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'Cause sometimes you just feel tired,
Feel weak, and when you feel weak,
you feel like you wanna just give up

~Cadence Jaycey Sinclair-Caine~

"Perhaps it was a warning...or a scare tactic." Cadence said and accepted the papers. She looked them over briefly.
"Oh, come on up. I don't mean to be rude. Killian is upstairs." She lead the way upstairs. She opened the front door and stepped in. She moved into the kitchen and walked to the fridge. She pulled out a bottle of water and held it out to Agent Peck-Kochette. She would sign what she had to and take the papers to Grace. She wanted to be gone from the house before Orion showed up for the evening.

~Candie~

Grace turned around to face Jasper with a frown. It was hard to not feel Mendez's hands all over her. But as she opened her mouth to speak, there was the sound of the doorbell ringing and then it sounded like someone was pounding on the door with their fist. Grace knit her eyebrows together and moved to look through the peep hole, only to find Mendez standing there at the front door. "Jesus ******** Christ. He's an idiot." Pulling her over on the side of the road was one thing, but showing up to her house was another.
"I know what the hell's going on! You'd better open this goddamned door, b***h!" He pounded his fist against the door a few more times, and Grace only stepped away from the door.
"Go away! You need to leave me alone!" She crossed her arms over her chest, and didn't realize she was still walking back until she bumped right into Jasper, startling herself.
"I know you're pregnant! I have my ******** sources! You can't hide from me forever." Grace immediately grabbed her phone and sent a message to Orion, just to let him know that he should probably come home. Even if Jasper was here, Orion still needed to know. Keeping things from him would do no good.

To: Orion
Fr: Grace
Mendez is here.
Plz come home.
Jasp is w/me 2.

Grace heard Orion when he arrived, because it was him that had slammed Mendez's head against the door. It made her jump, but it also brought a wave of panic over her. Orion would most certainly be going to prison for this -- and that meant she was going to be alone.
Mendez was caught of guard, but that didn't mean that he wasn't going to fight back. He ended up pressing onto the radio on his shoulder and calling in for backup, before charging himself at Orion and aiming to tackle the man to the ground. There was blood spatter left on their white front door from where Mendez's nose broke from Orion's first attack. "You've ******** up, Ryder." He drew his gun next, holding it pointed right at Orion as the other cop cars showed up, pulling into the driveway with lights and sirens blaring.
Grace opened the door then, already losing herself to tears and sobs because if Orion was gone, that left her open to Mendez coming around when she was home alone with Thomas. She was sure Jasper wasn't going to let her get involved, but that didn't mean watching Orion get arrested was any easier for her.

Jasper frowned at the knock on the door.He followed Grace out of the kitchen to see who would be pounding on the door. But when he saw Grace's reaction and heard the voice, his question was answered.
No other than Mendez. That flipping idiot!

When Grace bumped into Jasper's chest, his fisted hands gently cradled her shoulders and moved her around him. So now he stood between her and the door."Get out of here before we call the cops on your, a**! It's not yours!" Jasper yelled at the door, crossing his arms over his chest. As much as he wanted to beat the man, he wouldn't with Grace right here.No his first concern was keeping her safe.

On the other side of the door he suddenly heard Ryder's voice before a head banged into the door. Yup that had to hurt. But it's some of what Mendez certainly had coming his way. When Grace stepped around him and opened the door to see Orion being hauled off in cuffs.
Jasper stepped forward again. He gave a nod to Orion before closing the door. It wasn't rude, it was keeping Grace safe. Plus that wasn't what Grace needed to see. Leaning against the door and letting his blue eyes meet her's, Jasper gently grasped her arms,"It's all going to be ok. Go call the lawyer for Orion. Mendez ain't getting in here. I promise."

As they walked through the mall Lyn looked in the stores. Stopping at one she moved towards the side where the furniture was. The cribs were a cherry color... so the dresser and changing table should match. Did they have any of those combined, such as was the new style and would save some room. Her cousin's voice brought her out of her musing from half the aisle away. At the mention of Dereck, her blue eyes found the floor. Quickly she brought them back up to the furniture in front of her, and slowly moved back towards her cousin. "No I guess there is no exact theme. Just some thing neutral, since there will be both genders in the room. The cribs are a dark cherry color though."Lyn stopped when she reached her cousin and spoke in a very quiet voice now so that only he even could probably barely hear her. Her eyes stayed on the furniture displayed,trying to keep any tears at saying the truth outloud at bay,"I haven't had a chance to talk much to Dereck about any of this really. He's been so busy, and well now he's stuck in jail for a time."

Grace was completely stunned. It was almost like it wasn't real, she didn't want it to be. But as soon as the door closed she snapped back to reality and looked up at Jasper for a moment, processing what he had said. "Right...okay." She shoved her hands back through her hair and moved to her purse, searching through it frantically for her phone. Like it would make a difference how fast she got in contact with the lawyer. When she couldn't find it, she dumped her purse out on the floor and knelt down in front of the mess, finally grabbing her phone. But her damn hands were shaking so bad it was almost impossible to even search for the number. "T-This is his what...second, third offense?" She placed the phone up onto the entry table and pushed her way back against the wall, pulling her knees to her chest and pressing her forehead against them, wrapping her arms around to hold them in place. "Oh god, Jasper. What am I going to do?" With Orion being gone she was going to be alone. Alone in this big a** house with Thomas, while he's locked away in prison. It didn't take long for her to begin sobbing, the help of hormones making it a lot easier.

'Cause sometimes you just feel tired,
Feel weak, and when you feel weak,
you feel like you wanna just give up

~Cadence Jaycey Sinclair-Caine~

Cadence drove the short distance to the gas station. It was an older one that had long since been abandoned. She pulled over but stayed in her car. She glanced over at her purse. She contemplated just driving away. She had the paperwork Grace needed for the Order of Protection.

She had to make her decision and quick. Her family or Killian's family. That is what it was boiling down too. She could protect only one, because if she sought our Diana's help Ben would then go after Diana, Killian and Alyvia. If she stayed away from the FBI Agent that left Grace, Thomas, Lena, Tyson and her at Ben and Crew's mercy.

She grabbed her phone and texted Grace a short message. She suspected that this could very well be the last text she sent anyone. She paused not sure what to say.
To: Grace
From: Cadence
RT 413, Gas Station. If I don't show up or answer within the hour, send the Police out there.

Cadence was about to get out the car, but then decided there was two other people that deserved some sort of closure if things went bad. Her Mother of course, and Jasper. She had really put him through hell. She decided her Mother should be next.
To: Foxy Mama
From: Mini Me
Mom,
I love you. Sorry for everything. I know I embraced that life you ran away from, and tried so hard to protect me from. I know I was a pain in the a** most of the time, and gave you crap when I really shouldn't have. Love you to the moon and back!

Cadence remembered her Mother always said that before she left to work, or when she tucked her in at night. Her Mother still said it to Tyson, though Cadence had long outgrown the touchy sentiment.

The final text was both harder and easier. She wanted to say so much, but it was all the same thing really. She was sorry.
To: Jasper
From:Cadie
Jasper,
I am sorry for everything. Literally EVERYTHING. For the grief and heartache I caused. For not trusting and believing in you when I should have. For pushing you away when we really needed each other. I am sorry for just everything that has happened because of my stubbornness, and distrust.

Once the messages were all successfully sent she got out of the car. She took her keys and that was it, because really what did she have that could protect her from Black. If he wanted her dead, she would definitely be dead this time.

She had just stepped into the darkened store. The door closed and immediately a strong arm closed about her arm. The struggle was brief. He easily over powered her and forced her further into the store. The gun shots were deafening and the searing pain she was feeling left no doubt that she was hit. Black moved closer to her and stood over her. He toyed with his gun, before he crouched down, his face inches from hers.
"I want to kill you. To send my message, but I also love this game we have going dollface." He watched her suffering and then smirked.
"I can't kill you yet. I rather let Ben find out what happened. Let him know exactly what happens when you double cross me. His b*****d little baby is no more."

With that Black left her. The two bullet wounds bleeding profusely. She was sure she would bleed out before anyone made it out to her. She applied pressure to her own wounds. Not sure if she would be able to make it to her car, or if he was waiting for her to try to make it to her car.

~Candie~