Life In Perpetual Spin – 02.05


            Jayden fixed Melvin his meal, he was eating mostly pureed foods now, not able to swallow well. No able to do much well, C.J. was next to her, two perfectly identical women. On the outside. In the inside, that was a wholly different matter.

            “Why are you doing this?” C.J. asked in a cold voice. C.J. watched as Jayden moved away and into the other room for a moment. C.J’s hands moving into her pocket, then back out again, wiggling her fingers over the food. She caught Jayden coming back into the room.

            “Why? They are my friends.” Jayden said thinking Sam was her friend. Sam had been a great friend. Sam hadn’t been a killer. She believed that, she also knew that Jo wasn’t going to let this go.  Jayden also wasn’t sure if her sister wasn’t a killer, she didn’t know any more.

            “Right.” C.J. said and Jayden looked at her, shaking her head.

            “I think you should leave Catherine.” Jayden said, and C.J. pushed the plate next to Jayden. Jayden sighed and Bette stepped into the room. There was no reconnecting with her sister, and she’d tried.

            “Want something to eat?” Jayden asked, and Bette smiled at her. They both watched as C.J. left the house in silence. “How’s Tina?”

            “Um. Not so good. She’s outside, staring into the pool again.” Jayden leaned over, looking out and seeing Tina dipping her feet into the pool.

            “She’s not dealing with this really well. She won’t go see Angelina. It’s killing me. I know how much she wanted this child. How much she adored Rosita.” Bette said, sitting down at the table with Jayden but not taking any food.

            “Give her time. She really liked Rosita, and…” Jayden began, and Bette’s eyes began to tear up.

            “I think she loved her a little bit. We haven’t really been able to connect yet. It’s so hard.” Bette said Jayden got up and got her father’s plate. She mixed the food again, finding it cool enough for the man to eat now.  “You ready for tonight?” Bette asked and Jayden nodded,

            “I’ve got the wheelchair, everything is ready. I’ve got the rented ramp van and C.J. is going to come help too. Just in case.” Jayden said and Bette nodded, more tears in her dark ebony eyes.

            “This is good.” Bette said as she dipped a finger into the rest of the food that had been prepared for her father as Jayden walked into the back bedroom to feed Melvin. Bette called to her as she pushed the door open with her shapely ass.

“C.J. made it.”

~*~*~*~*~*

            “He doesn’t have very long does he?” Tina asked Jayden as they stood back in Twilight, the stage was set and Kit was nervously pacing the stage. Jo had pulled out all the stops, it was wonderfully decorated.

            “Days.” Jayden said, and Jo was at her side in a heartbeat. Jo looked different tonight, something about her manner, as if she were hunting instead of playing hostess.

            “Hours.” Jo said ominously and walked away, Tina gave Jayden a look and she shrugged. Her employer had been acting very much out of sorts. Tina watched her move around the club, looking for someone.

            “She scares me sometimes.” Tina admitted and Jayden nodded in agreement. There was something about Jo Wheaton that just seemed, familiar.

            Jo walked down the stairway, her eyes darting around and finding Lara. She moved to the woman, standing next to her silently. She felt her heat washing over her in waves and Jo just stood, enjoying it for the time being.

            “Are you who you are supposed to be tonight?” Lara asked turning to the tomboy that indeed did remind her of Sam in many ways. Jo’s blue eyes met her’s and Lara saw them flashing darker, then the stormy gray that used to be the color of her lover’s eyes.

            “No.” Jo said, “Seems I’ve got company tonight.” Jo said and Lara bent down, looking into her eyes.  Lara saw the stormy grey eyes she’d fallen in love with.

            “I see.” Lara said softly.

            “I’m sure you will.” Jo stated as she walked away, watching from the corner of her eye as C.J. and Alex walked in.

            “Our first real date.” C.J. said with a smile. Alex moved closer to her, careful of where her foot was. Her balance was yet to be perfected. Rehab was slow, due to all the flirting she’d been doing with C.J.

            “About time too.” Alex said with a bit of a gruff voice, finding Jo in her eye line. Jo’s jaw was clenched and she crossed her arms. Alex narrowed her eyes; there was something different about Jo in the last few days. Something eerie and unreal.

            “Are you ok?” C.J. asked and Alex nodded, pointing to her leg.

            “Getting used to the new leg.” She smiled, taking C.J.’s hand and leading her to an empty table at the far end of the club. Away from prying eyes and away from the women who did indeed think that C.J. was a killer.

            Kit finally stepped out onto the stage; she was going to sing ‘We’ve Got Tonight’ by Bob Seger. The band began to play, and Bette sat down next to her father.
           
            “A rather odd song to be singing, don’t you think?” Melvin said the mask muffling his words. He felt it, the hard pressure rising in his chest, the inability to breathe. His time wasn’t just short, it was minute.  “Tina.” He said and Tina stepped forward next to him he took her hand. He rubbed the soft skin of the blonde woman with love, and Tina regarded him oddly. “You and your child are family.” Kit began to sing, and Melvin leaned back, enjoy the words his daughter sang, enjoying just the last moments in time. He said gasping for air and Bette stood, looking up for Jayden.

            Jayden saw the look of panic on Bette’s face and she moved quickly. Jayden walked briskly to them, C.J. hovering nearby as if watching, wanting to see the death. Alex saw what was going on, Dana and Alice drifted over to her.

            “Is he….” Dana asked and Alex nodded, they all hovered around him and the instant the song ended, Jo was at Kit’s side pulling her to the small circle that had formed around Melvin. All the other people on the club slowly left, as if sensing this was the moment.

            Kit ran to him, he smiled at her. Just a simple smile, telling her all she needed to know as his eyes closed for a final time and Bette broke down. Tina moved to her, holding her as the band played a song that Jo didn’t know. Jo looked at Lara and said in a dark voice.

            “It’s not over yet.” Jo said ominously and then walked away, Lara was tempted to follow her, but instead something happened. Something so totally out of the blue that none of them really understood it.