Just Live Your Life

In the northern part of California, Skye sits on the floor of a cream colored room playing with toys. Down stairs two people sit in the living room auguring over their next move. “That's a stupid idea. Do you want to get caught?”

“We won't get caught. It will be easy, just go over to the house and wait until everyone is drunk. Those asshole won't notice a thing, until it's too late.”

“We got lucky with Skye...”

“Luck has nothing to do with it. Look if you won't do it, then I will.”

“Yeah, 'cause they will just let you walk into the house.”

“Zack asked me to sign over my rights. I could go over to do that as a decoy while you steal my son...I'll figure out a way to steal the papers while Zack and his fuck buddy aren't looking,” Amirah's brown eyes sparkle with malice and her partner in crime rubs his chin thinking over the plan. It's not bad, it could work if they time everything right.

“You'll be the first person they will come after,” Amirah's partner points out and she smiles.

“I was there in front of Zack and Gena the whole time, how could I have done anything?” Amirah asks and her partner laughs.

“When do you want to do this?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Done,” the partner says and Amirah grins, Zack should have listened to her warning.

Down in the southern part of California, Zack, Gena, Matt and Layla sit in office of the police station. They have been talking to the two detectives on the case of Skye Kelvin Williams and Keith Henderson. Zack and Gena thought it was a good idea to give the detectives the tape recording of their meeting with Amirah a few days ago. With Amirah's history the detectives have made Amirah their number one suspect on the kidnapping of Skye; however when they questioned her, she passed the lie detector test.

“Can you do anything to put her behind bars?” Gena asks looking at the two detectives and they shake their heads.

“There is not enough evidence pinning her to the crime, just a lot of angry words and empty threats,” Henderson says.

“She didn't sign the papers. Can't you do anything about that?” Zack questions.

“No. You'll have to take her to court,” Williams states and Matt sighs. These detectives are useless in his eyes.

“Clearly they can't do anything...at this time,” Matt says trying to keep his aggravation from being too clear. “Lets head home and collect our thoughts.” Matt stands up and offers his hand to Layla. Without a word she takes it and the couple leave the room.

“Thanks for your...help,” Gena forces out and Zack shakes the detectives' hands as they all stand up.

“You're welcome, we'll call you if anything new comes up,” Henderson says and Zack nods his head, leading Gena out of the office.

The following day, everyone is at Brian and Michelle's house. Matt and Layla are playing with Octavis in the pool, Brian is on the grill and everyone else is sitting around enjoying the sun. Zack's phone goes off and he answers it with a frown on his face when he sees that Amirah is calling him. After a few heated words and a little fight Zack hangs up the phone with a sigh.

“What did the she devil want?” Jimmy questions.

“She has decided to sign her rights over,” Zack answers.

“You don't sound happy about it,” Johnny points out.

“I'm happy, but now she's on her way here,” Zack groans and everyone sighs in annoyance. Octavis starts to cry and before it gets out of hand, Layla takes him out of the pool and heads inside the house. It's time for his bottle and afternoon nap. Matt gets out of the pool as well and joins the others who are all sitting around.

“Having fun?” Corra asks with a smile on her face and Matt smiles softly back.

“I wouldn't mind having another one with Layla, a little boy,” Matt states and everyone smiles.

“Would you really want to deal with all those pissed off fathers once your son broke their hearts?” Johnny asks and Matt waves his question off.

“Who the hell wants to mess with all this?” Matt questions flexing his arms and everyone laughs. Layla comes back outside, her arms free of Octavis, but she holds a baby monitor. She sets it on the table and Matt pulls her into his lap. Layla sits rigidly in his lap and Matt bites his tongue to keep his thoughts from pouring out. Corra notices Layla's stiff and uncomfortable posture and sighs.

“Which room is he in?” Gena asks.

“Second from the steps,” Layla says.

“Have you heard any news on Skye?” Jimmy asks and Matt shakes his head.

“Nothing new. Honestly I think we should find someone else to help us, those detectives are pointless, they just sit on their asses all damn day,” Matt says and Zack nods his head in agreement.

“Maybe we'll get some answers when the she-devil comes around?” Johnny muses and everyone lets his words sink in. Could they really get Amirah to admit to kidnapping Skye? No one else has anything against them...

The sound of a car door opening and slamming shut breaks the silence. Matt and Zack share a look and Matt moves Layla off of his lap. Together Matt and Zack head towards the front of the house to deal with Amirah.

“What do you think they're going to say to her?” Brian asks.

“Hopefully tell her to fuck off and get a life,” Michelle voices.

“She's such a bitch. Why can't she just leave us all alone? Zack moved on and he's happy,” Leana says and Gena shakes her head with a frown on her face.

“I don't know...” Gena mutters and Corra shrugs her shoulders.

“I want nothing to do with her,” she states and everyone laughs at her blunt reply.

“Anyone need a drink?” Lucas asks and everyone voices what they want. Val gets up to help him and Layla smiles watching the two of them.

“Have you ever see him so happy?” Corra questions and Layla shakes her head.

“She's good for him and vise versa,” Layla says and everyone agrees.

“It's crazy how someone can seem so happily alone and then when they meet that one special person it's like their happiness before then never existed,” Jimmy voices his thoughts and everyone stares at him. “What?” he asks looking around at everyone.

“How much did you fucking drink?” Brian laugh and Jimmy flips him off.

“Fuck you, I'm serious. Look at Layla and Matt or Johnny and Corra.” All eyes turn to Johnny, Layla and Corra. The three look at each other and laugh, Jimmy is right. They might have had their issues, but they are happy; however they would be happier if Skye was back home. Val and Lucas return with everyone's drinks and the group all talk about random things to pass the time. The sound of the front door slamming shut followed by heels on the pavement fill the air and soon after Zack and Matt walk out back.

“How did it go?” Gena asks once Matt and Zack sit down.

Zack sighs and runs his hand through his hair, “She didn't sign the paper.”

“What?” everyone shouts.

“She pretty much called us selfish assholes and said that we didn't deserve anything we had,” Matt adds and Corra glares at the ground. She really hates her sister.

“Such a bitch,” Gena mutters and Zack laces their fingers together.

“Don't worry babe we'll figure out a way to fix it all,” Zack says and presses his lips to Gena's temple.

“Did you ask about Skye?” Layla asks softly and Matt nods his head.

“I'd rather not repeat what was said,” Matt grunts through clenched teeth and Layla places a soothing hand on his shoulder.

“Did Amirah say anything else? You guys were talking for a while...about an hour or so,” Lucas asks.

“Not really. She just complained, bitched and cried,” Zack sighs with a shake of his head.

“Same ol' same old,” Corra mutters with a sour expression on her face and Johnny kisses her shoulder, since she's sitting on his lap. “I wish she would just sto-” Corra stops talking and Layla watches her with worried eyes.

“Corra?” she questions.

“I...I...I'm gonna be sick!” Johnny quickly jumps into action and gets to his feet with Corra in his arms. He hurries over to the other side of the house away from everybody and rubs Corra's back as she throws up her lunch.

“Babe you wanna go lay down?” Johnny questions softly and Corra nods her head with tears running down her face. Carefully, Johnny picks Corra up once again and carries her into the house ignoring everyone's worried eyes. Johnny lays Corra down on the couch and drapes a blanket over her body up to her waist. Kissing her forehead Johnny runs his fingers through her hair and sings softly until she falls asleep. Quietly Johnny leaves the living room and steals the trash can in the kitchen. He sets it beside the couch, just in case Corra has to throw up again. With a sigh he heads back outside and everyone starts to question him. “She's fine for now. She's on the couch sleeping.”

“It could have been something she ate,” Brian suggests.

“Or a stomach bug,” Val offers.
“Yeah...” Johnny mutters. Zack frowns seeing his friend so worried, but his attention turns from Johnny to the monitor on the table.

“Baby what's wrong?” Gena asks and everyone looks at Zack. Reaching for the monitor Zack lifts it to his ear and listens. “Zack?”

“It's quite...too quite,” Zack whispers and the color drains from Gena's face.

“The baby!” everyone shouts and Matt is the first to run into the house and get to the bedroom that Octavis was put in. Pushing open the door Matt's heart breaks seeing the empty bed and pillows thrown about on the floor. It's a repeat of Skye's kidnapping and it's a huge slap in the face since everyone was here this time around.

“No...” Gena cries from behind Matt and he quickly leaves the room unable to see the broken couple morn the loss of their son like he and Layla did for their daughter.

“Matt?” Layla's voice pulls Matt from his thoughts as he stares at the counter top in the kitchen. “It isn't your fault,” Layla whispers and Matt shakes his head.

“It is my fault Layla. I should have been there. I shouldn't have left Skye alone. It is my fault she's gone!” Matt shouts admitting his guilt out loud for the first time. Layla opens her mouth to speak, but no words come out. She wasn't talking about Skye, she was talking about Octavis. She wants to tell Matt that it wasn't his fault that Skye was taken, but she can't, not when she believes that it is. Tears fall from Layla's eyes as she watches Matt tear himself apart and the tears get worse when Gena's heartbroken sobs echo throughout the house along with Zack's tearful words of false hope. Corra's cries spill from the living room and Layla knows that Johnny just broke the news to her that her nephew has been taken.

“I can't do this,” Layla rushes out of the house and into her car. She drives to the pub and calls Danny. She needs someone to talk to, she needs someone she can tell everything to without lying. She needs to know that everything will be alright in the end.