Post by Skylar Westbrook on Aug 11, 2013 21:14:09 GMT
Koren::
Late that afternoon, after leaving Collette, Gideon and even Zachary, whom he knew she disliked simply for the reason of his parentage and the fact that he kept her up at night, in order to run a few errands around town that afternoon. First it had been to the studio which lasted only a half hour before he was out again, meeting his 'dealer' of sorts who more or less was a colleague rather than a dealer, before he ventured to the mall to pick up a few things. It was dinner time before he arrived back to the house that his friend Thalia and her husband was letting them stay for the time being, just until they could get back onto their own feet. The black Jeep pulled into the drive and he slid out, reaching into the open back seat in order to grab the bag he had stashed back there. Dressed in a pair of baggy shorts and a grey tee, the neckline slit to create a makeshift v-neck, he headed up the drive and to the front door in the pair of grey vans he wore. His hair was getting long, though not quite long enough to get out of his face yet, but long enough for him to rake a few long fingers through before fishing for his keys to let himself in. "I come bearing gifts!" He said aloud, expecting to be greeted not by one, by two toddlers excited to see him as they always were, and a wagging Bexley just as excited to see him.
Skylar::
Oh she was angry, and doing everything she could to contain it. Mostly because she thought it was poor taste to be angry in front of children and this was one of those moments. The fact was they still seemed to notice and were uneasy. Her gaze shot to the baby monitor she'd left out in the old timey living room and when she heard the car outside she stood up before sitting back down which made the small boy she held grunt and whine a bit in the back of his throat before he went back to sucking on the square of laminated, round cornered jewelry hanging from her neck. Her entire outfit was as it usually was, heavy on blues and greens, something a little more nautical themed. The over sized sweater was a ombre from a rich blue to white and from just between her shoulder blades to the longer white hem in the back it was split almost like a tailcoat jacket. it was worn over a pair of knee length pedal pusher leggings with tiny anchors all over it and paired with her favourite blue flats with the pink whale on the front. "Sorry, Zac." She mumbled under her breath, standing once more and leaving to go settle him into the crib she left down stairs with his shaggy puppy toy. The two toddlers were stared at as soon as Koren came in and she went stiff, staring at him a moment before clucking her tongue. "Come on Giddy, Coco. Let's go watch Little Mermaid!" Which seemed to excite the both of them though it was obvious they couldn't tell which they wanted to do more - see their father or watch the movie. Ducking down she snagged the little girl and propping her on her hip reached down to drag Gideon up to sit backwards on his hip though she struggled a bit trying to carry both and the cat that Gideon was clutching. They were both settled in the pack and play and she flicked on the wall mounted TV, waited a moment and got it right then left the room, losing it softly. Was he high now? Probably.
Koren::
Koren grinned to Collette who's eye's always lit up whenever she saw her Father, as did Gideon's, though before he could show them just what he'd brought them, Skylar was leaning down to snatch them up and drag them off to the living room in order to watch a movie that both had seen perhaps a hundred times each. He didn't seem hurt by it, rather confused, and perhaps a little nervous from her texts a mere ten minutes before. He shut the door behind him and locked it, folding the bag under his arm as he crossed through the living room, gently brushing his fingertips over Gideon's hair, and followed after Skylar to the room she had disappeared into. "Want to see what I got them? I figured since Thalia won't let us paint, we could put these up instead." He explained in that accent that was slowly becoming a bit more Americanized. He untucked the roll of large stickers from the bag and waved them about. "Nemo for Colly and The Lion King for Gid. Good idea, yeah? And they were on sale." He said, glancing down to the tube and all the large removable stickers they came with inside.
Skylar::
"Think you can afford it when you're out slinging?" She said a bit angrily. Skylar knew she should have put the children in another room because at the moment she was seconds from screaming and now they were in the living room and she couldn't. Tiny hands balled into fists against her thighs and taking a deep breath she closed her eyes thinking about just where the bags were now. Instead she waited a moment, trying to contain herself before opening her lids to stare at him. Her expression was withdrawn and her eyes resembled frosty, frozen dirt in winter. "Leave them. Kitchen. Now." Was she talking about his childlike glee for the stupid stickers? Or telling him to leave the kids alone. Who knew. She didn't give him very long though because she was sweeping down the long hall and to the kitchen and the swinging wood door where she waited, gripping the outside of her pocket. [d]
Koren::
He knew what 'slinging' was, but being caught as off guard as he was, he was left confused. He looked it too as his brow creased in nervous confusion and the hands that gripped the two tubes of stickers, drooped till his arms fell back to his sides. "What?" He asked, feeling the anger coming off from her in waves. He could see her fists ball in his peripheral, but before he even had the chance to defend himself over what still had yet to click in his mind, it was too late. Guilt played on his features with her demand while she left him to stare after her a moment before he set down the two tubes along with the bright Disney bag on the couch in order to follow after her as she had asked. Collette whined, wanting his attention, but with Koren's reassurance that he'd play with her later, and the start of a new song on the television, she was relatively quickly quieted. "Skylar, sweetheart, what's wrong?" He asked as he crossed through the swinging wooden door, bracing his hand against it so it would come to a stop behind him.-d-
Skylar::
"I'm going to give you one time. One chance." Skylar said slowly, her hand relaxing again. Her accent was thick, thicker than usual and she leveled her gaze on him now, putting the L-shaped stretch of counter between them. Between them because she knew she'd scream and slap him if he didn't. This was why she didn't believe in love. It was a myth, it was bull shit. Relationships, love, marriage, forever. They were all lies sold to humans by companies to sell shit. Her deep breath rushed out when spoke and she just stared, her eyes never leaving his face. Her mother and father had been alcoholics, addicts, and they'd gambled. Her parents hadn't paid the price, she and her brother had. She had, God had she paid the price. And there she was, being stupid. Why was she even giving him this chance? Because she loved him and he was the father of her child. Already she felt like her thigh was on fire where the little lump sat but she didn't pull it out.
Koren::
Oblivious to the lump in her pocket which matched the lump in his own, if not a bit smaller, the one thing he wasn't oblivious to was her accent as it grew thicker. It either meant that she was beside herself or angry, or perhaps a mixture of the both. It quickly dawned on him just what she could have been upset about, but he didn't want to press his luck. What if she was mad about something else? What if she hadn't found the cocaine, but had found out about the other instances in which she had every right to be upset with him over. Granted, the women he'd slept with had all been before they'd gotten back together. Was she pissed about them? Not wanting to press his luck, he remained as clueless as he had been, though now much more worried than he had been. "Sky, love, I don't know what you're talking about." He said, stepping around the counter to try and join her on the other side. "What's wrong, kitten?" He flirted, hoping to ease some of her hostility towards him.
Skylar::
Something in her eyes fluttered almost, flashed really and she took a deep breath, pushing it out before digging in the built-in pocket of her leggings. She gripped it a few long, agonizing heartbeats and letting out the breath she looked down finally. This was how he wanted to play it? This? It was a slap in the face and an insult. When Koren stepped around the counter, frankly it was all the blonde could do not to take the drying knife out of the sink and stab him with it. Instead she took a sharp step backwards, hitting the longer section of counter and knocked the cupboard closed. "Don't." she said softly. "Don't." Shaking her head she moved past him, her hand slapping with quite a bit of force against his chest before she pulled back, letting the baggy fall where it may. In the time he'd probably have been distracted with it she left him standing there, ducked out of the kitchen to the door she'd closed and slipped in, snagging the two bags and small backpack there and moved down the hallway. The other stuff? She'd get it later, at least what few things she hadn't already packed into the old VW. Her steps never faltered though, not as she set them down by the door, lifted her son's coat off the hook and moved in to take him which made him grunt and kick out. "Come on Gideon, do you want pizza?" She asked, knowing it was his weak spot. With the movie forgotten he grumbled as he clambered to his unsteady feet and turned to face him so she could get his coat onto him and his arms through his backpack then turned away letting him watch the TV a moment so she could grab her own light jacket and shoulder into it.
Koren::
He'd been in this position before, it'd been the same dreadful feeling of his life crumbling before his very eyes and his guilt crashing down into the pit of his stomach. This time, however, it was so very different. This time he had everything to lose, and why he'd chosen to lie he couldn't wrap his head around. Why he always chose to lie as his first instinct of defense he couldn't understand. He paused after taking a step towards her, feeling like a monster, like a man who didn't know his own strength. He had been in this position as well, more than once, and for being as lanky as he was it made him feel like he was a danger to those he loved. "Skylar, I.." He started, only for him to grunt as her hand slapped against his chest with an audible 'thwack'. As something fell, however, he scrambled to grab it while turning to follow after her, only to pause. He'd known before what she was upset about, but actually seeing it made it all the more real. He exhaled sharply and stared at it for a long moment until he could hear her voice behind the door. "No, no, no, no.." He said nervously, stuffing the bag into his pocket as he quickly crossed to the living room. "Skylar,I'msorrydon'tgo." He mumbled all at once, rushing forward to place his hand on her shoulder, trying to distract her from dressing Gideon. As she was slipping into her jacket he quickly reached down to pick the boy up, holding him against his hip and pulling back from Skylar. "I'm sorry, okay? I'll get rid of it, I promise. Skylar, I promise you." He begged, without trying to scare either of the children in the room, but the fear in his eyes spoke more volumes than the words on his tongue, and it seemed they could see that, especially Collette who hung on to the edge of the pack and play, watching and beginning to whine.
Skylar::
"No." It was simple. She'd told him the day she had moved in that he should never lie to her, and he should never screw around on her. After all he'd been so worried that she was out dating and sleeping around. The blonde turned her gaze to his and leveled it on him before speaking as softly as she could. "You have as long as it takes me to put my son down or I will call the police and tell them what you have." It was a threat, and it was serious. She turned away to twist the lock open though the first time or two she jerked on the door it didn't open. When it finally did she grasped both suitcases and stalked out onto the front step before moving down them. She struggled with the back door on the car a moment before finally popping it open so she could shove the bags in the foot well then turning back to him snorted. "Your promises mean as much to me as toilet paper. Stay away from me. Stay away from my son. I won't let you ruin his life. I won't let you do to me or my son what my parents did to me." Skylar stepped around him this time and paused a moment to turn back and face him. "If I could take them away from you I would do that to. It's over, Koren. I found a co-worker here I can stay with until I have the money for a new place."
Koren::
"Skylar, just.. please!" He tried to beg, following after her without letting go of Gideon. In fact, he clung to him even harder against his hip until she made her very real threat. Koren was just stupid enough and just desperate enough to ignore it, to plead for her, yet, luckily for him, it quickly dawned on him just what would happen. With a previous record and two small children, they would undoubtedly be taken away from him and it would be years until he would be able to hold them again. His heart hammered against his rib cage, and he felt weak with nerves and sick with fear. "You're not even giving me a chance to explain!" He protested, following her outside as Collette whined even louder before breaking out into calling for the both of them from the open doorway. "It's not even mine! I'm holding it for a friend, and I was gonna tell you, but.. Skylar.. come on, no. This is your home, with us.. please!" He tried, and certainly lied, but any and everything that could get her to hesitate for even a moment was spilling from his mouth as he stood by the car, holding Gideon and trying to shut the door with his other hand before she could manage to get the bags into the car. "I'm not gonna hurt them! I'm not gonna hurt you, you just have to trust me Skylar!"
Skylar::
"Giving.. Put him down now." Skylar said again. Oh, she wanted to scream and yell, only she couldn't. Not with the kid watching. Especially since he'd come out and brought her son. Their son. God was he trying to make her hate him? For a moment she just stood there, staring with a look of dumbfounded disbelief on her face. 'Just holding it for a friend.' and 'Give me a chance to explain!' that was really what lies he was going to use? A cry came from her when he nearly shut her arm in the door and jerked it back. "This is not my home. Anywhere you were was never my home. Home doesn't lie." She spit at him verbally, showing the real first burst of anger which set off Gideon almost instantly because a moment later he began crying. "I trusted you. And you shit on that." Her hand shoved in under the hem of the sweater and she pulled free her phone. Was she really calling the police? She certainly made it seem like it. Instead she merely dialed a few numbers close to 911 and then lifted it to her ear. "Yes, I'd like to report an adult who refuses to give me back my son. He's got an unknown amount of cocaine on his person. I think he might do it when he's around them." Oh, it was low, it was cold. But she wanted away from him. She wanted free of him. She needed to be free of him. A moment later she was giving her address and staring at him now, her gaze flicking to her son who was still crying and trying to reach for her while still clutching Koren. "This is your fault, Koren. Not mine. I told you. Give me my son."
Koren::
Koren continued to clutch to Gideon as if him refusing to back down would make her stay when really it was just the opposite. Her words hurt. In fact, they more then hurt, they stung somewhere deep in him. He knew he'd done wrong, he knew he deserved it, but that didn't stop the lump in his throat from growing even thicker as he pleased with her with large blue, growing watery eyes. "Skylar..." He said with desperation, only to be drowned out by Gideon's loud cries which, had they even had neighbors, would certainly hear. He watched her for a moment, and the minute he saw the phone in her hand, panic rose. It was only when she began speaking into it, that he reached out to quickly grab it and without even glimpsing at the number, quickly held his finger down to power it off before she had even the chance of reporting him to the authorities. He held the phone and Gideon who clung to him but reached for his Mother for a long few moments, contemplating what to do, how to get her to stop everything and come inside, but when nothing came to him after nearly a minute, he looked to Gideon and pressed a long kiss to the top of his head with blue eyes shut tight. He hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath until he carefully handed him over to his Mother finally, along with her phone and stood back. His hands reached up to tangle in his blonde hair behind his head, watching with a mournful expression and wondering if he'd ever see her or his son again.
Skylar::
It was all Skylar could do when he jerked the phone out of her hand not to hit him. Frankly, the blonde wasn't sure she'd ever been as angry as she was in that moment and it scared her. Selling her virginity for her family to keep a roof over their head hadn't even touched this. And that scared her even more. Her small hands balled again into fists and her nails dug deep against her palms enough to visually draw blood though not much. Maybe she was wrong for doing this. After all she was abandoning Collette and an even more helpless and innocent Zachary to Koren and his drugs and perversions. No. She had to get away from him. She had to. Sky took her son from him, jerked the back door open again and settled her son in his seat, removed his backpack and tossed it in as well before buckling him up and turning to face him. "You know.. I.." Only her words trailed off and she looked away from him and closed her eyes, thinking. A long moment later she shook her head. "There's a half dozen bottles or more in the fridge for Zac and a weeks worth of dinner made for Coco in the fridge. Dinner is in the oven." The screams from inside the house seemed to have been doubled, after all when one started, they all got going and she stared at the house before rounding the car to pull her door open. "I trusted you. You're the first person I've trusted since I sold myself when I was fifteen. You're the first person I ever told I loved." She took a deep breath and shook her head once. "Get clean, Koren. You couldn't do it for me, but you can do it for them." With those words she pointed to the house and slid into the VW and shutting the door buckled herself in. It took her a heartbeat or two and on the second try got the car to start before she slipped into gear and left him standing there on the driveway.
Koren::
He watched as she buckled Gideon in, and stared at him even after she'd shut the door, contemplating yanking it open again, but he didn't. He stood there still, looking pathetic as he ever had while she turned to face him and he managed to peel his eyes from the boy and place them on her. He looked sincerely apologetic mingled with the deep depression that was already crawling it's way in to every crevice of his body and mind. The screaming from inside made his head hurt among the pounding from his heart, and he almost missed what she had started to say, not that it mattered much as she was to never finish it. He flinched hard and looked down towards his feet. Everything hurt and he was powerless to stop it. It was, after all, his fault, and a simple 'I'm sorry' wasn't going to fix anything. He looked up again once she was on the other side of the car. He took a step towards it, wanting so desperately to stop her, though his words only echoed off the window and back at him. "Skylar, wait.. We can talk about this. We can work it out." He tried to say over the roar of the engine. He followed her to the end of the short drive before his foot caught something soft where he glanced down and noticed one of Gideon's stuffed animals she must have dropped from one of the bags in her hurry to get out. He leaned down to pick it up and brush it off and by the time he looked up again her car was too far gone, and the screams from inside were growing too loud for him to ignore, no matter how long he could have stood there, staring, waiting for her to come back. Eventually he turned, still clutching the animal and made his way back inside, only to slump against the front door once he'd closed it in order to tuck his head between his knees to drown out everything, including his children, which hardly worked.
Late that afternoon, after leaving Collette, Gideon and even Zachary, whom he knew she disliked simply for the reason of his parentage and the fact that he kept her up at night, in order to run a few errands around town that afternoon. First it had been to the studio which lasted only a half hour before he was out again, meeting his 'dealer' of sorts who more or less was a colleague rather than a dealer, before he ventured to the mall to pick up a few things. It was dinner time before he arrived back to the house that his friend Thalia and her husband was letting them stay for the time being, just until they could get back onto their own feet. The black Jeep pulled into the drive and he slid out, reaching into the open back seat in order to grab the bag he had stashed back there. Dressed in a pair of baggy shorts and a grey tee, the neckline slit to create a makeshift v-neck, he headed up the drive and to the front door in the pair of grey vans he wore. His hair was getting long, though not quite long enough to get out of his face yet, but long enough for him to rake a few long fingers through before fishing for his keys to let himself in. "I come bearing gifts!" He said aloud, expecting to be greeted not by one, by two toddlers excited to see him as they always were, and a wagging Bexley just as excited to see him.
Skylar::
Oh she was angry, and doing everything she could to contain it. Mostly because she thought it was poor taste to be angry in front of children and this was one of those moments. The fact was they still seemed to notice and were uneasy. Her gaze shot to the baby monitor she'd left out in the old timey living room and when she heard the car outside she stood up before sitting back down which made the small boy she held grunt and whine a bit in the back of his throat before he went back to sucking on the square of laminated, round cornered jewelry hanging from her neck. Her entire outfit was as it usually was, heavy on blues and greens, something a little more nautical themed. The over sized sweater was a ombre from a rich blue to white and from just between her shoulder blades to the longer white hem in the back it was split almost like a tailcoat jacket. it was worn over a pair of knee length pedal pusher leggings with tiny anchors all over it and paired with her favourite blue flats with the pink whale on the front. "Sorry, Zac." She mumbled under her breath, standing once more and leaving to go settle him into the crib she left down stairs with his shaggy puppy toy. The two toddlers were stared at as soon as Koren came in and she went stiff, staring at him a moment before clucking her tongue. "Come on Giddy, Coco. Let's go watch Little Mermaid!" Which seemed to excite the both of them though it was obvious they couldn't tell which they wanted to do more - see their father or watch the movie. Ducking down she snagged the little girl and propping her on her hip reached down to drag Gideon up to sit backwards on his hip though she struggled a bit trying to carry both and the cat that Gideon was clutching. They were both settled in the pack and play and she flicked on the wall mounted TV, waited a moment and got it right then left the room, losing it softly. Was he high now? Probably.
Koren::
Koren grinned to Collette who's eye's always lit up whenever she saw her Father, as did Gideon's, though before he could show them just what he'd brought them, Skylar was leaning down to snatch them up and drag them off to the living room in order to watch a movie that both had seen perhaps a hundred times each. He didn't seem hurt by it, rather confused, and perhaps a little nervous from her texts a mere ten minutes before. He shut the door behind him and locked it, folding the bag under his arm as he crossed through the living room, gently brushing his fingertips over Gideon's hair, and followed after Skylar to the room she had disappeared into. "Want to see what I got them? I figured since Thalia won't let us paint, we could put these up instead." He explained in that accent that was slowly becoming a bit more Americanized. He untucked the roll of large stickers from the bag and waved them about. "Nemo for Colly and The Lion King for Gid. Good idea, yeah? And they were on sale." He said, glancing down to the tube and all the large removable stickers they came with inside.
Skylar::
"Think you can afford it when you're out slinging?" She said a bit angrily. Skylar knew she should have put the children in another room because at the moment she was seconds from screaming and now they were in the living room and she couldn't. Tiny hands balled into fists against her thighs and taking a deep breath she closed her eyes thinking about just where the bags were now. Instead she waited a moment, trying to contain herself before opening her lids to stare at him. Her expression was withdrawn and her eyes resembled frosty, frozen dirt in winter. "Leave them. Kitchen. Now." Was she talking about his childlike glee for the stupid stickers? Or telling him to leave the kids alone. Who knew. She didn't give him very long though because she was sweeping down the long hall and to the kitchen and the swinging wood door where she waited, gripping the outside of her pocket. [d]
Koren::
He knew what 'slinging' was, but being caught as off guard as he was, he was left confused. He looked it too as his brow creased in nervous confusion and the hands that gripped the two tubes of stickers, drooped till his arms fell back to his sides. "What?" He asked, feeling the anger coming off from her in waves. He could see her fists ball in his peripheral, but before he even had the chance to defend himself over what still had yet to click in his mind, it was too late. Guilt played on his features with her demand while she left him to stare after her a moment before he set down the two tubes along with the bright Disney bag on the couch in order to follow after her as she had asked. Collette whined, wanting his attention, but with Koren's reassurance that he'd play with her later, and the start of a new song on the television, she was relatively quickly quieted. "Skylar, sweetheart, what's wrong?" He asked as he crossed through the swinging wooden door, bracing his hand against it so it would come to a stop behind him.-d-
Skylar::
"I'm going to give you one time. One chance." Skylar said slowly, her hand relaxing again. Her accent was thick, thicker than usual and she leveled her gaze on him now, putting the L-shaped stretch of counter between them. Between them because she knew she'd scream and slap him if he didn't. This was why she didn't believe in love. It was a myth, it was bull shit. Relationships, love, marriage, forever. They were all lies sold to humans by companies to sell shit. Her deep breath rushed out when spoke and she just stared, her eyes never leaving his face. Her mother and father had been alcoholics, addicts, and they'd gambled. Her parents hadn't paid the price, she and her brother had. She had, God had she paid the price. And there she was, being stupid. Why was she even giving him this chance? Because she loved him and he was the father of her child. Already she felt like her thigh was on fire where the little lump sat but she didn't pull it out.
Koren::
Oblivious to the lump in her pocket which matched the lump in his own, if not a bit smaller, the one thing he wasn't oblivious to was her accent as it grew thicker. It either meant that she was beside herself or angry, or perhaps a mixture of the both. It quickly dawned on him just what she could have been upset about, but he didn't want to press his luck. What if she was mad about something else? What if she hadn't found the cocaine, but had found out about the other instances in which she had every right to be upset with him over. Granted, the women he'd slept with had all been before they'd gotten back together. Was she pissed about them? Not wanting to press his luck, he remained as clueless as he had been, though now much more worried than he had been. "Sky, love, I don't know what you're talking about." He said, stepping around the counter to try and join her on the other side. "What's wrong, kitten?" He flirted, hoping to ease some of her hostility towards him.
Skylar::
Something in her eyes fluttered almost, flashed really and she took a deep breath, pushing it out before digging in the built-in pocket of her leggings. She gripped it a few long, agonizing heartbeats and letting out the breath she looked down finally. This was how he wanted to play it? This? It was a slap in the face and an insult. When Koren stepped around the counter, frankly it was all the blonde could do not to take the drying knife out of the sink and stab him with it. Instead she took a sharp step backwards, hitting the longer section of counter and knocked the cupboard closed. "Don't." she said softly. "Don't." Shaking her head she moved past him, her hand slapping with quite a bit of force against his chest before she pulled back, letting the baggy fall where it may. In the time he'd probably have been distracted with it she left him standing there, ducked out of the kitchen to the door she'd closed and slipped in, snagging the two bags and small backpack there and moved down the hallway. The other stuff? She'd get it later, at least what few things she hadn't already packed into the old VW. Her steps never faltered though, not as she set them down by the door, lifted her son's coat off the hook and moved in to take him which made him grunt and kick out. "Come on Gideon, do you want pizza?" She asked, knowing it was his weak spot. With the movie forgotten he grumbled as he clambered to his unsteady feet and turned to face him so she could get his coat onto him and his arms through his backpack then turned away letting him watch the TV a moment so she could grab her own light jacket and shoulder into it.
Koren::
He'd been in this position before, it'd been the same dreadful feeling of his life crumbling before his very eyes and his guilt crashing down into the pit of his stomach. This time, however, it was so very different. This time he had everything to lose, and why he'd chosen to lie he couldn't wrap his head around. Why he always chose to lie as his first instinct of defense he couldn't understand. He paused after taking a step towards her, feeling like a monster, like a man who didn't know his own strength. He had been in this position as well, more than once, and for being as lanky as he was it made him feel like he was a danger to those he loved. "Skylar, I.." He started, only for him to grunt as her hand slapped against his chest with an audible 'thwack'. As something fell, however, he scrambled to grab it while turning to follow after her, only to pause. He'd known before what she was upset about, but actually seeing it made it all the more real. He exhaled sharply and stared at it for a long moment until he could hear her voice behind the door. "No, no, no, no.." He said nervously, stuffing the bag into his pocket as he quickly crossed to the living room. "Skylar,I'msorrydon'tgo." He mumbled all at once, rushing forward to place his hand on her shoulder, trying to distract her from dressing Gideon. As she was slipping into her jacket he quickly reached down to pick the boy up, holding him against his hip and pulling back from Skylar. "I'm sorry, okay? I'll get rid of it, I promise. Skylar, I promise you." He begged, without trying to scare either of the children in the room, but the fear in his eyes spoke more volumes than the words on his tongue, and it seemed they could see that, especially Collette who hung on to the edge of the pack and play, watching and beginning to whine.
Skylar::
"No." It was simple. She'd told him the day she had moved in that he should never lie to her, and he should never screw around on her. After all he'd been so worried that she was out dating and sleeping around. The blonde turned her gaze to his and leveled it on him before speaking as softly as she could. "You have as long as it takes me to put my son down or I will call the police and tell them what you have." It was a threat, and it was serious. She turned away to twist the lock open though the first time or two she jerked on the door it didn't open. When it finally did she grasped both suitcases and stalked out onto the front step before moving down them. She struggled with the back door on the car a moment before finally popping it open so she could shove the bags in the foot well then turning back to him snorted. "Your promises mean as much to me as toilet paper. Stay away from me. Stay away from my son. I won't let you ruin his life. I won't let you do to me or my son what my parents did to me." Skylar stepped around him this time and paused a moment to turn back and face him. "If I could take them away from you I would do that to. It's over, Koren. I found a co-worker here I can stay with until I have the money for a new place."
Koren::
"Skylar, just.. please!" He tried to beg, following after her without letting go of Gideon. In fact, he clung to him even harder against his hip until she made her very real threat. Koren was just stupid enough and just desperate enough to ignore it, to plead for her, yet, luckily for him, it quickly dawned on him just what would happen. With a previous record and two small children, they would undoubtedly be taken away from him and it would be years until he would be able to hold them again. His heart hammered against his rib cage, and he felt weak with nerves and sick with fear. "You're not even giving me a chance to explain!" He protested, following her outside as Collette whined even louder before breaking out into calling for the both of them from the open doorway. "It's not even mine! I'm holding it for a friend, and I was gonna tell you, but.. Skylar.. come on, no. This is your home, with us.. please!" He tried, and certainly lied, but any and everything that could get her to hesitate for even a moment was spilling from his mouth as he stood by the car, holding Gideon and trying to shut the door with his other hand before she could manage to get the bags into the car. "I'm not gonna hurt them! I'm not gonna hurt you, you just have to trust me Skylar!"
Skylar::
"Giving.. Put him down now." Skylar said again. Oh, she wanted to scream and yell, only she couldn't. Not with the kid watching. Especially since he'd come out and brought her son. Their son. God was he trying to make her hate him? For a moment she just stood there, staring with a look of dumbfounded disbelief on her face. 'Just holding it for a friend.' and 'Give me a chance to explain!' that was really what lies he was going to use? A cry came from her when he nearly shut her arm in the door and jerked it back. "This is not my home. Anywhere you were was never my home. Home doesn't lie." She spit at him verbally, showing the real first burst of anger which set off Gideon almost instantly because a moment later he began crying. "I trusted you. And you shit on that." Her hand shoved in under the hem of the sweater and she pulled free her phone. Was she really calling the police? She certainly made it seem like it. Instead she merely dialed a few numbers close to 911 and then lifted it to her ear. "Yes, I'd like to report an adult who refuses to give me back my son. He's got an unknown amount of cocaine on his person. I think he might do it when he's around them." Oh, it was low, it was cold. But she wanted away from him. She wanted free of him. She needed to be free of him. A moment later she was giving her address and staring at him now, her gaze flicking to her son who was still crying and trying to reach for her while still clutching Koren. "This is your fault, Koren. Not mine. I told you. Give me my son."
Koren::
Koren continued to clutch to Gideon as if him refusing to back down would make her stay when really it was just the opposite. Her words hurt. In fact, they more then hurt, they stung somewhere deep in him. He knew he'd done wrong, he knew he deserved it, but that didn't stop the lump in his throat from growing even thicker as he pleased with her with large blue, growing watery eyes. "Skylar..." He said with desperation, only to be drowned out by Gideon's loud cries which, had they even had neighbors, would certainly hear. He watched her for a moment, and the minute he saw the phone in her hand, panic rose. It was only when she began speaking into it, that he reached out to quickly grab it and without even glimpsing at the number, quickly held his finger down to power it off before she had even the chance of reporting him to the authorities. He held the phone and Gideon who clung to him but reached for his Mother for a long few moments, contemplating what to do, how to get her to stop everything and come inside, but when nothing came to him after nearly a minute, he looked to Gideon and pressed a long kiss to the top of his head with blue eyes shut tight. He hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath until he carefully handed him over to his Mother finally, along with her phone and stood back. His hands reached up to tangle in his blonde hair behind his head, watching with a mournful expression and wondering if he'd ever see her or his son again.
Skylar::
It was all Skylar could do when he jerked the phone out of her hand not to hit him. Frankly, the blonde wasn't sure she'd ever been as angry as she was in that moment and it scared her. Selling her virginity for her family to keep a roof over their head hadn't even touched this. And that scared her even more. Her small hands balled again into fists and her nails dug deep against her palms enough to visually draw blood though not much. Maybe she was wrong for doing this. After all she was abandoning Collette and an even more helpless and innocent Zachary to Koren and his drugs and perversions. No. She had to get away from him. She had to. Sky took her son from him, jerked the back door open again and settled her son in his seat, removed his backpack and tossed it in as well before buckling him up and turning to face him. "You know.. I.." Only her words trailed off and she looked away from him and closed her eyes, thinking. A long moment later she shook her head. "There's a half dozen bottles or more in the fridge for Zac and a weeks worth of dinner made for Coco in the fridge. Dinner is in the oven." The screams from inside the house seemed to have been doubled, after all when one started, they all got going and she stared at the house before rounding the car to pull her door open. "I trusted you. You're the first person I've trusted since I sold myself when I was fifteen. You're the first person I ever told I loved." She took a deep breath and shook her head once. "Get clean, Koren. You couldn't do it for me, but you can do it for them." With those words she pointed to the house and slid into the VW and shutting the door buckled herself in. It took her a heartbeat or two and on the second try got the car to start before she slipped into gear and left him standing there on the driveway.
Koren::
He watched as she buckled Gideon in, and stared at him even after she'd shut the door, contemplating yanking it open again, but he didn't. He stood there still, looking pathetic as he ever had while she turned to face him and he managed to peel his eyes from the boy and place them on her. He looked sincerely apologetic mingled with the deep depression that was already crawling it's way in to every crevice of his body and mind. The screaming from inside made his head hurt among the pounding from his heart, and he almost missed what she had started to say, not that it mattered much as she was to never finish it. He flinched hard and looked down towards his feet. Everything hurt and he was powerless to stop it. It was, after all, his fault, and a simple 'I'm sorry' wasn't going to fix anything. He looked up again once she was on the other side of the car. He took a step towards it, wanting so desperately to stop her, though his words only echoed off the window and back at him. "Skylar, wait.. We can talk about this. We can work it out." He tried to say over the roar of the engine. He followed her to the end of the short drive before his foot caught something soft where he glanced down and noticed one of Gideon's stuffed animals she must have dropped from one of the bags in her hurry to get out. He leaned down to pick it up and brush it off and by the time he looked up again her car was too far gone, and the screams from inside were growing too loud for him to ignore, no matter how long he could have stood there, staring, waiting for her to come back. Eventually he turned, still clutching the animal and made his way back inside, only to slump against the front door once he'd closed it in order to tuck his head between his knees to drown out everything, including his children, which hardly worked.