[right][sub][color=lightgray]TIMESTAMP: Tuesday, July 20th, 2021 || Morning
A [@Venus], [@Aces Away] & [@BrutalBx] Collab
Featuring  [color=8F2E62]Aleyda Gonzalez[/color], [color=104E09]Maliq Briteson[/color] & [color=E4DF9B]Mr. Beau[/color]
[b]TW: GRAPHIC MENTIONS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE[/b][/color][/sub][/right]

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[color=darkgray][indent][indent]Creed knocked on the Gonzalez' door after a quick glance around for suspicious activity. Ley had texted him early in the morning saying she would need an escort, and he easily finished his routine before heading over to start his job. Not that making sure Ley was safe was much of a job, at least not like it had been whenever ReyRey had him keeping an eye on her in highschool. Ley used to be one of the most fearless snakes he’d ever seen, with a loud mouth and an ear-ringing right hook to back it up. He’s seen her take a girl down by the ponytail and not stop thrashing her until he had to pull her off, and even then she would still be raring to go another round. He’d had to leave many parties early and miss out on a full night of customers because he had to drag her out of a fight and get her home. She was a blazing inferno and he loved to get too close to those flames. He admired the ferocity she had behind everything she did. He used to flirt with her in the middle of dragging her out of fights, and it was always a bit of a blow to his ego when that was the thing that made her stop flailing and start laughing, calling him corny and blowing off any compliment or pick up line he threw her way. 

It was a far cry from the paranoid, traumatized girl he’d been reassigned to a month ago. Nowadays, Aleyda Gonzalez was a mere ember of her former flame, and the most life he’s seen in her eyes has been when her gaze fell upon her young son. He felt lucky enough to be able to see that light many times recently, as he accompanied her and little Raf around town on errands and outings to the park. It was a rare glimpse into who was now just a memory most times. While he missed how energetic and volatile she used to be, Creed also felt blessed that he got to see her as a caring mother as well. It was far better than any other outcome of her former relationship.

After giving Aleyda the space she needed to process the shock of the news of Hyde's release, the Gonzalez family sprang into action to come up with a plan to keep her safe. The first thing they had done was move her and Rafael back to Big Rey and Lupe’s house. As much as it hurt to watch them leave the home Big Rey had so lovingly gifted her daughter and grandson, they all agreed that the move was the best way to keep the two of them safe.

The day after the news, Ley and Big Rey had an emergency meeting with Renee Davies to ensure that the restraining order she’d been granted was still in effect. They received confirmation that the order was still active, and were advised to contact law enforcement if it was ever broken. In reality, there was a bigger chance of Cameron Hyde meeting his demise before the police were ever called, but that wasn’t something the Gonzalez’ would say out loud.

Their next move had been to speak with Marlena Brady about the situation and coordinate measures to take place during Ley’s shifts at the salon. As always, the Mexican woman was understanding to a fault. Being a teen mom and the daughter of a kingpin herself, Marlie reassured the younger woman that she’d be more than taken care of during her watch. Security cameras inside and outside the building, an alarm system and the Glock she kept in her office had always been a part of the salon’s safety precautions, but she’d also ask her husband Colin to put in a word to his superiors to increase the patrol rounds around the salon for added peace of mind.

The final and most important part of Ley’s security plan was to assign a capable, resourceful, trusted Serpent to escort her anytime she left the house and whenever Big Rey and Lupe weren’t around. The Serpent that was was a no-brainer. Maliq and Aleyda had known each other since they were babies-- they’d grown up together, gone to school together, and he’d been her bodyguard and protector since their playground days. Most importantly, Creed was the only man in the organization with the rarest quality of all: Aleyda’s entire and wholehearted trust. 

Following Creed’s knock, the front door to the Gonzalez house opened just wide enough to allow the person inside to glance outside. A brown eye could be seen peeking out, visually confirming the identity of the person on the other side before closing it again. After a few rattling sounds, the door swung open to reveal the Serpent Princess herself: [url=https://uploads.wornontv.net/2019/08/akna-pink-baby-girl-swarovski-set-maddy-euphoria.jpg]all dressed up[/url] and ready for the day.  

[color=8F2E62]“Hey, Mal,”[/color] Aleyda politely greeted the Serpent, offering him a half-smile before allowing him entry into the home. None of the former bright smiles, sparkling eyes or playful banter from before she got the news-- only meek politeness and deliberate avoidance of eye contact. [color=8F2E62]“I was just putting Raf’s shoes on so we could head out.”[/color]

[color=104e09]"Hey, Ley,"[/color] Creed responded, crossing the threshold with one more security glance outside. He immediately knelt down in front of where Raf was sitting with one shoe partially on and the other in the boy's hand. [color=104e09]"Hey lil' man, let's get your shoes on an' show ya off around town, yeah?"[/color] He grabbed the laces of the shoe already on his foot and made quick work of tying it, then he held his hand out for the other shoe, giving little Raf a fist bump when the item was handed over. Once both shoes were on, he allowed the little boy to hook his arms around the back of his neck and picked him up off the floor, pretending that Raf's counterweight was affecting him and wobbling dramatically on one foot to make the child laugh and his mother smile. Once he'd finished a performance Jokes would be proud of, the Serpent enforcer smiled and put his own arm under the boy to keep him stable in his hold. Turning to Ley with a soft smile on his face, he asked, [color=104e09]"We all good?"[/color]

[color=104e09][i]Are you ready,[/i][/color] his eyes asked. [color=104e09][i]To be out there?[/i][/color] because that was always an important step for days when they got out of the house. If she wasn't ready then Creed could do her errand on his own, but giving Ley choices were important. So many choices had been violently torn from her grasp that it was important to remind her that she still has the ability to make her own choices again. Creed detested Hyde for everything that man did, for the way he destroyed beautiful things just so he could see how they crumble and break under his fist, but the pain and destruction he cause Aleyda Gonzalez has its biased place at the very top of his list of grievances for the animal in a man’s skin.

Watching Creed interacting with Rafael healed and broke Aleyda’s heart in equal parts. Maliq had always treated Raf with patience, kindness and affection. Whenever he was around, smiles and laughter seemed to be the order of the day for both mother and child. It filled Ley’s heart with joy to know that her son was so loved by not just Mal, but by so many other people as well. On the other hand, a gut-wrenching pain seemed to gnaw at her chest whenever she saw the man and her boy together. As much as she tried not to, Ley couldn’t help but fantasize about a world in which Cameron hadn’t succumbed to his demons and tried to kill her. A world in which they’d shared a healthy, loving relationship, and one where they raised their child together as the family she always dreamed of having.

A world that didn’t exist and never would.

Fighting away the tears springing to her eyes, Aleyda blinked a few times before turning to Maliq and nodding. She was still very visibly afraid of leaving the safety of her parents’ home since that day, but the girl knew she was safe under her friend’s watch.

Creed nodded to Aleyda and grabbed the keys to her red Hyundai Elantra before he headed out the door with Raf in his arms. He looked down the street to see Jokes nodding to him from the corner, giving him the all clear, and then unlocked the doors so Aleyda could get in while he strapped Raf into his seat in the back. The boy pulled at Creed's beanie excitedly as the man strapped him in and Creed was content to let the boy's focus remain on his hat so he could focus on getting all the buckles right. Once that was finished, the bodyguard straightened up and ruffled the hair on Raf's head before closing the door and sliding into the driver's seat. Spending these days with Aleyda and Raf were giving him similar feelings to spending the day with Fin and Prof; it left him with a yearning to build such a family dynamic in his own life. It wasn't that he didn't love the relationships he had, but playing bodyguard to a girl that practically thrived on blowing off his advances and that girl's son who treated him like he was the coolest thing since sliced bread…Creed, for the first time since Natalia, was feeling sick of flings and one night stands, and he was ready for something real again. Real like he'd had with Natalia, real like he'd always had with Jokes. He loved doting on lil' Raf and treating the little man like his own, but he also [i]wanted[/I] a child of his own, and had known he wanted to be a father quite young when he was busy being the older brother to a bunch of chaotic preteen snakes. He looked to Ley in the passenger seat and smiled, pushing all his thoughts away to focus on the woman beside him.

[color=104e09]"Lookin' good as always today, Viper,"[/color] he complimented, earning himself a small, reserved smile from Aleyda as a thank you. [color=104e09]"Now where're we goin'?"[/color]

[color=8F2E62]"Beau's café,"[/color] she answered without missing a beat, putting on her seat belt and locking her eyes on the road stretching out in front of them. In all honesty, Ley hadn't wanted to leave the safety of the house in the first place-- she was sure her hesitation was painted all over her made-up face. Any visit around town outside of the usual back and forth to work could mean coming face to face with her ex-boyfriend, which was something she desperately wanted to avoid. But Lupe had insisted that some time outside the four walls Ley had grown accustomed to would do her good, so she took it upon herself to arrange the outing they were embarking on.

Nodding to Ley to show he'd heard, Creed pulled out of the driveway and headed off towards the cafe, turning the music up as he did so to allow Ley some time in her head to get ready to be out and about. His and Raf's singing filled the car for the majority of the ride and by the time they had reached Beau's they had already cycled through most of Raf's favorites. At least, the ones Creed kept saved on his phone for the little guy.

Aleyda, on the other hand, appeared to be lost in her own thoughts for the duration of the car ride. After the conversation with Prim the night before, she seemed to be more inside her own head than usual lately. The news her friend had disclosed to her during this impromptu phone call had unraveled the progress of years worth of therapy in a matter of minutes. All the confidence in herself that she’d rebuilt came crashing down, the insecurities she’d been battling against returned in full force, and the doubts about her self-worth came back with a vengeance. If Cameron had been able to move on so quickly, did that mean she’d been the problem in their relationship all along? Had she acted or been lacking in ways that justified his aggressions towards her? Maybe she’d mouthed off to him a little too much. Maybe she’d given him reasons to doubt her. Maybe she’d unknowingly tested his patience for so long that he couldn’t take it anymore and he lashed out. Shannon and everyone else said that nothing justified what happened to her, but what if they were wrong? She was the one who decided to date him. She was the one who decided to go against everyone’s advice to be with him. No matter how many ways you tried to spin the story, maybe she had brought this all on herself.

Maliq checked the rearview to see that Jokes had hopped into a car with Duke and both were parked across the street to keep watch. As he watched, Duke stepped out and nodded in the Elantra's direction to give them the all clear before walking off to do surveillance on foot.

[color=104e09]"All good, let's head inside,"[/color] Creed assured Ley as he turned off the car. He got out and got little Raf out of his seat and onto his hip, securing the boy to him with one arm before he went around to the passenger side of the car and opened the door for Ley, letting his large figure be a wall between her and the open street behind them. He held his free hand out to her to help her from the car. [color=104e09]"I gotchu, mama."[/color]

Aleyda couldn't help but offer Maliq a nod of appreciation as she took his hand and exited the vehicle. Even though Creed had never been anything less than a gentleman in the years she'd known him, the man's actions made her heart ache with sorrow. When things had taken a turn for the worse during her relationship with Hyde, she had been quickly conditioned to expect that no good deed came without a consequence. A bouquet of flowers was proof that he loved her with all of his heart and was willing to forgive her even if she was 'being fucking crazy, acting like a mouthy fucking bitch and overreacting all the fucking time'. A drive around town was an opportunity to get yelled at about how stupid, annoying, bitchy or idiotic she was in close quarters with no escape. A door being opened for her meant getting forcefully grabbed by the arm and flung into the room the second she crossed the threshold because she was 'in the way'. Walking past him meant her hair getting painfully yanked or her body getting shoved, but he 'was just playing, babe'. Sleepovers 'because I miss you' were a gateway into screaming matches that ended with Cameron storming off and Aleyda crying beside a hole he had punched near her head in the wall of his bedroom. Attempts at intimacy began as masked passion, but the underlying violence of his actions revealed themselves sooner and sooner with each encounter, eventually turning into anything other than the act of love it was supposed to be. These days, Ley couldn't help the way she flinched whenever a man made any sudden moves around her or got too close. It was a reaction she had no control over, but one she was actively trying to deprogram herself from. 

Rafael's small voice calling for her attention pulled the Gonzalez daughter out of her sad reverie. After a glance at her beautiful son, Aleyda pushed the unwelcome thoughts and made the conscious decision to focus on the present. She couldn't let her traumatic memories with Hyde continue to interfere with her life like this. So with her hands still intertwined with Creed's for emotional stability and support, the Serpent enforcer, the Serpent princess and her small prince made their way into Café Rochambeau.

There had been some minor flooding out back of the Cafe because of the storm but no major damage, so Beau thought best just to drain it himself instead of bothering any of the local services. Emerging from the back, a wide toothy grin crossed the former teacher's stubbled face as he saw a sight that might just bring tears to his eyes. Aleyda Gonzalez, hand in hand with Maliq Briteson and her lovely little boy, Rafael. They looked to the untrained eye like a young family out and about for the day. In reality, Aleyda was a prisoner in her own body and Maliq was the guard trying to rehabilitate her. Beau’s eyes drifted to the window, he could see the Serpents watching and he wasn’t surprised. After what the poor girl had suffered at the hands of Rafael’s father, Big Rey’s reaction of having a protection detail on his princess at all times was not a shocker.

[color=E4DF9B]“Well well, hey there.”[/color] Beau had known Aleyda most of her life. Despite his former occupation as police, he and her father held a deep rooted respect for each other. They were men of honor in a time where honor was no more. [color=E4DF9B]“It’s so good to see you all,”[/color] Bending down, Antoine looked at the little boy and booped his nose, earning himself a small giggle from the boy. [color=E4DF9B]“Especially you, petit Prince.”[/color] Raf had so much of his father in him, right down to those cold blue eyes, though thankfully, there was a warmth behind them that just didn’t exist in his progenitor. Beau still held some guilt about not being able to help Cameron. Mr. Hyde was already too far gone. [color=E4DF9B]“What can I get for you, sweetheart?”[/color]

[color=8F2E62]"It's always good to see you too, Mr. Beau. Good mornin'."[/color] Aleyda quietly greeted the older man with a wave and a half-smile, occupying her usual booth at the end of the establishment and choosing the side facing the window to the outside. Sitting with her back against entrances or exits was certainly not an option these days. [color=8F2E62]"I'll get a large caramel latte, a ham, an egg and cheese croissant for me; a glazed donut and a hot chocolate for Raf-- but don't make it [i]too[/i] hot, you know? Just warm enough. And can you put it in the disposable cup with the sip lid? He’s still not the most careful with things, so I wouldn't want to risk him spilling his drink or breaking any of your nice mugs."[/color] With hers and her son's orders now placed, Ley turned her attention to Creed. [color=8F2E62]"Pick your poison, Mal. Food's on Dad's dime today."[/color]

[color=104e09]"Well I ain't gonna say no ta that,"[/color] Creed replied, smiling at both Beau and Aleyda as he slid into the seat opposite her, well aware of her issue with facing her back to open spaces and willing to allow this slide in security measures with the knowledge that his serpent brothers were watching their backs outside. [color=104e09]"I'll take an everythin' bagel with butter an' large coffee with cream an' sugar,"[/color] he ordered, not even bothering with a menu. While him and Beau weren't as close as the older man was with quite a few of the other Southies and Serpents that Creed knew, he still held an immense amount of respect for the man who had a heart big enough to support those from both sides of the track. He'd known about him from running around town, from Decky and Ley and his other friends, but considering how much school he skipped to work he had hadn’t much actually been in any of the classes, so he only truly met him face to face when he went to one of the school dances when he had been dating Natalia. The man was warm and welcoming while still holding an air of authority about him, and Creed found his presence immensely calming, and gave him the respect that his presence demanded but his actions [i]earned[/i]. This man was certainly something special, and someone healthy and successful in his own small way that the disenfranchised of this town can look up to. [color=104e09]"How've ya been, Mr. Beau?"[/color]

[color=E4DF9B]“Oh you know me, same old same old.”[/color]

Beau scribbled down the young “family’s” order. There had been too many days in the past few years where Big Rey Gonzalez came into Rochambeau lamenting the sadness of his daughter. The guilt and the pain, it so very obviously ate away at the former Serpent's heart and Beau knew that there was nothing he could do or say to alleviate that. Oh to be a father was the greatest gift a man could receive but it could also be the worst curse a man could ever bear. Antoine looked down at the small boy reaching up with his little hands. [color=E4DF9B]“You wanna help me make this Raf? It's good with me, all my staff are out today. Come on little man,”[/color] The older man picked up the giggling boy into his arms and carried him to the counter where he placed him down. He handed the blonde boy a toy from underneath the counter where he kept spares for tired Mom’s and began making the order.

Beau glanced out of the window at a cab parked at the traffic lights outside before returning his gaze to Rafael. The child looked so much like his father, it was really quite haunting. From the reddish blonde hair and pale blue eyes right down to the small freckles that were still developing across his face. [color=E4DF9B]“You taking care of your Momma, Raf? She’s good people. Grand Papi and Grandma too. Jury’s out on your uncle but don’t give up hope. There’s a light out there for him; he just has to find it. You too, but you got time.”[/color]

Antoine had a lot of regrets in his life. It came with the territory really. As a police officer and a teacher, it was strange that his regrets in both of his lives were married. He hated letting people down. Failing them when he promised absolution. For a time that revolves around being unable to bring someone to justice. After that it was about children that he watched enter a life he tried to teach them to avoid but that was the real lie he told himself. He wasn’t teaching them to avoid it, he was teaching them how to survive it.

Rafael’s father was one of those regrets. When Cameron Hyde walked into Beau’s class, he saw the darkness straight away. It was like a cloud, an aura Colleen would say. He was solemn, moody but oh so clever. Cameron knew how to work a room and the people in it. He learned quickly that the problem with the young boy was his rage. There was just so much rage. Beau tried. He really tried to get through to him and for a time, the boy they now call the Devil responded. Then something turned. Something changed and Cameron was lost, giving birth to Hyde.

[color=E4DF9B]“Quiet minds cannot be perplexed or frightened but go on in fortune or misfortune at their own private pace, like a clock during a thunderstorm.”[/color] Beau quoted Robert Louis Stevenson’s great novel of man’s duality. [color=E4DF9B]“I’m sorry your daddy never found his light. Maybe it was you all along?”[/color]

Creed had turned back to Ley when Beau took Raf to get their order ready and found himself staring at her for a long moment as her eyes stayed locked on her child. He knew being out was hard for her, but she did seem to consider the Rochambeau a sort of safe territory for a little of her spark to reignite. Her eyes were softer and less guarded and her muscles, while still rather coiled, were relaxing in small motions as she registered her safety. It wasn't something anyone else may notice, but Creed has been a master in Ley's body language before he ever even became a Serpent; back when he was just a Legacy in grade school and, yeah, she was still the Serpent Princess but she was also just a Legacy as well. The Legacies knew each other all quite well, but even they had their own little groups within their own small community. The Bookers all stayed together and took the Bransons and later the children that became part of the Dawson household with them. Creed and Jokes had each other and Ley, and later the first generations- like Mordechai and Sonny- fell under their wings and got in close, especially with their quick rise in the ranks to Captain and Lieutenant so young.

All that being said, he knew Ley, and he knew when she had a lot on her mind.

[color=104e09]"What's goin' on up there, Viper?"[/color] He asked, tapping his temple with two fingers to indicate her thoughts before dropping his hand back to the table, glancing out the window for a split moment just as the light turned green for the cab sitting there.

The young woman took in a deep breath. [color=8F2E62]"Do you believe in karma?"[/color] she asked Creed, keeping her brown eyes locked on the table. [color=8F2E62]"Like, do you believe that what goes around comes around? That you always pay for every bad thing you do in one way or another?"[/color]

[color=104e09]"I…can't really say I do, I've seen too much bad shit go on for too long without any consequences ta believe in it,"[/color] he answered truthfully, interlocking his fingers and resting his hands on the table in front of him. [color=104e09]"Do I think that sometimes people get what they deserve? Sure, but there's a whole lotta graves in this town alone that are filled with people that deserved ta be here today, so I think us humans are just too small in the universe ta be subjected ta strict cosmic balance,"[/color] he watched the dark haired beauty in front of him and raised an eyebrow, asking, [color=104e09]"Why'd ya ask?"[/color]

Aleyda inhaled and slowly exhaled a deep breath, bracing herself for the vulnerable position she would be putting herself in. [color=8F2E62]"I got a call from ReyRey's friend Prim yesterday… Apparently, while I can barely make it out of bed without having a panic attack, Cameron was at The Afterlife last night-- drinking and dancing and laughing and kissing the night away with that Milligan ex-girlfriend of his that just came back to town,"[/color] she revealed, pulling out her phone and handing it to Creed to scroll through the photos Prim had sent her of Hyde and JJ Milligan in various stages of the flirtation and seduction game seemingly having the time of their lives together. She had stared at the images a million times since she'd received them, but they brought a gut-wrenching pain to her heart every time she went through them. [color=8F2E62]"And if that wasn't enough, they went home together, too."[/color]

Creed scrolled through the photos slowly, trying to take in whatever details he could from each one before moving on to the next. He tried to see these photos from the eyes of someone like Aleyda, but all he could think when he saw the pictures of Hyde smiling was [i]Did he smile like that when he threw his mom down the stairs before beating Ley within an inch of her life and walking away? When he heard he was being let out early?[/i] but he made sure to keep his face carefully neutral as he handed the phone back to her. He leaned back against the booth and calmly stated, [color=104e09]"He's a sociopath, Aleyda, he can gut someone an' half an hour later show up ta that person's birthday party actin' just as confused as everyone else when they don't show up. He's probably lyin' right ta Milligan's face, too."[/color]

He looked over to where Beau was making their order with Raf and then out the window for the continued all clear from Duke and Jokes. Finally, he returned his sights to the strongest yet most frail person he knew. [color=104e09]"I hope you're not usin' this as some way ta blame yourself for anythin' that happened,"[/color] Memories of finding her bruised and half sprawled out of the doorway of April McMahon's home during one of his routine scoutings were burned into his mind. He never asked Beau why the other man was there that day, but his steady hand on Creed's shoulder as the younger man held a battered and unconscious Ley was a godsend. [color=104e09]"He's snapped before an' he'll snap again, and none'a that's your fault."[/color]

Aleyda shifted her gaze away from Creed and onto her lap, where she fiddled around with her fingers. [color=8F2E62]“It’s just…”[/color] she began, trailing off as she felt herself getting choked up by the tears bubbling up to the surface. After a moment to compose herself but only managing to get caught up even more deeply into her feelings, Ley turned her eyes back to Creed’s as the tears began to roll down her cheeks. [color=8F2E62]“How can I not blame myself when I’m the only one of his girlfriends he did this to?”[/color] she told him, holding back a sob. [color=8F2E62]“The other girls got to see the charming side of him: the one who listens to every word they say, who compliments them at any chance he can get, who surprises you with flowers or gifts or dates ‘just because’. I put up with his bullshit time and time again, hoping that if I just loved him hard enough and did whatever he wanted he would go back to treating me the way he did at the beginning. I stood up for him and defended him against every person that had anything bad to say about him time and time again-- whether it was strangers, my friends... I even went against my own family to be with him. I did everything he asked me to do and more, and all I got back was being beaten within an inch of my fucking life!"[/color] Ley's voice broke, and she allowed herself to release the sobs that had been weighing on her chest. [color=8F2E62]"How is any of that fair, Mal? What the fuck did I do to deserve any of this? Why did it have to be me?”[/color]

Not for the first time recently, Creed found himself struggling to find the words that the woman in his care needed to hear. After Natalia and the events at Carlisle, he had turned to a phone call with his mother to calm his worries and bolster his mind and spirit, and while his mother was like an aunt to Aleyda he wasn't sure she'd know what to tell him. Abuse like what Aleyda experienced at the hands of Cameron Hyde is outside the Briteson's wheelhouse. They could sympathize with the victims of such cruelty but Kamilla, Creed, and  Jokes came from homes of warmth and love and have experienced relationships the same way. He knows logically that nothing Ley did could have stopped Hyde from snapping on her, on the day he almost killed her and all the days before that, the issue was that there isn't really an easy and gentle way to outright say that to the woman currently sobbing across from him. Not for the first time, and undoubtedly not for the last, Maliq Briteson wished he had the power to heal a loved one's pain, even if the caveat was that he felt it all himself.

Creed took a deep breath and reached across the table to gently cover Aleyda's shaking hands, giving her an anchor point and some much needed warmth as she remembered such cold and dark times.

[color=104e09]"The hardest thing ta admit when you're tryin'a comfort someone is 'I don't know', but I'm sorry Viper, I can't give ya any of the answers you're lookin' for. Anythin' I say would just be assumption, an' all that could do is hurt ya more for no reason,"[/color] Creed kept his eyes on Aleyda as he spoke, letting her know that even as she got lost in her turmoil again, she had him. He freed one of his hands to grab a napkin and pass it to her to clean up her face when she wished to. [color=104e09]"What I [i]can[/i] tell ya is that ya didn't deserve [i]anythin'[/i] that that monster did t'ya.”[/color]

[color=8F2E62]"How can you even be sure?"[/color] Aleyda retorted, taking the napkin she was so graciously being offered and dabbing it under her damp eyes. [color=8F2E62]“For all I know, this is life's payback for all the things Papá and ReyRey have done. Or maybe I just wasn't good enough for him. Like, maybe I was too loud, or too mouthy, or I didn't do enough of what he wanted me to. Maybe if I had been nicer or, I don’t know, behaved or acted better, he would've just let me go instead of hurting me the way he did."[/color]

[color=104e09]"[i]You[/i] ain't about what [i]he[/i] wants, Viper,"[/color] Creed countered, his voice full of conviction and surety. [color=104e09]"Ya never have been an' I'll be damned if ya ever will be. What's so wrong with mouthy? Ya think my pops liked my momma 'cause she was quiet? Or Jokes' parents? Ya think love means submission or somethin'?"[/color] The thought that she was still mentally under Hyde's boot ground on every nerve he had, but it ground on him even more that he just couldn't seem to help her up either. What could he say that could break years of gaslighting and severe physical trauma? [color=104e09]"Last I heard, love was about mutual respect an' compassion an' care, not pain an' fear an' degradin',"[/color] he made sure he never lost her gaze, keeping her locked in to see he wasn't lying. [color=104e09]"Which one were ya goin' for, an' which one did that bastard show ya? Also, I may not believe in karma but if there's one thing I do know it's that it don't attack ya for sins that ain't yours. Get that weight off your shoulders. Ya deserve love an' respect an' happiness, a'ight? An' I'll be right here by your side ta help ya find it whenever you're ready, okay?"[/color]

Maliq’s statements struck a chord with Aleyda. Although she had already addressed the topic with Shannon during therapy, the words always hit different when they came from one of the people you trusted the most. Chances were that she would never know why Cameron did what he did: that was a truth she needed to accept. Nothing would ever justify his abuse towards her, and there was no use tormenting herself with blame. What mattered was that she and Raf had survived, that she deserved better than that, and she would [i]get[/i] better than that. It was a long road of recovery ahead; with lots of mindsets to change, patterns to modify and behaviors to unlearn. But with her family, her friends, her son and Creed by her side to give her support and strength, Ley couldn’t help but see the faintest of lights at the end of a very deep tunnel.

Beau placed the coffee onto a tray and looked across at the youngsters in the corner booth. They were feverishly locked in a conversation that was shrouded in a cloth of anxiety. The once and former literature teacher had a decent idea of what it might be and it involved a night three years prior drowned in innocent blood. Beau had been visiting Rhonda Decker that day. He was worried about her son, Charlie. He had all but completely shut down socially and academically; he was at the bottom of a barrel. Charlie had once been Beau’s prized student. He had such wisdom and such wit and a mind for the printed word. Nobody understood or took from literature like Charlie did. It was upon leaving Miss Decker’s home that he heard the yelling. Antoine’s old police instincts kicked in, he drew his gun and followed the shrill sounds. His heart almost stopped dead when he came across a bloodied Aleyda Gonzalez on the street, cradled by Maliq. He entered the house and found April McMahon unconscious. Aleyda managed to say one word: [b][i]Cameron[/i][/b]. Beau knew then that the boy had succumbed to the beast that had always been inside of him.

[color=E4DF9B]“Come on, little man,”[/color] Beau picked Rafi up with one hand and tucked him under his arm causing the boy to giggle. He then lifted the tray of coffee and made his way over to Creed and Ley. It was funny, seeing the young woman that sat before him and the fact he held her child under his arm. He remembered the very day she was born. He remembered Big Rey, whom he barely knew, weeping in joy on a bench in Lyon Park. How time flies. [color=E4DF9B]“Here you go kids, piping hot, made with love and on the house.”[/color]

Beau arrived with their order in one hand and her son tucked under his other arm. Even with the nature of the conversation she was having with Creed being heavy and serious, her son's little giggles of amusement at the way he was being carried around echoing around the cafe pulled out a small laugh from his mother, momentarily lifting her spirits. Once the items had been placed on the table, the woman turned to the owner.

[color=8F2E62]"Thank you, as always, for everything."[/color] Ley told Beau, her eyes shining with budding tears of gratitude. She hoped the man would understand that her words were not limited to the excellent service he was providing for them at the moment. Although his genuine care for her well-being and lifelong kindness had always been appreciated (much like Maliq's), these days it felt like a healing balm to the invisible, lingering wounds her relationship with Cameron had left her with.

[color=E4DF9B]“Mon cherie, it has and always will be, my pleasure.”[/color] Beau bowed his head to the young woman and offered her his typical bright, toothy smile followed by a hearty, grandfatherly laugh. Once he placed Rafi down into the kid’s seat positioned next to the table, the elderly man placed his hands into his pockets and glanced outside. It was strange to think that only a few hours ago, the idyllic looking town on the other side of the glass was trapped in a bubble of chaos. The weather the previous night had been so extreme and in some ways, Antoine believed it was a perfect reflection of the hearts and minds of Edenridge’s faithful. 

[color=E4DF9B]“Anything else I can do you for?”[/color]

The young woman shook her head, a ghost of a smile playing around the corners of her lips. [color=8F2E62]“Nope. I’ve got everything I need right here with me.”[/color][/indent][/indent][/color]