Kedrick Suwa's Estate

[Tobi-chan Lissesul]

♟♞ ♝ ♜ ♛ Ҝәɖʁϊϲҝ Ś. Śűѿą & Ďȋɱȋŧʁȋ Ĵ. ᾟűηŧȇʁ ♛ ♜ ♝ ♞ ♟

Dimitri followed Mr. Vázquez though the police station, comforted by the feeling of Maria's hand in his. He closed his eyes for a moment, keeping himself focused. He was surprised to find that, in the wake of his jealousy, he had actually forgotten about Jonsey for a few moment. It was surprising that he would let himself forget the real, important reason that they were here, but he knew that it had also been his mind distracting him to keep him calmed down.

As they stepped into the room, Dimitri felt a surge of discomfort. So this was Jonsey. Dimitri pressed his lips together tightly, knowing that just because the man looked shaggy and disheveled didn't mean he wasn't very dangerous. The boy's blood ran cold with a mixture of fear and anger as Jonsey referenced him directly, and his hand clenched and unclenched beside him. Maria's defensive action was comforting, but still, he was glad when the man's attention shifted away from him.

Kedrick stared at the man, sparing no hatred in his gaze. He felt that protective nature inside him growling as he addressed Arielle, and then Dimitri. Kedrick didn't want him even speaking to either of them, but he knew that it was necessary. His hand's balled into tight fists as he called Arielle 'doll face.' How dare he use such a casual nickname! How dare he say that to her like he actually cared. The young man could feel his teeth grinding together and he forced himself to relax.

Kedrick felt a grim smile tug at his lips as Arielle referenced Jonsey's still improperly healed nose. In all the tension and stress of first being in here with him, Kedrick had totally forgotten to look. Now, Kedrick studied his handiwork, seeing the permanent bend to Jonsey's nose. "I'd say I'm sorry, but I was always taught not to lie." the young man said in a poisonous tone as Jonsey commented about the pain. His words were cut off as the end of his sentence feel on his ears. Kedrick hands clenched again, and he took a threatening step towards him before Arielle cut in.

Jonsey's taunting words rang in Kedrick's ears, even though they were meant for Arielle, Kedrick could still feel the bite in the words. "Shut up..." He said in a softly dangerous tone. Beside him, he could sense tension, and anger roiling off of Dimitri as well. As Jonsey continues, Kedrick's anger mounted further. "Shut up." He said again, a little louder this time.

That did it. Kedrick completely forgot that they were in the police station, he forgot that Mr. Vázquez was right behind the one way mirror, all he wanted to do was break Jonsey's nose...again. "I said SHUT UP!" He screamed in anger, lunging at him and grabbing him by the front of his prison jumpsuit. He hauled him up with more strength then he thought he possessed, breathing hard. "You're going to tell us what we want to know, right now and then you're free to go back to you prison cell and rot there for the rest of your miserable life, Do you understand me?" Kedrick said, still shouting. He released him none to gently, practically throwing him backwards. Kedrick took a deep breath, his face flushed with anger, hands trembling at his side.

Dimitri watched the explosive display in shock. He had only ever seen that dangerous side of Kedrick once before and that had been back in ninth grade. Dimitri reached out hesitantly, putting a hand on Kedrick's shoulder, feeling that his body was vibrating with suppressed anger. It seemed funny to Dimitri, like Kedrick was actually the one who needed comfort here. Even time Jonsey had made a crass sexual reference, Dimitri had flinched. He tried not to, because he knew that Mr. Vázquez, or even Jonsey might notice. But still, everything he had said had been too close to home for comfort. Dimitri remembered may times having to make excuses for why he had a sore throat because Jared had made him scream so badly the night before it had made him hoarse.

The dark haired boy pinched his lips together, he felt he should said something, but drawing Jonsey's attention to himself was like emotional suicide. He would be making himself a target, but then he thought that it was better then Arielle being a his target, the girl had had enough already, that much was clear. "So tell us." Dimitri said firmly, trying to keep his voice from shaking, and praying Jonsey hadn't noticed him flinching earlier. "Who is this man."

 

[x_Ultra_Panda_Luver_x]

Arielle Shore

Both Maria and Arielle were startled by how Kedrick's anger seemed to loose control and explode like that. Jonesy on the other hand only just looked at Kedrick, a satisfied smirk on his face. He was definitely amused in Kedrick's behavior and glad to see that he had made someone crack. He of course had been hoping for Arielle to burst into tears for his amusement, but he would deal with what ended up happening.

Mr. Vázquez watched, wishing that he could step in but knew that the kids had it all under control. Even if he had stepped in, it probably wouldn't help the group get their answers. He made sure to keep a mental tab that when they were done and Jonesy returned back from his cell that he would need to take disciplinary action on the young man.

Jonesy just stared blankly at them, twiddling his fingers and looked away. "What makes you think that I know anything about this person you're talking about? I haven't been bothered by anyone since I was thrown in jail." He answered with a yawn.

As much as Maria wanted to claim that he was lying, she had to admit that he was telling the truth. She didn't know of anyone else who had visited him. If so, her father would have told her and they wouldn't have to deal with talking with Jonesy in the first place.

Arielle pulled out her phone, brought up the message and showed it to Jonesy. She watched as he read it and felt her skin crawl at the smirk that was appearing, almost looking like he was going to burst out into laughter. She looked at both Dimitri and Kedrick and gave them a look that meant 'Just don't say anything or do anything'. She didn't want them, mainly Kedrick, to try and get into a fight with Jonesy, especially since he seemed to be enjoying that.

"So I guess one of them found out about you then," Jonesy commented like it made total sense, even though no one knew who it was, "It's going to be quite difficult to tell you who it is Arielle, because many people that worked for me knew about you. I had bragging rights for you; the girl with a strong will, but still liked it in the a-"

"Enough, Jonesy," Arielle replied, rather sharply, already having enough of the man. "Just give me a straight answer so that we can all go home and enjoy the rest of our day." She put the phone back in her pocket and placed her hands on the table, leaning in slightly to Jonesy. "Who did you tell this to, Jonesy? Out of all the possible employers and men that you had, who did you tell about the rape? TELL ME!"

She sounds so scared, Maria said, slightly flinching when Arielle raised her voice, which was something she ever rarely did. Maria could only assume that Arielle was scared and frightened and knew that from how Jonesy was answering, it could be just about anyone and she would never know whom it was.

Jonesy frowned, sighing before reaching his hand to gently touch Arielle's cheek before reaching to her throat like he was going to choke her. Arielle, who still had good reflexes, quickly grabbed his hand and squeezed his wrist with all the strength she had possible.

"Unless you want me to break your wrist, Jonesy," Arielle threatened darkly, applying more pressure each second, "You will answer my question. Got it?"

"His name is Stephjan Bjork," Jonesy responded in a defeated manner. "He goes by the name Calcifer. He was the man that was going to be your new employer before your brat of a boyfriend and best friend ruined me. I told him everything about you and what I had done because I was going to get rid of you entirely, and he had the means for taking you back with him to Europe. That way, no one would ever find you and you would have lost all of that precious strong will."

Arielle glared at him and let go of him, but she realized it was a wrong move when Jonesy got up and moved his hands so that the chains of his hand cuffs could begin to choke on Arielle. He watched them as they moved forward, but he tightened his pull, while Arielle made a sound, like a pitiful yelp, before leaning in to whisper into her ear. "He's going to find you, sweetheart," he whispered menacingly, "And he's going to make you regret having him miss out on a deal by destroying everyone you care so deeply about and take you away. And all of this would've been avoided if you had just stopped being so stubborn." He emphasized the last few words by yanking on the chain around Arielle's neck and pulled her closer, grinning at the strangled choking sound she made.

Before he could do that again, Mr. Vázquez came, after having to being pulled away by someone to help them out with something and entered the room with such speed that you would be surprised on how he moved so quickly. He pulled Jonesy's arms up and over so that he would release Arielle, who had fallen over a bit and coughed, her body trembling, and then pushed him up against the wall.

"Do not have me lose my job by breaking your neck, Jonesy," Mr. Vázquez threatened, his intimidating aura rising. "You were told not to cause any harm to your guests, and you broke that rule. Now, your visit is over and you're going back." He stood up straight, his hold still tight on Jonesy. "Officer Krupske, come take Mr. Jonesy back to his cell. And make sure he's not given anything to eat for the next three days, and change his cell as well."

The man that Maria's father had summoned came and dragged Jonesy off, the room becoming silent before Maria went over and mad sure Arielle was alright, who was still trembling, coughing, and at that point now, quietly sobbing in fear.  

[Tobi-chan Lissesul]

♟♞ ♝ ♜ ♛ Ҝәɖʁϊϲҝ Ś. Śűѿą & Ďȋɱȋŧʁȋ Ĵ. ᾟűηŧȇʁ ♛ ♜ ♝ ♞ ♟

Kedrick took a deep breath, carefully masking his anger. Kedrick didn't like it when it got the better of him, he was not a violent person, so to feel that uncontrollable surge of anger made him feel uncomfortable, and weak. Even though there where few times in his life that he had actually let it slip out, each time, he wished he could have controlled it better. Now, he knew, Maria's father was probably going to be very upset with him. Regardless of his desire to control his anger, it still sizzled under the surface as Jonsey fained innocence.

Dimitri watched with tight lips, feeling useless as Jonsey looked like he wanted to laugh at the text message, but he caught Arielle's glance and kept his mouth shut. His grin tightened on Kedrick's shoulder as though to reinforce the message, he didn't need to be in any more trouble today. Despite his best efforts, Dimitri still flinched as Jonsey began another crass statement, and he was glad that Arielle cut him off before he could finish. Dimitri knew full well what he had been about to say, and it made his skin crawl.

Kedrick looked back at Dimitri, concern flickering in his eyes for a second, but he saw that Dimitri's eyes were still riveted ahead, and he turned his gaze back to Jonsey and Arielle. The pain and fear in Arielle's voice felt like physical pain to Kedrick, and he stiffened, wishing he could just put an end to this and get her out of here. He moved forward instinctively as Jonsey reached towards her, but Arielle still seemed to have the situation under control. Kedrick didn't lower his guard though, there was too much at stake here for that.

Kedrick's skin prickled in a mixture of anticipation and fear as Jonsey divulged the information they needed. He repeated the name to himself over and over, his lips moving silently as he did so. A cry of angered panic escaped Kedrick's lips as Jonsey abruptly wrapped the chain of his handcuffs around Arielle's neck. He moved forward, a look of anguish on his face, but stoped suddenly as Jonsey yanked the chain tighter. "Let her go! Stop!" He cried, his voice cracking in pain, tears stinging his eyes.

Dimitri too had moved forward, his heart pounding in his ears, mouth dry with panic. For once, he was too angered to even remember his fear of men, and if Kedrick was going to tackle this guy and beat him to a pulp, Dimitri would be right beside him. None the less, the sight of Mr. Vázquez coming in was one that Dimitri would have paid all the money in the world to see. "Sir!" He cried, as thought he wasn't already aware of the situation. They needed help, badly.

The minute Jonsey had released Arielle, Kedrick had run over, going to his knees next to her. "Arielle, Arielle, please be alright.." He tipped he face up, seeing the faint forming bruises on her neck. His lips pinched together in anger, and he pulled her against him in a tight hug. "I'm sorry..."He whispered hoarsely. "I'm so, so sorry...." He pulled her shaking form into his lap, rocking her back and forth, a tear trickling down his cheek.

Dimitri slowly walked over to them, Maria had also joined Kedrick by now. He knelt down, touching Arielle's shoulder wordlessly. He didn't need to say anything, just let her know he was here.

 

[x_Ultra_Panda_Luver_x]

Arielle Shore

Arielle was breathing heavily, trying to actually form the words to let him know she was alright. Images of experiences similar like that flooded through her mind and she just clung onto him, unable to get her body to stop trembling. She didn't expect for him to put up a show like that, especially since where he was, but now, after the fact, she wasn't all too surprised.

"I'll go get her some water," Mr. Vázquez said gently. "I'm sorry that I didn't stop him sooner..."

"It's alright, papa," Maria responded with a gentle smile, "At least she's alive, right?"

Mr. Vázquez nodded and excused himself from the room before going to get some water for Arielle. During that time, someone else needed his attention and it was gravely important. The police chief sighed before noticing Ienzo, who had just finished his previous task and seemed free at the moment. After a quick question, the young man was off to get some water for Arielle while Mr. Vázquez went on to take care of another pressing matter.

"And you shouldn't be blaming yourself either, Kedrick," Maria said a soft stern motherly tone. "We all couldn't get to stop him in enough time. We should be lucky Jonesy is more afraid of my father than anything else."

Arielle finally looked up at Kedrick and wiped the tear off his face, a gentle smile on her face. She was about to say something when she heard footsteps and saw Ienzo enter the room.

"I hope you're all alright," Ienzo said as he handed Arielle the cup, looking over at Maria, "Your father got caught up with another one of his men about something important. So, since I was free for the time being, he wanted me to get Arielle her water and make sure you were all okay. I hope I'm not intruding or anything."

Maria shook her head gently. "No, we're fine. But thank you for being so ready to help my friend, even if my father asked you to do it."

Arielle made herself comfortable in Kedrick arms and drank her water quietly before smiling kindly at Ienzo. "Thank you so much."

"It was nothing, really," Ienzo responded modestly, "Do you guys need anything else?"  

[Tobi-chan Lissesul]

♟♞ ♝ ♜ ♛ Ҝәɖʁϊϲҝ Ś. Śűѿą & Ďȋɱȋŧʁȋ Ĵ. ᾟűηŧȇʁ ♛ ♜ ♝ ♞ ♟

Kedrick rocked Arielle gently back and forth, stroking her hair and murmuring softly under his breath. He could feel her trembling, and now that he thought about it, he could feel himself trembling too, but it was a bit different for him. Kedrick was angry that Jonsey would try something like that, but he was more relieved then anything, Arielle could have been hurt a lot worse then she was today.

Dimitri clenched his teeth together, hardly aware when Maria's father left the room. Who did that guy think he was? "I can't believe him..." He seethed quietly, his voice low, and controlled, but Kedrick could hear the anger in it. Dimitri, was closer to Arielle on this one, he knew what she had been though, and had no desire to see her hurt like that ever again. The dark hair boy frowned deeply, scowling at the ground. "It's like this was some kind of game to him! The sick ba-"

"Dimitri." Kedrick said quietly, cutting him off.

Dimitri stopped, looking down shamefaced. Dimitri knew Kedrick highly disapproved of swearing or any crass talk, he had made that abundantly clear when the two of them had been living together in the estate. The habit had fairly well been beaten out of Dimitri, but it still reared it's ugly head now and again. "Sorry..." He murmured, the angry flush creeping out of his cheeks, being replaced by his normal pale complexion.

Kedrick sighed softly, "Everyone keeps telling me that I shouldn't blame myself..." He admitted with a wane smile. "But I always feel responsible anyways....this shouldn't have gone this way..."

"Yes and no." Dimitri said firmly, grabbing Kedrick's shoulder to make him pay attention. "You're right in the fact that things shouldn't have gone this way, maybe there was a better, safer way we could have done this. But it wasn't you're fault and don't even try to argue with me Kedrick Suwa!" He said sharply as Kedrick open his mouth. The boy promptly shut it again, looking a bit startled. "But we have a name now." Dimitri pointed out. "We can ask Maria's father to look in to this Stephjan Bjork character. We'll find out where he is and what he's doing, and bring him in." Dimitri knew that it would probably be more complicated then that, but there was no need to bring that up just now.

Kedrick smiled faintly as Arielle's reached up, brushing away the tears that he had hardly been conscious of until just now. The young man looked up, seeing Ienzo coming in with a glass of water for Arielle. He nodded his quiet thanks to the other young man, he appreciated the gesture, however small. Kedrick allowed Arielle to settle back in against him, grateful to feel that her breathing had calmed and she was no longer shaking so violently.

"I think we'll be fine." Dimitri said quietly, standing to his feet. This wasn't his jealousy talking, although it easily could have been seen as a dismissal. Dimitri simply didn't see that they needed any more help. "Although it would be nice to get out of this room...it's kind of...claustrophobic..Let's go into the hallway okay?" He asked gently, touching Maria's shoulder. It would probably be good for all of them to get away from this room where so much had already gone wrong.

 

[x_Ultra_Panda_Luver_x]

Arielle Shore

"The hallway sounds like a nice idea," Maria agreed with a gentle smile and looking at Dimitri. Just getting out of that room after what had just happened would do everyone good. "And then we can wait for my father to come back before we head out. We have to make sure that he's aware about Arielle's stalker and that she needs to be kept safe.

"B-But we don't even have an idea of what he looks like," Arielle sputtered out of her mouth. "H-He could be anyone, Maria. Anyone..."

"I know that, Ari," Maria said with a sigh before continuing. "If Jonesy hadn't made that move, maybe we could've gotten more information from him. Usually someone like him would try and put up more of a fight instead of easily spilling out the answers."

"Maybe he's just trying to throw you off," Ienzo commented, giving the pieces that he could gather together. "There could always be that possibility. Or he could be hiding a cryptic message as well."

Maria listened to Ienzo, the gears in her mind turning before she just shook her head. "Why would he lie to us in the first place? He's already in jail so what could he possibly gain from telling us false information when there's nothing for him to gain. As for the cryptic message thing... I don't know, I could tell he wasn't lying. People's expressions are usually easy to figure that out, and he wasn't trying to hide anything from us..."

"I guess you're right then," Ienzo said with a soft laugh, "Only two and a half years younger than me and your mind works just as well as your father's."

Maria blinked in surprise before rubbing her neck and laughing. "It has nothing to do with my dad, actually. It's just common sense really, but thank you anyway," she responded as modestly as she could before looking at Kedrick and Arielle who were at that point standing, Arielle still staying near Kedrick. "C'mon, let's get out of this room."  

[Tobi-chan Lissesul]

♟♞ ♝ ♜ ♛ Ҝәɖʁϊϲҝ Ś. Śűѿą & Ďȋɱȋŧʁȋ Ĵ. ᾟűηŧȇʁ ♛ ♜ ♝ ♞ ♟

Dimitri smiled slightly, glad that Maria was on board with the idea of getting out of this room. It made Dimitri uncomfortable, he couldn't explain why, maybe a premonition of sort. The young man could ever really foresee himself getting into any serious trouble with the law, but what did flash though his mind was an image of himself sitting in one of these rooms, giving a statement, telling about something that happened. But he shook the thought away before it could fully form in his mind.

He looked up as Arielle expressed her fears. She was right, this man could be anyone, but Dimitri got the sense that that wouldn't stop anyone from trying to find him. He hesitated slightly, Dimitri wasn't very familiar with how things worked within the police force, but he had a thought. "Maria, couldn't your father ask him questions later? I mean...we don't really have to be there do we?"

It was Kedrick who answered his question though. "He could try Dimitri..." Kedrick said in a tired tone. "But I get the feeling Jonsey only told as much as he did because Arielle was here, he may clam up totally and refuse to say a thing..." Kedrick tried to keep his tone understanding, but he felt mentally wiped out. the strain of just the past few minutes having left him feeling exhausted. Inwardly, he was thinking of ever possible way to keep Arielle from any further danger, and he wasn't coming up with anything fool proof. The only thing he could think of that would make sure she was safe, was if she were put in the witness protection program. But that would take her away from him, she would have to disappear totally, and he wouldn't be able to know where she was, maybe for a very long time. The young man sighed softly, it might be worth mentioning to Maria's father, but he still didn't like it.

At this time, Maria was just finishing telling Ienzo her reasoning for believing the information Jonsey had given them. Dimitri nodded slightly, agreeing with her, but stopped as Ienzo spoke. Did he detect a touch of flattery? Dimitri decided that he did, and a small frown drew his eyebrows together. Maria's slightly flustered reaction wasn't very encouraging either. Very pointedly, Dimitri put his arm around Maria's shoulder, making sure that Ienzo had seen. "Right." He said quietly, his gaze flicking intensely in his competition direction. 'She's not yours to flatter you cad, so back off.' he thought venomously, wishing whole-heartedly that Ienzo could read his mind.

Kedrick gently took Arielle's hands, standing to his feet. "Come on..." He said softly. Still keeping one of her hands held in his, Kedrick stepped out of the interrogation room with Arielle beside him, and Maria, Dimitri, and Ienzo behind him. He couldn't help but notice that his friend's atmosphere had changed slightly since Ienzo had entered the room. He seemed...well....tense. Kedrick hoped that Dimitri wasn't unnerved by the other young man, but he also knew that was entirely possible. Kedrick shrugged the thought off, and stepped out into the hallway.

 

[x_Ultra_Panda_Luver_x]

Arielle Shore

"D-D-Does that mean that I have to join witness protection?" Arielle asked nervously. "I mean... Isn't that where people like me have to go?" She was repeating her threat in her head, or his warning, and it nearly scared her still. If it was true of what he said, then everyone important to her would be harmed. That would be her grandparents, who were the only closest family members that she had, Kedrick's sisters, Maria and her family, Dimitri, and most of all, Kedrick.

Maria was becoming more aware of Dimitri's sense of possession over her and realized that Ienzo must have made him jealous. In other instances, Maria would've loved poking at her boyfriend about his tendency of getting jealous, but now wasn't the appropriate time to do so. Instead, she gave in some thought about what Dimitri, Kedrick, and even what Arielle had just said before sighing.

"Even if dad new about it, all we have is his name, and anyone could have that name as well," Maria admitted with a frown, "It's like we're on a blind goose hunt. As for sending you to witness protection, Arielle... If we had done that, you wouldn't be the only one needing to go."

The young girl's mind drifted over to Dimitri as she leaned into him more. If she had to ability to send anyone into anything like witness protection after Arielle, it would definitely be Dimitri. She was still trying to think about something else she could do that would help her boyfriend and get the evidence needed to prove that Jared was a despicable, untrustworthy human being.

"The situation is indeed a very grave matter," Ienzo lightly commented, ignoring the fact that Dimitri was being possessive of Maria, minus the fact the boy's entire aura reeked of it. "I'm sure your father has some men that could keep tabs on her, right?"

"He probably does," Maria answered with a thoughtful frown, "But... What if this is what he wants? All the attention and security to only slip through the cracks without us knowing."

"Then that would be saying that your father's men just aren't that good for babysitting," Ienzo commented back, lightly joking as well, but the seriousness resonating in his voice.

Maria cracked a small grin and rolled her eyes. There was no way that she had been insinuating that, but let him believe what he wants to believe. "We'll wait for my dad to be done before we talk with him about it," she said, her mind finally making a decision, "If the overall result is that Arielle has to go through witness protection... Well no, I won't let it be. I like to see the fool who thinks he can get away with this."

Arielle looked back at her friend who had this grim serious expression on her face. She knew that as well as protecting her friend, the crime solving side of her was thoroughly enjoying this kind of mess to handle. Just thinking about that made her smile gently, knowing this was giving her friend all the chance she needed to shine.

"As much as I think that tossing this idea of protecting Arielle around is a good idea," Ienzo began stating, "I'm sure that until your father came back, a more "positive" like conversation seems a bit appropriate. I'm sure you can think of something good." He finished his sentence with placing his hand on the top of Maria's head and rubbing so to make her hair all messy. The gesture was friendly, playful, and a bit brotherly, but it was also a hidden flirtatious move as well.

Arielle giggled as she saw Maria making an annoyed pouty face. She remembered that Maria's brothers used to do something like that to little Maria, but usually she would tackle them. Maria's reaction was just to huff and fix at her hair, playfully shooing Ienzo off.

"I like the idea of a more positive topic, actually," Arielle said in agreement, wanting to use any and every moment she had to take her mind off of what just happened for the time being.

"See? At least someone agrees with me," Ienzo laughed before thinking and looking down at Maria who was fixing her hair and muttering in Spanish about how she should carry a compact comb or brush for every time that happened, even though no one understood.

Maria looked up at him and made a face. "What's with the look, Ienzo?" She had a teasing smirk on, the one she used with just about everyone, even though the one used with Dimitri was a bit more flirty as well, but that smirk was only reserved for Dimitri, no one else.

"I was just thinking about our conversation before your friends came," Ienzo responded, "You still up for your Saturday afternoon lesson after all that?"

Arielle was completely confused, but understood that it was because she, Kedrick, and Dimitri hadn't been there beforehand. Maria looked thoughtful before nodding and grinning excitedly.

"Oh definitely~," she replied enthusiastically, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

(Time for more jealousy~.)  

[Tobi-chan Lissesul]

♟♞ ♝ ♜ ♛ Ҝәɖʁϊϲҝ Ś. Śűѿą & Ďȋɱȋŧʁȋ Ĵ. ᾟűηŧȇʁ ♛ ♜ ♝ ♞ ♟

Kedrick looked over, blinking in surprise that she had voiced his thoughts. He opened his mouth slightly, not sure if he should tell her that that would be a possibility, or shoot down the idea completely. Kedrick didn't want her to go, but he did want her safe. None the less, he was grateful when Maria spoke, she knew the police system far better then he did and had a better understanding of what would be best.

Dimitri listened particularly to the end of Maria's sentence, guessing that there was some kind of meaning there. It struck him like a blow that she was probably talking about him. He lowered his eyes slightly, thinking about what it would be like to go into the witness protection program. Chances are, he would be taken somewhere far away, given a new name, maybe even a new look, hidden in some out of the way little town where no one, least of all Jared would look for him. The thought wasn't appealing. Dimitri liked his home, he liked his face, name, connection. He didn't want to be taken away from everyone here that he loved. Looking around, he realized just how much he loved everyone in this room. Except Ienzo of course. Dimitri had no desire to leave them, but ruling out witness protection meant having to find another way to prove that Jared was a perverted rapist, and Maria's first idea was still the only probable thing.

Dimitri's mind snapped back to the present as Ienzo spoke again, and Dimitri forget about what he had been thinking to take in his words and measure them for any trace of flirting. The conversation bounced between Maria and Ienzo like a verbal tennis match, and soon the subject had changed from police officers babysitting, to witness protection, and then back to something more positive.

Dimitri froze as Ienzo ruffled her hair, his teeth clenching tightly. Dimitri was very familiar with flirting, he had done it enough times, and he could sense the underlying note of it in the simple action. His frustration and jealousy mounted as they talked. He just wanted Ienzo to stop looking at her, and walk away. Dimitri scowled slightly, but kept the expression under control so that people wouldn't notice.

Of course the mention of this 'lesson' was more then Dimitri could stand. The thought that they had a prearranged appointment, and that she would be alone with him, was not a good thought at all. Dimitri felt like he was going to boil over at any second. This guy was really pushing it, and if he was thinking of getting all flirty and romantic with his Maria, he was dead wrong. Dimitri let his arm slid for Maria's shoulder and he took a step forward. Dimitri took a deep, calming breath. "Hey Ienzo," He said in a would be casual tone. "Can I talk to you for a second? outside?"

 

[x_Ultra_Panda_Luver_x]

Arielle Shore

Maria blinked in surprise when she no longer felt Dimitri's arm on her. She looked at him, her mind registering his words. Oh dear, she thought worriedly, hoping that everything was alright before realizing that he was getting jealous. Why else would he let go of her and ask to talk to him outside. "Dimitri...," she started, holding onto his arm. She would've said more but Ienzo's voice stopped her in her tracks.

Ienzo just blinked in a confused manner before smiling kindly at him. "Sure, I don't see why not," he responded, not really knowing just how jealous Dimitri was of him right now. "I don't know why we couldn't just stay with them, unless it's some kind of secret or something."

"Actually, I don't think that we should separate, at all," Maria smiled, a little tensely before pulling on Dimitri. "It's probably just nothing too big of a deal, just something small and stupid."

"Oh relax doll face," Ienzo said with a small laugh, walking closer to them and and patting his hand on the top of Dimitri's head and pretended to push him down like in the cartoons. "It shouldn't take us too long. We'll be back before you know it."

Arielle just watched, clearly confused about what was going on, but was surprised when Maria quickly let go of Dimitri and pushed Ienzo off of Dimitri. Of course Ienzo didn't know about Dimitri's past, and probably wasn't even sure why Maria acted so protectively and somewhat hostile towards Ienzo for those brief seconds, barely budging at all.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "But I would like it if you didn't touch him. It's nothing against you, of course, but, I don't share so easily." She smiled sweetly and hugged Dimitri so that Ienzo wouldn't see whatever horrified or startled expression was on his face.

"Oh it's fine," Ienzo said, still startled but shrugged it off. "You have a right to be a bit possessive of your boyfriend. Don't want someone else to steal your boyfriend though. But I just thought that maybe he wanted to talk to me alone because of the lesson thing. Maybe he wanted to learn some Russian as well."

"Wait... So that's what the lesson was for?" Arielle asked, once again being surprised. She had only thought the the lessons would be something more related to the area of crime solving. Language lessons seemed completely off of her original thoughts.

"Of course," Maria said, still clinging onto Dimitri protectively, a little looser this time. "Eneas was teaching me Russian, but he got busy, so when I was talking to Ienzo, he said that he was minoring in Russian and that he could help be get better."  

[Tobi-chan Lissesul]

♟♞ ♝ ♜ ♛ Ҝәɖʁϊϲҝ Ś. Śűѿą & Ďȋɱȋŧʁȋ Ĵ. ᾟűηŧȇʁ ♛ ♜ ♝ ♞ ♟

Dimitri jaw tightened slightly. He knew Mari had probably caught on, and didn't like the idea, but he had to get this out of his system or he'd never stop thinking about it. "A secret? You could say that I guess." He said, and it was all he could do to suppress a bitter laugh. Dimitri looked over at Maria as she continued to argue her point, he gave the young woman an exasperated look, his shoulders sagging slightly. "Maria..." He murmured in an agitated tone.

When Dimitri felt Ienzo's hand on the top of his head, he flinched back instinctively, feeling a cry of alarm rising in his throat. But Maria intervened before it could escape his lips. He took a deep breath, feeling Maria's arms wrap around him, hearing the protective tone in her voice. He could feel that all the color had drained from his face, and his entire insides felt tense, and stiff, expecting an attack, or an inappropriate touch at any moment.

Kedrick had moved forward almost instinctively to protect his friend. He didn't blame Ienzo, he didn't know, and he certainly hadn't meant any harm, but still, Kedrick wanted to make sure his friend stayed safe. He hesitated slightly as Maria seemed to have taken charge of the situation and reluctantly moved back to Arielle's side, sliding his fingers though her's.

Dimitri calmed his breathing, and pulled back from Maria gently with a reassuring smile as though to say, 'I'm okay now, don't worry.' The young man let of of her, and turned to face Ienzo again. Yes, he was more wary of him now, but he still needed to talk to him, weather he was scared or not, Ienzo had to know that he couldn't just go trying to steal his girlfriend right out from under his noes. Dimitri offered a thin smile, although there was very little humor to it. He touched Maria's arm reassuringly, and then looked back at Ienzo. "Actually, that might be a good idea." He said falsely, really just looking for an opportunity to get Ienzo where he could talk to him alone. "Besides, there are a few things I wanted to ask you, come on." He said, forcing a small smile, and stepping out of the room.

Kedrick hesitated uncertainly. He didn't like the idea of the two of them going off by themselves, especially since Ienzo had just unintentionally given Dimitri quite a scare, and especially since Kedrick was putting the pieces together and realizing the whole jealousy element that was involved. But Kedrick decided that he couldn't always shelter Dimitri. Ienzo was a good guy, he wouldn't do anything to hurt Dimitri, so since there was no real danger, Kedrick had to let Dimitri make his own choices, stupid though they may be.

 

[x_Ultra_Panda_Luver_x]

Arielle Shore

"He's so stubborn," Maria muttered as she watched Dimitri and Ienzo leave the room. She couldn't believe that he was still going to talk to Ienzo alone. "Why does he have to start something? Couldn't he just leave things be?" Maria probably would've ranted more but she knew she had to stop herself at some point before she made a scene.

"It just can't be helped," Arielle said as she held onto Kedrick's hand and gently squeezed his fingers. "Just hopefully Ienzo doesn't try to touch Dimitri on the head like that again or he's going to have a lot of explaining that needs to be done."

Maria scoffed and frowned. "And that was why I tried to get blockhead to change his mind. I think he's more hardheaded than stubborn. But no, he still wanted to go talk to him..."

Arielle just sighed gently and shook her head, looking at Kedrick. "Should we make sure that Dimitri's fine or should we just wait and hope that he doesn't join Maria in losing his cool."

"I didn't lose my cool," Maria shot back defensively, lightly pouting and crossing her arms, her eyes continuously glancing for Dimitri and Ienzo to come back.

"So, what's up Dimitri?" Ienzo asked once they were outside, the young man sitting on top of the rail with ease. "Are you actually interested in learning Russian? Because if you are I don't mind helping you as well as Maria."  

[Tobi-chan Lissesul]

♟♞ ♝ ♜ ♛ Ҝәɖʁϊϲҝ Ś. Śűѿą & Ďȋɱȋŧʁȋ Ĵ. ᾟűηŧȇʁ ♛ ♜ ♝ ♞ ♟

Kedrick sighed softly, lowering his head in defeat as Dimitri and Ienzo left the room. He wished he wouldn't have, Maria was right, he could have just let things be. But this was Dimitri they were talking about, hot headed, flirty, jealous Dimitri. He felt Arielle squeeze his fingers gently, and he looked up at her with a small smile. He shared her concern, and while he knew that Ienzo would never mean to do anything to hurt him, Dimitri would still be afraid.

Kedrick sighed softly. "Dimitri wouldn't like the idea of Ienzo knowing his past, he's pretty much a stranger to him, and I think it's pretty obvious that Dimitri doesn't like him in the first place." Kedrick sighed softly. "I'll uh...I'll think of something, if things do...go wrong....let me do the talking okay?" He gave a slight bark of a laugh. "I don't know what I'll say, but...I'll think of something." Kedrick smiled at Maria as she continued to vent her frustration about the situation, but kept his silence until Arielle asked her question. "Well...However much I'd like to lend him a hand, Dimitri needs to make his own decision...and figure out which ones are stupid and which ones aren't." He said, frowning slightly.

Dimitri's foolishness sometimes bothered Kedrick, the young man simply didn't think clearly. He tried to, but whenever he felt strong emotion, it totally overrode his logical thinking. Right about now, Dimitri was feeling very strong emotion, and he was stressed on top of it, hence, all common sense went out the window.

Dimitri walked down the hallway next to Ienzo, seething with jealousy. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears, and it blocked out the hum of voices in the police station. He tried to think of what he was going to say once they got outside, but he couldn't pull his thoughts together. So Dimitri decided that whatever came out of his mouth at the moment would have to do. Briefly, Dimitri thought that Maria would probably be mad at him after this, but having her mad at him for a while was better then having Ienzo steal her away.

Dimitri took a deep breath of fresh, cool air as they stepped outside, but it did little to cool his boiling anger. He watched, tense jawed as Ienzo perched lightly on the top rail. 'He really thinks he's all that huh?' He thought irritably, scowling deeply at the other young man. As he asked his question, Dimitri adopted a scathingly sarcastic tone. "Lets say....no." He said, a definite bite to his voice. "I want to know what the heck you think you're doing." Dimitri said, the anger becoming more and more evident in his voice by the second. He was pale faced, well, paler then normal, which was a sure sign of just how furious he was. "You like her don't you!" He accused, voice dripping with loathing. Dimitri stepped forward threateningly. "She's not yours! She's mine So BACK OFF!" Dimitri hands were clenched by his sides, and he could feel his body trembling with suppressed fury, his heart hammering in his chest.

 

[x_Ultra_Panda_Luver_x]

Arielle Shore

"He just better hurry his butt back in here before m-," Maria huffed out before she stopped, seeing the sight of her father. He gave his daughter this questioning looking before heading on over to them. Maria sighed and looked away, pretending that her father hadn't seen her annoyed look, but not much could pass by his attention.

"Are you still upset about what Jonesy did, angelita?" her father asked, a gentle smile on his face as he gave her a one armed hug. Something was telling him that it probably wasn't it, but he decided not to prod. He looked over at Arielle and Kedrick before realizing that Ienzo and Dimitri were missing from the scene. A light frown was on his face before he just shook it off, knowing that they'd come back.

"Feeling any better, Arielle?" Mr. Vázquez asked. Arielle seemed calm on the outside, but he could barely tell what her mind was thinking of right now. "I'm sorry I keep going off. It seems a bit busy with some of our smaller cases, but once Dimitri comes back, we'll discuss what happens and what further action we need to take concerning the matter."

Arielle nodded and felt her hand squeeze Kedrick's fingers gently again. "I'm fine sir," was all that she was able to answer, anxiety clenching her stomach again. She would be fine with whatever they decided, it was her safety that mattered after all, but the more she replayed what Jonesy had said in her ear when he was choking her back in the room, the more she felt like she was to blame for everything. Her eyes were distant as her free hand gently went up to her neck, almost as if to make her believe that what he had done had actually happened.

Ienzo was a bit surprised about how quickly Dimitri lost his temper, although the young man couldn't blame him. As Dimitri ranted on, he couldn't help but find himself smirk gently as he thought about how the both of them were so easily possessive over the other.

"Relax, champ," Ienzo said a bit defensively, but not too much as he held his hands up in a 'I give up' fashion. "First of all, yes I do like her. She's a very charming and interesting you lady, but who wouldn't like her? I have to admit that in the beginning, I was going to use the excuse of those lessons as a way of eventually going out with her, despite the fact that she was still in high school, but it wasn't until she introduced you that I realized it was better to just stay friends though. However, I am a bit of a flirty person, but usually their playful, like jests. I wouldn't be trying to make moves on someone else's date, it's a bit of a jerk move."

"And you made her sound like you owned her," Ienzo stated calmly, giving Dimitri an even look. "It's true that you're dating her, but how it sounded... It just gave off that impression. I know I'm wrong, but be careful on how you phrase your wording about something like that. And try not to get jealous over ever guy who seems to make your girlfriend laugh, or you'll end up losing her to someone else."  

[Tobi-chan Lissesul]

♟♞ ♝ ♜ ♛ Ҝәɖʁϊϲҝ Ś. Śűѿą & Ďȋɱȋŧʁȋ Ĵ. ᾟűηŧȇʁ ♛ ♜ ♝ ♞ ♟

Kedrick looked up in surprise as Mr. Vázquez entered the room. He gave him a small smile, and then felt a flash of guilt. He hoped that his explosion towards Jonsey wouldn't cause Maria's father any unnecessary trouble. The young man felt Arielle's fingers anxiously clenching in his, and he wondered what was going through her mind. She was troubled, he could see that much, but what it was, Kedrick had no idea.

Kedrick saw her fingers reach up to brush the skin of her neck were faint bruises were beginning to show. The young man reached over, and placed his hand over her's, lowering it away. He looked into her eyes with a warm, reassuring smile, as though to say, whatever happen would be fine.

He looked back up after a moment, catching Mr. Vázquez's gaze. "S-sir..." He said hesitantly, feeling heat creep into his face, making his cheeks redden slightly. "I-I wanted to apologize for what I did earlier, I was upset, and I didn't think...I hope it won't cause any trouble for you...s-sorry.." He murmured, trailing off lamely, and rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. Kedrick liked Maria's father, he hoped that their relationship wouldn't be damaged by a thoughtless explosion of anger on his part.

Dimitri face flushed an angry red as Ienzo called him champ. Who did he think he was? Handing out nicknames like that...But none the less, Dimitri made himself listen to him, and didn't like what he heard. So he was right, he hadn't doubted it, but there was something about hearing it from Ienzo's own mouth that helped him confirm it. The dark hair boys eyes narrowed further as Ienzo finished. 'You're right, it would be a jerk move, but is it below you is the question?'

At the other young man's next statement, Dimitri pulled back, looking like he had been struck in the face. The irritated flush had left his face, leaving him deathly pale again. His eyes grew wide with a flash of pain, and even Ienzo may have seen that he had overstepped a crucial boundary. Dimitri looked agonized. If the thought of someone 'owning' anyone else ever crossed his mind, it brought up images of only one person. Jared. How many times had he referred to him like that? Mine. My toy. My Dimitri. It made the boy feel sick to his stomach and he fought the nausea back.

Suddenly, a flash of anger replaced the nausea and agony. How could this guy even suggest such a thing? Maria was one of the only good things he had in his life. Couldn't he just leave her alone? "That's not true." Dimitri said, his teeth clenched, hand's shaking by his sides. "Maria loves me, and I'm trying to protect her! That's all! I need her, and if you ever say something so stupid again, I swear you're regret it!" Dimitri said, his voice rising again to an angry yell. Ienzo's calm was infuriating, Dimitri felt like the young man wasn't hearing a word he was saying, and it was of vital importance that he did hear him.