gasped,fighting the bile that rose in his throat,making his eyes clench shut and his heart ring out with the harsh reality of his ending.But he knew that Will could not live without him,or he could but Wyatt did not like that possibility.He forced himself to ignore the pain and focus on Katharine.His gaze was sorry,though she wasn`t looking.

The beat of his heart was the only thing he could hear,echoing in his ears,calling to his soul that threatened to leave his blood torn body.His eyes blazed a soft haze of regret.He watched as she approached,not able to speak past the lump in this throat and the tight feeling.Then his legs gave out and he found himself on his knees.A strangled cry that sounded somewhat like the soft grunts of a newborn child came from his lips.His hands stopped clutching his stomach and dropped to his sides,only to come up in front of him as he stared at the crimson that coated it..He felt like he was dying,but he knew he could not.Not yet.He wouldn`t.So why was his world slowly fading ? Why could he not get up ? And why was the pain non existent when it should be gnawing at him.

[Katharine Jacey]

<sup>It was a rare thing to see Katharine cry.

She didn't know what it was.. perhaps it was because of the fact that, when growing up around Tony, she'd learned that crying was weakness and weakness was literally a sin.. as a criminal, you were forbidden from showing weakness. It gave others the opportunity to to take advantage of you - and that just couldn't happen. As a criminal, you were the one in control. So why did she feel as if she had no control over this situation right now? She should've thought it out better.. she always had a plan. But not this time. Pretty soon the police would come, and what would she say? That it was self defense? It'd work, to a certain extent.. because, really, it was self defense. They'd attacked Wyatt and Katharine first.. and they'd been the first to die, too.

But that still didn't help her. What was she supposed to do with the bodies? Hide them? What had she done with Covey? She could very well do the same with Cali and Tony but the problem was that, she just didn't have the time. Trapped in her overload of responsibility, Katharine had begun to wish that it'd been her who'd died, and not Tony, or Cali. She was the one who deserved it the most. She was the criminal in all of this.

As Wyatt fell to the ground, Kat's eyes widened and she struggled to remain calm.. would you, in a situation like this? Feeling the panic stabbing at her chest, Katharine fought hard to just breathe and calm herself down as she bent down to Wyatt, resting a hand on his shoulder and shaking her head quickly.

"No.. no no no no no.." she murmured softly, mostly to herself, as if she were trying to make herself believe that this weren't happening.. or that she could make it all go away. "No.. Wyatt, it's okay, you're okay.. c'mon, we've gotta - " She was unable to finish her sentence, because the tears had just started pouring down all over again.. and Kat could hardly talk whenever she cried. Opening her mouth and trying to speak, Katharine closed her eyes and tried harder, but nothing was coming out except air.. sniffling a little, she drew in a large breath and opened her eyes again, trying to stop her crying for just one tiny second, although her chin still trembled.

"Wyatt.. I've got to take you home.. I'll help you, okay? We've just got to.." Her voice faultered again, and she shook her head, sniffling, trying to remain cool when she couldn't help but sound so desperate.

"We've just got to stand up. Okay, honey? Just one step at a time.. please.. do it for William.. do it for your son."</sup>

[[.Wyatt.]]

He shuddered violently at her touch,her hand on his shoulder only reminding him the pain was still there waiting if he moved.He hurt so badly,he just wanted it to all go away.The pain had faded,but it was still there,in that weird sense.It pulled at him trying to tug him into the darkness that awaited below the surface.He almost found himself whimpering,but stopped.His eyes though,remained dry.Most would think he would cry in a situation like this,his once love was dead,he knelt dying,his sons future in the balance much of his balance between life and death,but he remained stoic.

Peering up at as she spoke,his eye conveyed no recognition or even comprehension.His gaze faultered and returned to his crimson bathed hands,trembling slightly.As if snapping out of a daze he grunted as the pain was back full force,attacking every sense he had making him want to scream out in agony.But he wouldn`t.

Your son.Do it for your son.Those words gave him strength and without warning he lurched to his feet,stumbling wildly before he stayed standing,swaying softly,his eyes unfocused yet at the same time,a piercing stare.His legs trembled to the point where everyone could see,he gasped for breath,his hands once more going to his lower abdomen where the wound still flowed a dark crimson liquid that was his own life.His mind felt hazy with the pain,yet relaxed.

"William." he murmured,his voice hoarse and fading.A small drip of blood flowed from his lip,from when he had bitten it as he was sstabbed.The taste was metallic,something he hated.He coughed violently,causing an immense pain in his stomach that almost brought him to blackness.He trembled,and even a blind man could see the fear in his eyes,though his world was strictly shadows right about now.He would do it for his son.

[Katharine Jacey]

<sup>Continued here;;

texaslove.proboards67.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=katharine&thread=1148703856</sup>