THE STORM IS OVER

FINE. THE. FUCK. ALLY.

I don't have anything else to say for myself, other than I fuckin love the shit out you niggas. Thank you for supporting me & reading this shit & still loving it after all this time. I'm not gonna make this a long drawn out thing. You wanted it, it's yours. Enjoy!


chapter 58

Chapter 58

“Mr. Samuels has made a full recovery. He was actually starting to wake up when the paramedics found him. He’s going to be fine, but we’d like to keep him over night just to keep an eye on him.”

Nicki took a sigh of relief.

“Thank goodness. His wife would just be torn apart if anything happened to him.” she said softly. Her heart felt slightly lighter knowing that her best friend would be okay. That was 1 less thing she had to worry about. This also gave her hope that Drake would be okay as well. The doctor turned to leave. Just before he could walk off, Nicki grabbed his arm. “Excuse me, doctor. What about my fiancé, Aubrey Graham? Is he okay? He should be fine, right?” The doctor’s face fell slightly, a frown settling on his lips.

“I'm afraid Mr. Graham wasn’t so fortunate. He suffered severe brain swelling, which we had to reduce surgically. He’s suffered some slight damage to the cerebral cortex on the left side of the brain where he was hit. I'm sure it wasn’t anything life threatening, but he’s slipped into a coma. We won’t know the extent of the damage until he wakes up…which could be at any moment.”

“But it’ll be soon, right?” Nicki asked.

“I'm sorry……..I really can’t say. His body has its own healing process. It could take a few hours, days………..weeks. There’s just no way to tell.” Nicki began crying softly, her body began to shake until full on sobs escaped her throat. She felt her knees give out, but could do nothing to stop it. The doctor caught her before she hit the floor, letting her wrap her arms around his neck. He held her awkwardly, not sure what to do other than rub her back softly & let her cry. “Miss, is there anyone we can call to be here with you?” she didn’t answer. “Miss, I really think you should have someone here to support you during this.”

“There isn’t anyone! He’s everything to me.” Nicki cried as she wiped her face. “…he’s everything to me.”

___________________________________________________________________________________

"You're sure you wanna waive your right to an attorney? You can ask for one at any time." Olivia said to her. She had been urging her to take the help she had been offering, even though her captain, Don Cragen, was advising against it.

"I told you already, I don’t care what happens to me. All I want is for Kaliyah to be safe. That was my only condition." She took another long drag of the cigarette before stomping it out in the ash tray in front of her. She flicked the butt toward the pile of empty cigarette packs on the table. This was the last of pack number 4. "How is she by the way?"

"Oh, she's fine. We located her grandmother in Florida. She's coming up to get her in a few days." Olivia told her. Karla perked up at the news. She sat up straight in her chair.

"Can I see her?" She asked, her voice light & fragile.

"She's been asking about you quite a bit."

Karla hunched over the table, leaning towards Olivia.

"Can. I. See. Her." she demanded more than questioned.

"I'm sure she would love to see you before she leaves."

"What do I have to do? Anything, please."

Olivia plopped a manila envelope on the table & slid it over to Karla.

"I wanna know why? Why did you do it?"

"I already told you why."

"Yeah, well, I want the truth! You don't just kill a woman in cold blood for no reason. Tell me why you killed her & I'll let you see the girl."

Karla hung her head. She didn't want to reveal the truth. She knew they probably wouldn't even believe her. But she had to see her. She had to know that Kaliyah wasn't going to someone that was as monstrous as Maliah. She had no other options, she had to do this. For Kaliyah.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

She sat down in the stiff, plastic chair across from the bed where the love of her life lay, fighting to stay alive. Bending over, she traced the edge of the bandage that was affixed to his forehead. The doctor was still as positive as he was 2 days ago about Drake's prognosis. But as Nicki looked at him, his body laying almost perfectly still, it was hard for her to see any positive outcome.

She bowed her head, letting it rest on the crisp white sheet that was stretched over his chest. She could feel his heartbeat. That was the only thing that was keeping her sane anymore.

"He's functioning completely on his own. The CT of his brain looks good. But of course we won’t know the extent of his damage until he wakes up, which could be any moment now." Koyoa said, stealing a peek at his chart. She looked over at Nicki, her body slumped over him like a rag doll. Koyoa half smiled. "You know...this is the same way he looked over you."

This caught Nicki's attention. She sat back up, turning to look at Koyoa.

"What?” she inquired. "When?"

Koyoa grabbed a chair & pulled it up next to Nicki before taking a seat.

"When you 1st had Malaki. Those 1st few days were really tough for him."

Nicki sighed long & heavy at the memory.

"God that seems like forever ago. Like another lifetime."

"It does." Koyoa sighed as well. "It really does. It's like you're not even the same people anymore."

"You really think so?"

"Of course." said Koyoa. "When I 1st met you guys, I always knew you were strong. A warrior. But it seemed like you always let him be the savior of your love story. You always conceded to him, letting him take the lead. But now...now you're the heroine. You've grown so much & I can really say that YOU made this possible. The damsel has finally created her own happy ending. And that's what I love about you two. I love that he cares & loves & fights for you. But that's what men do. They fight. But to see you; this woman that, at one point, was so defeated & broken rise up & become a champion, that's the kind of love story we all wish to have."

Nicki smiled to herself a little.

"I never thought of it that way. It's kind of hard to think that I'm actually being strong when he's the one lying here." She let her fingers graze his forehead for what seemed like the thousandth time.

"That's the easy part. All he has to do is get better. When he wakes up, he probably won't even realize that time has passed. But you have to be strong enough to be here, waiting. Waiting is scary. Especially when you don't know exactly what you're waiting for."

Koyoa's words weighed heavily on Nicki. She let her shoulder slump & began crying into her hands.

"What if I'm not? What if I can't do this?"

Koyoa pulled Nicki's hands away from her face.

"You can do this. You are a gladiator! Realize that strength you have inside you. Don't let grief overcome you now. This is the homestretch. All of the things you've been through will be meaningless if you give up now. Don't let this tiny thing break you after you've been through so much. He was there for you though the beginning of your journey. Now you need to be there for him though the rest. Care for him. Love him. But above all else, fight for him. And after you get through this, which I know you will, fight with him. You suit up & you go to battle with him every day, side by side. And the days he can't fight, you take on that burden. Because when you love someone, that's what you do. You should know that better than anyone after all the battles he's fought for you."

She kissed Nicki’s temple before rising to leave. Before walking out the door, Koyoa looked back at Nicki one last time.

"You know he can't do this without you." And then she was gone.

Nicki looked back to Drake, his chest slowly rising & falling. The fact that he's alive is nothing short of a miracle for her. She didn't know what she would've done if she had lost him. She put her head close to his, feeling the warmth his skin was emanating. Biting back a cry, she nuzzled her nose to his ear.

"I'll fight for you." she said softly. "I'll always fight for you."

_________________________________________________________________________________

“So tell me, Karla…” the woman said as she pulled a chair up to the metal table. Karla jerked back slightly, her shackles clanking against the lock in the center of the table. She had been in the room for hours. Fatigue & hunger were setting in. More than anything, she wanted to sleep. “Why should we believe you?”

Karla cocked her head to the side, taking in the woman before her. Her brown, wavy hair was to her shoulders, her dark eyes so focused on her, it was almost uncomfortable. She couldn’t be older than 35, but the creases near her eyes let Karla know she had seen & been through more than the average person her age.

“Do you see where I am? Do you know what I did? I pushed a woman out of a window! A dangerous woman, but a person no less. And it’s not like it’s just hearsay, you saw me! You think I don't know how much shit I'm in? You think I don't know that I'm never going home again?!” Tears rolled down her rough cheeks. Her eyes set deep in her hollow sockets, staring coldly at Olivia.

 Olivia felt bad; she knew the girl was guilty but her gut was telling her there was more to this story. She just couldn’t believe that Karla was a cold-blooded killer. She let her elbow rest on the table, using it as a perch for her chin.

“Okay,” she said, giving Karla her full attention, “so tell me what happened.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

"I'm sorry, Nicki, but there’s just nothing I can do! He has to come out of this on his own. Rushing him to wake up before he's ready could cause serious damage. We all want him to be 100% right?"

Nicki slouched against the wall just outside the hospital room, tears forming in her eyes as she nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry. I know you're doing everything you can." Nicki sighed.

"I know this is very hard right now. And I know that after everything that’s happened, it's hard to know who to trust. But believe me, if I could do more, I would." The doctor placed a hand on Nicki's shoulder delicately. "He'll pull through this. Have faith." Nicki quickly wiped her tears.

"Thank you so much. For everything." her voice was unable to retain volume for fear that it would crack.

"No need. Just stay strong, ok? Remember...faith." He gave her shoulder a quick pat before walking away.

But faith was in short supply.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

"So, tell us about the bodies." Olivia said calmly to Karla. Karla hung her head before she spoke.

"I don't know where they are. But if I had to guess, they're somewhere near the safe house."

"The safe house?" Olivia asked.

"Yes. It's a few minutes outside of Philly. I've never been there, but I saw her mark it on a map once. It's a real off the grid place. In the middle of some kind of forest."

The cruiser pulled up near the place Karla had described.

"You sure this is it?" asked a man with pale skin & hair that had begun to grey around the edges.

Olivia pulled out the map that Karla had marked for her. She shielded her eyes from the sunlight, trying to get a better view of the interstate sign up ahead.

"Old Mill Road." she read aloud. “I guess this is it."

The man looked to his left, grimacing at the dense forest.

"How the hell are we supposed to get through there? The cruiser is never gonna fit. "

"Well, I guess we're gonna have to do this the old fashion way then." Olivia smirked.

The older man sighed heavily before following Olivia's lead into the woods.

"But, why would she need a safe house?" Olivia inquired. Karla sighed.

"Maliah had started getting really paranoid. She thought everyone was out to get her. So after I told her I wanted out of whatever she was planning, she didn't trust anyone. Even though I told her I wouldn't say anything."

"Well, was she right not to trust you?"

Karla took a long drag of the cigarette that was balanced between her fingers.

"I'm talking to you, aren't I?"

After an hour of seemingly meaningless wandering, they stumbled upon a tiny shack made of rough, knotty pine.

"Liv, you sure this girl isn't sending us on some wild goose chase? How do we know she's not making all this up? This place looks like it'll barely fit us, let alone multiple bodies."

"I don't know, Elliot, I don't think she's lying. My gut says she’s telling the truth."

"Yeah well, maybe your gut just had too much for lunch." he grumbled under his breath.

Olivia shot him a dirty look before slowly creeping over to the other side of the building. There was a small door on the far side. It had a small, square window & standard brass door knob. She tired the handle, but it was locked.

"Stand back, Elliot” she said as she pulled her pistol from the holster at her side. He moved behind her as she aimed, shooting the handle. It fell to the ground & the door lurched open. Both officers walked in & looked around, guns drawn.

"Oh, it's like a mansion in here." Elliot said sarcastically.

"El, just keep an open mind here." Said olivia. The walls of the tiny shack were all covered with dusty white sheets. Elliot pulled one back with the barrel of his gun. Behind it was a picture of a woman with her face cut out, replaced by Maliah.

"Liv," he whispered, "take a look at this."

Olivia came over & pulled the sheet back further.

"What the hell is this?" Olivia asked suspiciously.

Drake was standing in the picture next to the woman along with Malaki. They all stood close, looking like a happy family. Olivia pulled the entire sheet down, revealing the wall, plastered with pictures of Maliah somehow photo shopped into the tiny family unit.

"Talk about creepy." Elliot said as he tried to shake off a chill that was edging up his spine.

Olivia tore down another sheet from the adjacent wall, revealing dozens of pictures of just Drake. Some looked cut from magazines, others looked printed from websites and some even looked as if they had been stolen from family photo albums.

"She was really out of control." Olivia said.

"Yeah, well you haven't seen the worst of it yet. Take a look at this."

Olivia turned around to face the other side of the cabin. The largest of the walls was covered in nothing but pictures of Nicki. Newspaper articles, magazine clippings. A lacy pair of underwear were tacked to the wall, along with a lock of curly brown hair tied with a bow. Samples of perfume, swatches of nail polish next to photos of Nicki wearing the exact same shade. Even certain articles of clothing she was wearing in very candid photos. Photos that looked like she was very unaware were being taken; in the shower, while she slept, while she was being intimate with Drake. Along the top of the wall read the words "Darling Nicki" in what looked like it could be blood.

"She wasn't just out of control," said Elliot, "she was fucking nuts."

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Two weeks, 3 days, 17 hours had passed & since the day this all began, things had been falling into place. Nicki’s mother had come from the city to take care of Malaki & Dricki. Safaree had tried his hardest to salvage what he could of the place they once called home. He had finally fixed the window in his nephew’s room & a construction crew had been working diligently to fix any & all damage. But it was hard to say if they would ever actually return to that house.

The final pieces had begun to fall into the puzzle. All but 1. Drake.

She had begun to wonder what she would do without him. How would she live out the remainder of her life with such a big part of it missing?

The doctor had explained every aspect of this situation. Every outcome. He could be fine. He could forget some details of that day, the whole day entirely. But he could also forget important things. Like their son’s birthday. Or the wonderful vacation they had just 6 short months ago. He could forget they had a son. He could forget her completely. What would she do then? If all their love & struggles were forgotten. How would they survive if she for was forced to watch him every day, holding their son, his expression blank, eyes staring at Malaki as if he were a stranger?

The thought of it all made her heart heavy with worry. She had no idea what to do. He would be lost to her. The only thing she was certain of is that she wouldn’t leave him. She was lost to him once & he remained by her side. She couldn’t live with herself if she didn’t do the same for him.

She kicked off her shoes & pulled back the covers, climbing in bed beside him. She curled herself into his side, wrapping him in her embrace.

“Hi baby,” she whispered, “it’s me…Nicki. It’s been almost a month that you’ve been in the hospital now.” Her voice began to crack slightly. “I’m so glad you’re still here with us…& I know your body has been working hard to make you better. But I miss you. I miss you so much. Malaki misses you. Dricki misses you. And you mother…40…we all miss you so much.” Tears began falling from her eyes. Her chest was tight, a lump rising in her throat. “We just wanna know that you’re still here with us. That you’re still fighting. We’re all rooting for you. We need you. Please just…just give me a sign. That you’re gonna come back to us.”

She hugged him tighter, holding breath, hoping for any type of movement. Any indication that he was listening to her. But there was nothing but silence. Nicki closed her eyes; lids heavy with fatigue. She let herself sink into him, her body molding to his as it always did when they were hone, in their bed together. Nothing had given her comfort since the beginning of this tragic ordeal. She could only imagine what it must be like for him. Maybe if she tried to give him physical, as well as emotional comfort, he would come back to her. Slowly, she began a melody that he had always used to soothe her in her times of need.

“Don’t worry…about a thing. ‘Cause every little thing…is gonna be alright…”

She repeated the lyric over & over, softly, until her mind gave way to slumber.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

“How many people did she kill?”

“I don’t know.”

“Give me a number.”

“I. Don’t. Know.”

Elliott sat back in his chair, stroking his chin.

“Fine. You don’t wanna help us? Fine.”

He stood up from the table.

“Where are you going?” Karla asked.

“You don’t wanna help us?” Elliott shrugged. “We don’t wanna help you. I’m gonna go tell this woman she can take her granddaughter home.”

Karla shot to her feet.

“NO PLEASE, YOU CANT DO THIS!!!!” she cried as she rounded the table.

“THEN TELL ME HOW MANY BODIES THERE ARE!”

“I DON’T FUCKING KNOW! I ALREADY TOLD YOU THIS!”

“C’mon! You were with her for how long, you’re trying to tell me you don’t have an idea of how many people she killed?”

Karla turned to face the stone wall behind her, sighing heavily.

“There were at least 5 that I know of. She never told me what she was planning because she knew I couldn’t handle the guilt. I wanted to tell…to say something. But I didn’t. I didn’t say anything at all.” her voice drifted off, her thoughts remorseful & full of regret.

“There’s gotta be something like 20,000 pictures here.” Elliott said as he examined the walls carefully. The rickety floor boards creaked under his weight.

“Yeah but there’s gotta be more. I mean…all the people she killed. A psychopath like that’s gotta have some trophies somewhere.” 

Just then, Olivia felt her boot clank against something metal on the floor. She looked down & noticed a tiny brass ring, just big enough to fit a finger through, attached to a bolt.

“What the hell is that?” Elliott questioned. Olivia pulled her phone from her pocket, shining a light on the old piece of metal. On the opposite side, she noticed a pair of hinges.

“It looks like a door.” She said. Slowly, she placed a finger in the loop. “Stand back, El.” She cautioned before yanking the dusty compartment open. Before them was a set of steps, leading underground. The two detectives looked at each other.

“Ladies first.” Elliott said snidely. Olivia rolled her eyes before heading down the steep stairs. The floor was hard dirt, the room cold & unfinished. The putrid smell hit them instantly.

“Ugh, god, it smells horrible.” Olivia huffed, holding back a gag.

She shined the light of her phone up to the walls of the cold, eerie room & gasped, stepping back quickly as she noticed the eyes of a bodiless woman staring back at her. Elliott raced down behind her, worried that she might be hurt.

“Liv, you okay?” he yelled as he waded around for her in the dark.

“Yeah, I’m fine, I’m fine.” She huffed. “We gotta call the captain. There’s gotta be at least a dozen heads down here.” Olivia shined her light over the many nameless faces, looking in disgust as the sediment floated around in the soft rays. “I just don’t understand how someone could do this. And where would we even begin to find out where the rest of them are? I mean, it’s not like she’s alive to tell us. They could be anywhere.”

“There’s gotta be something down here to let us know what she did. We just gotta keep looking” the two detectives continued to search the small space in the dim light, their noses shielded by their shirts, trying to stifle the putrid smell. “She didn’t say anything about something she might have left behind. A journal or something? Safe deposit box, anything?”

“No, she just mentioned this place. It’s a miracle we even found it.” Olivia sighed.

“Any chance you think she’s lying?” eliott asked.

“Naaaaah I don’t think so. I mean, we have some pretty good leverage. She’s been cooperative so far. And I really believe she would do anything to see that little girl.”

“Well, if we don’t find anything, maybe we’ll just have to push her harder.”

“I don’t know how much more she can take, El. She’s already waived her lawyer, she’s telling us everything she knows…maybe we just have to keep looking.”

“Yeah well, we better find something quick or I’m gonna be sick.” Eliott was circling back around the other side of the room when he stumbled over something hard & metal on the ground. After regaining his balance, she illuminated the object with his flashlight. “What do we have here?”  He asked as he looked down, at the rusted metal tool box. He examined it slowly, searching for wires or anything that could signify that it might be an explosive device. Once he was sure it wasn’t, he unhitched the old clasp, opening it slowly.

“What’s in it?” Olivia asked curiously as Elliott pulled out a stack of muddied, old papers. He narrowed his eyes at them before smiling.

“The jackpot.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The 4th floor of the hospital was quiet. Nurses shuffled around soundlessly, doing their rounds. Machines that tracked vital signs & brain activity played a quiet symphony behind the nurses’ station. Lights were dim, the glow of televisions & O2 meters cast long shadows as the patients lay deep in slumber. At the end of the hall, in private room 410, Nicki was sound asleep in the small hospital bed next to drake. The week had been long & stressful & it was finally taking its toll on her. Drake had finally become responsive to external stimuli but he wasn’t fully awake yet. It was extremely frustrating to Nicki to be so close to having him back to her but still not being able to have a conversation with him or have him hold her in his arms, which is what she really needed right now.

The night nurse came in, smiling as she looked on at them. ‘A few more minutes wouldn’t hurt’ she decided as she looked at his O2 meter. He was at 98 percent. His heart rate was steady. She would give it another half an hour before she disturbed Nicki to take his vitals. The nurse gave them one last glance before walking out & closing the door behind her. When the door clicked shut, something strange happened. Nicki stirred gently, feeling a slight twitch beneath her. Instantly, her eyes snapped open. She thought her mind was playing tricks on her. She was really tired, after all. Slowly, she lowered her head, hoping for any more movement. Five minutes had passed. Then ten. She was starting the think she imagined the whole thing. Suddenly, she felt it again. Nicki jumped to her feet, watching him cautiously. Tears pricked at her eyes as she mentally willed him to move once more. ‘Come on baby, one more time’ she pleaded mentally. As if on cue, his right hand twitched once more. Nicki pressed the call button frantically, awaiting a nurse to come to her aid. The slender, middle aged woman came to her side, a quizzical look on her face.

“He moved.” Nicki said breathlessly.

“Whatchu say hunny?” the nurse asked, not quite making out what she said.

“He moved.” She said firmly. The nurse’s eyes widened before she sprinted out the door towards the station. Incoherently, he murmured, grunting loudly, followed by a fit of coughing. Nicki raced to the bathroom sink with a paper cup, filling it with cool water before bringing it to his lips for him to drink. Drake sipped eagerly. After he was satisfied, he fell back on his pillow, clearing his throat as his eyes fell on her for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime.

“Thank you.” He said groggily. Nicki couldn’t help it; she fell to his chest, clinging to him desperately. Bewildered, he patted her back gently. “Are you okay, miss?” he stammered. Nicki jumped back, looking at him quizzically.

“Aubrey…” she whispered.

“Yes…how do you know my name?” Nicki furrowed her brow slowly, her lip beginning to tremble.

“Its…it’s me. Onika.”

“Aaaare you my nurse?” Nicki’s heart was trying to fight its way out her chest furiously. This couldn’t be happening.

“NO! It’s Nicki! Your fiancé! I’m…we have a son!” she was crying now, fingers clenching the front of his hospital gown. “You really don’t know who I am?” she stared intently into his eyes, searching for the answer his words weren’t giving.

“No, I’m sorry, I don’t.” he said somberly. “But I sure would like to, Miss Nika.” And in that instant she recognized the familiar spark of devilish playfulness in his eyes as his left arm crept up her back. “Come on… don’t fight it.” he said as she smile crept reluctantly across her face. “I had you going there for a minute.”

“I hate you!” she said shaking her head.

“No you don’t.”

“That wasn’t funny! Why would you do that to me?!” drake wrapped his arms around her tighter.

“You think I could forget all the shit you put me through?” he asked as he jokingly nudged her with his shoulder. Still crying, Nicki placed her head on his chest, smiling contently.

“I’ve missed you.”

Just then, a quick rap at the door sounded, followed by the door opening, the doctor entering quietly.

“Mr. Graham, so nice to see you awake.” He said smiling. “How are you feeling?” drake looked at the beautiful woman beside him, a surge of joy taking over him.

“Never better.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

“On the charge of Manslaughter in the first degree, the defense and the prosecution have reached a plea agreement, is that correct?” judge Norfolk questioned as he looked over the manila envelope in front of him. Slowly, he rearranged the spectacles that hung at the edge of nose, clearing his throat while reading the paperwork.

“We have, your honor.” Defense attorney Victoria Sims said firmly. Her hands gripped around the cool leather handle of her briefcase in front of her. She was nervous. Judge Norfolk was hard on crime. Sometimes too harsh. As he looked over the requirements of the plea bargain, she hoped he wouldn’t refuse it & make her draw up another one, as she had heard it had been done many times before in his courtroom. This was her first time appearing before him & even she thought the plea wasn’t exactly idea, but after the tips Karla gave them had led to finding 16 different bodies, it was hard not to refuse. Especially since detective Benson had advocated for her so passionately.

"Am I reading this right, Miss Sims? It says here the defendant will do 10 years in the state mental institution."
Victoria cursed under her breath before answering.
"Your honor, Miss Moy’s cooperation with the police lead to the finding & identification of over a dozen bodies; solving many cases, including the murder of the victims own sister & children."
Judge Norfolk leans back, stroking his salt & pepper beard. This was an election year. He didn't want to seem too soft on crime. But given the circumstances, he couldn't refuse this plea.
"Very we'll then." He said, reluctantly. Judge Norfolk cleared his throat once more before training his piercing eyes onto Karla.

“Is there anything you would like to say on your behalf before the sentence is read, young lady?”

Karla swallowed hard, combing through her hair nervously with her fingers. Her heart was racing as she tried to remember the words she wanted to say, hoping they would come out right.

“I…I just want to say that I’m sorry. Sorry for everything that’s happened. I never meant for anyone to get hurt. I’ve ruined so many lives… I just hope the people I’ve hurt can find it in their hearts to forgive me.” She looked back at him. His face was somber. A cane balanced on his right knee as he gave her a nod. Her line of sight shifted to the woman beside him, bouncing the toddler in her arms. Her aura radiating a peaceful light. It was finally over. And the relief was evident from everyone. It was hard to imagine that just a few short months ago, her main objective in life was to cause her pain & suffering. What was more unbelievable was the lengths it had gone to, to bring that idea into fruition; both of them nearly losing their lives in the process. Looking at her now, she couldn’t even remembered what she had disliked about her, or why she had thought her & Drake weren’t meant for each other. Seeing them, their bodies a short distance apart, but still seeming to be interconnected by some other-worldy power, fingers interlocking effortlessly, it was evident they were made for each other. Greif & guilt washed over her, making the reality of her confinement to the Pennsylvania state mental institutional almost not enough to be penance for her crimes. Nicki looked up just before Karla turned away & gave her a gesture that would make the days on her road to recovery worthwhile. An expression she hadn’t been able to execute in a very long time.

She smiled.

Clatter could be heard all around them. People shuffling about frantically, trying to prepare for the media storm that waited just a few feet outside of the building. Just outside of judge Norfolk’s courtroom, Karla was kneeling in her shackles, embracing the child once last time.

“You be good for your grammy, ok?” Karla said, smoothing the child’s hair. Kaliyah nodded firmly.

“Will you come back & visit me someday?” she asked in a soft voice that could barely be heard through the scruffy fur of the child’s cherished teddy bear. Karla wanted to cry. She had tried not to think about the fact that she would be losing her freedom. Her only hope was that the child would still think about her by the time she was released from her involuntary stay. She had to remain optimistic.

“You bet! Try not to forget about me, ok?”

“never.” The child said firmly while extending her little finger. Karla locked her pinky with the child’s; their thumbs touching to seal the bond.

“It’s time, Ms. Moy.”  Olivia told her. Reluctantly, she stood, taking the child in one last time. Pressing her lips together tightly, she waved slightly before turning & walking away. Kaliyah let her tears fall, all but her eyes covered by her stuffed friend as she watched the only person that had cared for her in those long months of hell leave her one more time.

Once she was gone, Drake made his way over to where Olivia & Kaliyah were standing, Nicki flanking his left with Malaki.

“I wanted to just say thank you again. Hopefully we can start to put this whole thing behind us.” he said somberly. Nicki rubbed his arm soothingly.

“It was no problem at all. I’m just glad that this is all over for the two of you & Karla will hopefully get the help she needs.” Olivia said before shaking his hand. They were all about to make an about face when there was a slight tug at the bottom of his jacket. He looked to his right to see the tiny child standing there.

“Mr. Graham?” she said softly.

“Yes?” he answered quizzically. Olivia kneeled down next to the child, smiling.

“Mr. Graham, this is Kaliyah Michel. She was the one that made the 911 call to your house when her aunt attacked you.” The girl looked down before clearing her throat to speak.

“I’m sorry my auntie was so sick & tried to hurt you.” She said slowly. Nicki kneeled down in front of her, smoothing her cheek.

“You don’t have to apologize sweetheart. It wasn’t your fault. If anything, we should thank you for being so brave & calling the police.” Nicki stared at the girl for a moment, taking in her hollow cheeks & sunken eyes. She looked like she had been through more than any child ever should. It made tears well in her eyes.

Kaliyah averted her eyes. She had been conditioned for so long to hate this woman, but she just couldn’t do it. She seemed so nice. Nothing like what her aunt had portrayed her to be. She had been the evil one all along. She felt so bad for Nicki & everything she had been put through. But she was glad that she & Karla were able to stop here before it was too late. Looking at Malaki, she admired the way he smiled at her, peering into her eyes happily as dribbles of drool escaped his mouth that was dotted with tiny teeth. Not many people had smiled at her in such a long time. Something inside her tiny heart swelled for reasons she couldn’t explain. She felt a connection to the boy; something she didn’t really understand. But it calmed her. So many times, she had walked past people, none of them knowing what she was hiding, the terror she was facing behind closed doors. Knowing that she helped him, even a little, made all those times worthwhile. That her suffering wasn’t in vain. She smiled back at him.

“I watched your baby for you. It was cold & he was crying. I played with him until he fell asleep. Is that okay?” Drake squatted slowly, wanting to be eye level with the child.

“You did an amazing job.” He said sweetly. Kaliyah grinned as Malaki cooed at her. “He seems to really like you. Maybe you can come by & play sometime. Sound good?”

Kaliyah looked weary but Drake really meant it. He couldn’t explain why but he felt a need to protect this girl. Maybe it was because she took care of Malaki while he & Nicki were fighting for their lives. Maybe it was because he listened to her testimony of all of the physical, emotional, mental & sexual abuse she was subjected to by the woman he had once thought he loved. Maybe it was because he was feeling guilty; that if he had never dated the woman, she would never had to have been mistreated that way. Somehow he knew the latter wasn’t true. The woman was unstable, it was only a matter of time before she exploded. He just happened to be the target at the time. But that didn’t stop the feeling to defend her from any more evil of the world.

“Maybe. If my Grammy says.” She tells him, looking toward her grandmother.

“I don’t know, baby. Florida is a long way away from here.” The woman said, frowning.

“That won’t be a problem.” Nicki said softly. The child looked curiously at her grandmother, eyes wide & wishful. The woman looked down back at her, a weary smile on her lips. She didn’t want to say no, but after the experience her granddaughter had been through, she didn’t know who to trust. She sighed, a simple “maybe” was all she could offer. The girl pleaded no contest, only waving her hand slowly as her grandmother told her it was time to go. Drake & Nicki turned around, leaving in the opposite direction. Kaliyah looked back, seeing the smile on Malaki’s face, his tiny arms reaching for her over his mother’s shoulder. Before they disappeared, the girl pulled away from her grandmother, racing over to where the small family stood. The tug on at her skirt caused Nicki to turn & face her. Without a word, Kaliyah outstretched her arms, placing her precious bear in Malaki’s grasp. He tugged it to his chest instantly, cooing at the feel of his soft fur. Kaliyah smiled.

“He can have it.” she said sweetly. “I’m not afraid anymore.”

p.s. due to my inability to let go & weirdness with odd numbers, I've added another chapter. It's hella short but idc & I'm gonna post it...soon. foreealzies this time.