CHAPTER 1 - ALL IS NOT WHAT IT SEEMS

DINER - FRIDAY EVENING

MICHAEL

Where is everyone?! We’re supposed to be eating and then going to Babylon in an hour! The doorbell rings, but again, it is not my friends!

“Honey, why are you glowering? You’re not going to get a man looking like that!” Mom grouses and licks her finger to straighten up my eyebrows. “There….all better. You know, you’re going to prematurely age if you keep scowling like that.”

“Finally!” I sigh as Ted comes in and then huff with annoyance, as he goes back out again!

“Let me go and get them for you, sweetheart.” Ma goes out and I lean back to smile. I love the way she looks after me and fights my battles. Being the son of the Matriarch of Liberty Avenue has its advantages...I know that she will never put anyone above me!

“Ahead of me now! You do not keep my boy waiting!” She barks as Ted and Emmett are pushed towards the booth. I spot the roll of Ted’s eyes and decide to tell her about that later.

“How’s the little prince?” Emmett asks as he sits down.

“Ma! Can we have some food?! Let me call Brian again!” It goes to voicemail, once more, and I shake my head at them. “Still nothing!”

“What’s wrong, honey?” Ma comes over with our food.

“Still trying to get hold of Brian, but he’s not picking up.”

“Oh for god sake!” Ted grumbles and he redeems himself a bit in my eyes.”Let me try him.”

“Okay, Ted.” I smile and start to dig into my food.

“Hi Brian, it’s Ted, can you please get here as soon as you can? Thanks.”

“What did he say?” I ask round a mouthful of burger.

“He’s coming.” He replies.

BRIAN

For fuck sake! If Ted’s calling me, it means that Michael is this close to a slap! I grab my jacket and after locking up, head to the diner. I look at my phone as it buzzes again and this time, it is Debs. I wouldn’t normally ignore her, but I’m only 15 minutes away. She can yell at me then!

As I open the door to the diner, she’s in my face in seconds! “Where the fuck have you been?!”

“And this is your business, why?” I retort.

“Don’t open a mouth with me!”

“Debs! I have told you before, cut that shit out!” I snap, then grin and kiss her on her cheek. As I slide in next to Ted, I jostle him and he smiles, shaking his head. “Sorry.”

“I should hope so too! I’ve been waiting ages!” Michael grumbles.

“I was talking to Ted. So what was so important that you needed to call me about 18 times in two hours?” I growl at Michael.

“I wanted to know where my best…”

“Michael, I don’t…” I reach for my phone as it vibrates. “Kemi, hey...what’s wrong?” The diner goes quiet. “Honey, where are you? Okay, I’m coming!”

“Bri?” Ted asks, already pulling on his jacket. “Where is she? Let me take you.”

“I’m coming with!” Ems declares.

“Honey, what is it?!” Debs demands. “Kiki…”

“Covered, just go!” She replies, almost throwing her purse and coat and purse at her. “Let us know as soon as yeah!”

“Yeah!” She shouts and follows us out.

KIKI

“Want that to go?” I ask and he shakes his head. “Thought not.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“Well your best friend’s clearly in distress. Surely you should be going with him?”

“They won’t be that long. She’s most likely broken a nail or something. Nothing is going to interrupt our night.”

ALLEGHANY HOSPITAL, A&E - AN HOUR LATER

TED

We run to reception and once we find out where she is, we run to her room. Once there, we are confronted by the spitfire that can only be Kemi Kinney in full defensive mode!

“You are not touching it! No!” She shouts, holding the IV stand like a lance to ward off the nurse, while holding her dislocated shoulder as still as possible and close to her body.

“Miss Kinney, now please... you must be in a lot of pain.” The nurse cajoles.

“Of course, I am. I have dislocated my shoulder! I have read about these things, you know. It’s going to hurt and I mean more than the pain I’m in already. My dad is coming and he’ll…”

“Kemi!” Brian guffaws as he takes in the scene. “Stop being a princess and sit your ass down!”

“I am not…” She stamps her foot and immediately regrets it. “Being a princess!”

“Yes, you are. Now stop this!” Brian tells her firmly and the stand clatters to the floor. He gently manoeuvres her back to the bed. “Can you give us five minutes?” He asks the nurse and she nods then smiles.

“Hurts so much.” She whimpers into his shoulder and I swallow down my tears. This is my goddaughter for fuck sake. I hate to see her in pain!

“What the hell happened, pumpkin?” Ems ask, plumping up the pillows with one hand and holding up a sobbing Debs with the other.

“Was doing a turnpike and fell off! I am determined to nail that fucker!” She grumbles and I notice the beginnings of a black eye.

“Did you hit a wall first?” I ask.

“Yeah, have a bit of a headache.”

“Kemi! Did you tell the doctors this?!” I demand.

“They started to touch my shoulder and…”

“Kemi!” Brian nods at me and I get the nurse back in here. Within fifteen minutes and a lot of swearing, her shoulder is set. We were in there for another two hours before we could finally take her home.

BRITIN

LOUNGE

DEBS

“They are sleeping.” I sigh tiredly, having just checked on Brian and Kemi.

“Debs, go to bed. That’s the whole point of you having a room here!” Ems tells me.

“I will. Ems what am I going to do?”

“What we have been doing for the last 14 years, protecting the Stud and his princess…”

“But Michael…”

“But Michael nothing!” Ems interrupts, sharply.

“Ems!” Ted hisses.

“No!” He gets up and closes the door. “Why should we pretend that he didn’t say what he said about Kemi? Explain to me why we are pretending that he walks on water again?”

“Because we haven’t found him yet!” Debs hisses back. “And the moment we do and get them together, my idiot son is going to know exactly what I think about him!”

BABYLON

MICHAEL

I sit in the booth by myself and try Brian again and again, but it just keeps going to voicemail.

Fucking kid, makes me sick! She always ruins everything!