Lessons Learned Ch 14

* I would first like to thank everyone who has stuck by me through this journey. I apologize for the delay; life brings a lot of changes. I hope to finish this story and begin the sequel very soon. I hope you enjoy. Feedback always welcome.

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"Don't you threaten me Maurice. No matter what, I'M still your mother and you WILL respect me." Mother replied.

Maurice turned to our Mother and replied, "That was not a threat Mother. Threats take too much energy and there's never any action behind it. No, this is a promise that I have every intention of acting on."

"Oh really? I'd like to see you try." Mother replied.

Maurice stepped towards our Mother. Marguerite quickly jumped in between them with her hands up to block their movements. She glared angrily at both of them.

"This is not the time for this. Angela could die. We should be putting our energy into getting Angela to a hospital, not some crazy family squabble. Now both of you need to calm down. We will settle this later." Marguerite replied.

Mother and Maurice maliciously glared at each other for a few more moments and then separated. Olivia and Maxine stood to the side and watched quietly. Soon we heard both police and ambulance sirens. Ian looked out the window and announced the arrival of both the police and the ambulance.

Andreas lowered his gun, put it to the side and waited for the doorbell to ring. Marguerite looked up at Shane and replied, "I need to go to the door and talk with the EMT's; so you're going to have to take over holding the gauze."

Shane shook his head, "I can't. I might hurt her. He replied with his head down.

Mauguerite put her hand on Shane's shoulder and replied,

"Shane look at me."

He kept his eyes lowered as tears ran down his cheek. Marguerite put two fingers under his chin and brought his face level to her's.

"Shane, I know you love Angela and I know you don't want her to die. But if we don't stop the blood, she will. So please help me, help her." Marguerite replied.

Shane wiped nodded his head in agreement. He wiped his fallen tears extended his hands and put them on top of Marguerite's hands. She slowly removed her hands from under his. Once her hands were from under his, Shane began to apply pressure to stop the blood flow. Once she saw that Shane had everything under control; She got up and joined Andreas at the door.

The doorbell rung. Before Marguerite opened it, Andreas moved to the left to stand guard. Marguerite opened the door and both the Police and the EMT workers stepped forward towards the threshold. The EMT's stood behind the Police with a stretcher between them. The police officer showed his badge and replied.

"Hello. My name is Detective Bryan Shields. I'm with the WCPD. I'm here with the EMT can we come in?" Detective Shields asked.

Marguerite stepped forward, looked at the Detective's badge and moved to the side so that the Police and the EMT workers could come into the house.

"Where's the patient?" One of the EMT's asked.

"She's in here. Follow me" Marguerite replied.

The two EMT's followed Marguerite into the living room. Andreas continued to stand guard at the door.

Detective Shields followed behind the EMTs, stepped into the room and immediately zoned in on Olivia with an aprehended Mrs. Harper.

"Detective Morrison." Shields replied.

Olivia nodded and replied,"Yes Sir."

"You want to tell me what the hell happened? We have a girl fighting for her life and an apprehended socialite. What is going on?"

Olivia stepped forward with a handcuffed Maxine, "Well Sir, I came to the house to question the victim, Ms. Angela Monroe about the Harper case. We were at the conclusion of the questioning when Mrs. Harper here came in and shot the victim."

"And how was Mrs Harper able to pull a gun out and shoot the victim without your notice" Shields asked incredulously.

Olivia glared offensively at her commanding officer and replied,"Shields she started shooting before ANY of us could process that she even had a gun." Olivia replied in defense.

Detective Shields ignorned Detective Morrison's reply and turned his attention to Maxine,

"So Mrs. Harper. What do you have to say for yourself?" Detective Shields asked.

"All I've ever wanted was justice for my family. And now I'm getting it." Maxine replied defiantly.

"You crazy bi...." Mother spat out as she lunged for Maxine once more. Maurice caught her by the waist and held her tightly to his side.

"MY DAUGHTER COULD DIE BECAUSE OF YOU, YOU CRAZY BITCH!!!" Mother yelled.

"GET HER OUT OF HERE!!" Shields demanded.

"No!! I'll be good. I promise." Mother replied.

Maurice let go of Mother's waist and she immediately lunged for Maxine once more. Maurice grabbed her again. He picked her up and carried her up the steps. Mother screamed obscenities at Maxine the entire way up the stairs,

"YOU CRAZY BITCH!! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS. YOU. WILL. PAY. FOR. THIS. YOU HEAR ME?!? YOUUUUUUU WILLLLLL PAYYYYY FORRRRRRR THIIIISSSSSSS!!!"

Everyone watched Maurice carry Mother up the stairs until she was out of sight. They then turned their attention back to the situation at hand.

By this time, the EMT workers had removed the gauze and had stopped the bleeding. Shane sat beside my limp body, held my hand to his lips and silently pleaded with me to not give up and to come back to him. Everyone else watched in tense silence as the EMT wokers continued their recesitation attempts on my body. The EMT finally got a faint but consistent pulse.

One of the workers lightly put his hand on Shane's shoulder and said,

"Sir. We've stopped the blood and we've found a pulse. But she's not out of the dark yet; its imperative that we get her to the hospital. You'll have to let her hand go."

Shane closed his eyes and shook his head a more tears fell down his cheek.

"I can't lose her."

The EMT's glanced at each other in concerned silence.

Marguerite went to Shane, knelt down to where he sat and softly replied,

"Shane...."

He looked up at her with tear-stained eyes, "These men are here to help Angela. We need to get her to a hospital or she could die. " Marguerite continued.

Shane looked up at Marguerite, "I can't lose her."

"And you won't man.." Maurice replied as he walked toward Shane. He extended his hand to Shane and replied"I know that you would do anything for my sister. I know that you want to protect her from all harm. You can't do that if she dies. So my man you got to let her go. Let these men take care of her so that later you can be the man she needs."

Shane closed his eyes and shook his head in grief. After a few tense moments; he opened his eyes and looked at my quiet form. He nodded his head in agreement, bent down, kissed my forehead and whispered, "Come back to me." He extended his hand to Maurice and allowed him to help him up.

The EMT's immediately went to work. They lifted me to the stretcher, inserted an a breathing tube and IV into my arm and rolled me out the family room through the foyer and out the door. Marguerite walked to her chair, picked up her purse and began to follow them out with Ian right behind her. Lieutenant Shields lightly grabbed her arm to stop her. Marguerite turned around and simultaneously looked at his face and hand.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but no one can leave until we've gotten a full statement about the incident."

Marguerite immediately stiffened, "Its Detective Shields isn't it?" She replied.

"Lieutenant ma'am."

"Ok, Lieutenant, My sister just got shot. Our mother is delirious so she can't go to be with her. I'm the next in line to take care of her. Now I understand that you need my statement to help put that Bitch over there away. I promise you that I will do all I can to help, but as of right now, you will have to wait. If you like, after you get the statements of all of my brothers you can follow them to the hospital and get my statement. But as of right now, my priority is my sister. So if you don't mind, could you please unhand me so that I can go take care of my priority?"

Marguerite and Detective Shields glared into each other's eyes for a few brief moments. No one spoke. Everyone waited in tense silence to see what Lieutenant Shields next move would be. Detective Shields removed his hand and everything went back in motion. Marguerite nodded her head in thanks. She looked up at her husband, he nodded in understanding. She went to him, took his hand and the two left out and drove to the hospital.

Maurice helped Shane sit down. Shane sat quietly in a trance-like state.

Lieutenant Shields looked at Olivia and replied, "I'm sure that you've read the supect her rights correct?"

"Yes sir."

"Alright, then there is no need for her to stay here. Take her to the station."

Oliva nodded, took the handcuffed Mrs Harper out the room and towards the door. Andreas still stood at the door with his gun. He opened the door the two women left out. Before she left out, Olivia looked up into Andreas' eyes and the spark from before shot through them once again. For a moment all was right and there was no one in the world more important than each other. Andreas wanted to touch her cheek, but decided against it. Olivia was the first to break the connection.

"Alright Mrs. Harper let's get you to the station."

Mrs Harper scoffed at her, "I'm wating on you."

She looked back , the two nodded at each other in unspoken understanding. Olivia turned back and walked across the threshold. She took Mrs Harper to the car, and helped her into the car. She walked around the car, opened the door and looked up and found Andreas still looking at her. They smiled at each other, she stepped in her car, put her siren on and drove off. Lieutenant Shields followed soon after she drove off. Before he left out, Shields turned to Andreas and replied,

"I will need a statement from every one of you this week. You will be hearing from me soon."

"Ok, we'll be ready." Andreas replied.

Shields nodded and walked out the door.

Andreas closed the door, turned around, leaned on the door and shook his head. He then heard the shouts of Maurice and our Mother and rushed back into the living room.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE NOT TAKING ME TO THE HOSPITAL?!?!?" Mother screamed.

"I MEAN EXACTLY WHAT I SAID...."

"HEY, HEY, HEY WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" Andreas yelled in interruption as he stepped back into room.

Maurice and our Mother both turned to Andreas.

"Maurice thinks that he's going to stop me from seeing MY daughter in the hospital. " Mother replied defiantly.

Maurice crossed his arms in front of his chest and replied, "And why is that Mother? Hmmmmm let's see? Maybe its because if it wasn't for YOU she wouldn't be there in the FIRST PLACE!!!!!" Maurice replied.

Andreas intercepted, "Maurice come on man. This aint the time..."

Maurice put his hand up to stop Andreas from finishing his statement. He turned to Andreas and replied,

"This woman has lied and deceived us for almost all of our lives. You and I have stood back and let her destroy a relationship between two sisters, we have covered for her when we knew the things she was doing was wrong. And for what? The family value. What family value? Our values and morals left a long time ago. And now look at us. Our baby sister could die today and our MOTHER is the cause of it." Maurice replied.

"Now Maurice you know that's not true. Mrs Harper shot Angela because she was trying to get revenge for her own daughter's death." Andreas replied.

"BULLSHIT!! Sherise's death was just the straw that broke the camel's back. Her feud with Maxine had been going on for years. And now we know why."

Maurice turned his attention back to our Mother. "So tell me Mom....." Maurice continued. "How long did you think you could keep the fact that Angela is actually Charleston's child and not Dad's child from us?"

"I don't know what ure talking about and that's not the issue. My daughter is fighting for her lIfe, I need to be there.If you won't drive me I'll drive my damn self."

Mother got up with her purse in hand and went towards the door. Maurice grabbed her arm. And turned her around. Mother looked at her son with an expression of both shock and anger.

"We're not finished here. When were you going to tell us about Charleston Harper."

Mother squinted her eyes in anger and said softly, "Unhand me Maurice. You don't want to start something with me you can't finish."

Maurice tightened his grip and replied, "Oh Mother it's already started."

Andreas stepped forward and lightly grabbed Maurice's arm. Maurice turned his head and met his brother's determined yet concerned stare.

"Maurice, this not the time for this. Angela needs us to be one unit. Yes, Mom fucked up, and we will deal with that later. What's most important is getting to the hospital."

Maurice released our Mother's arm and turned face forward to Andreas,

"You know what I don't understand?"

"What's that?" Andreas replied.

"You. I don't understand you. We just found out that we've been lied to all our lives. That the sister we know and love is actually our half sister. And you're calm. Its almost as if this information was nothing you hadn't heard before."

Andreas lowered his eyes to the floor. Maurice looked back and forrth between his Mom's defiant and Andreas' shameful looks. Something inside Maurice snapped, he immediately grabbed Andreas by the throat and slammed him to the wall. Andreas began to gasp for breath. Mother ran and tried to seperate the two all the while yelling,

"MAURICE STOP, YOUR HURTING HIM!!"

Maurice ignorned Mom and leaned in to Andreas's ear and whispered,"After everything we've been through, you're going to lie to me? I should end this shit right now."

"Just..... found..... out.... a couple of days.... ago....Thought...... she.... would tell you." Andreas replied.

Before Maurice could tighten his grip a strong arm grabbed his shoulder. Maurice turned around and saw the determined green eyes of Shane Morrison.

"Come on man, this is not the way to deal with this shit. Your sister needs you both. We all found out some crazy stuff today. And it can be dealt with later. Right now my baby needs her brothers."

Maurice glared at Shane and then back to Andreas. Andreas looked at his brother with tears in his eyes. Mother looked on in shocked silence with her hand over her mouth. For a few moments it seemed that Maurice wasn't going to let Andreas go; then suddeny his grip lightened and Andreas fell to the ground coughing. Maurice didn't say a word. Shane stepped back and Maurice continued to angrily stare at his mother and brother.

Mother tried to reach out to him. Maurice put his hand up and stopped her. He looked into her teary eyes and replied softly,

"I will never forgive you for this. I have sat by and let you do a lot of unspeakable things and have never said a word. You and I are through. There is nothing more that we could possible say to each other."

He then looked at Andreas,

"I can appreciate the fact that you just found out about this craziness; but as soon as you found out you should have told me. I don't know how we can get back from this... But I'd like to try." Maurice replied with his hand out.

Andreas paused before he hesitantly took Maurice's hand. Maurice helped him up and brought him into a hug. Maurice whispered into his ear,

"If you do some shit like that again, I will take you out myself.". Maurice gave Andreas a tight squeeze and then released him.

Andreas nodded in understanding. Maurice looked at Shane,

"You ready to go to the hospital man?"

He asked.

Shane shook his head and replied, "I was just going to drive up there myself, you know. You guys go ahead."

Maurice went and put his hand on Shane's shoulder. "Sorry man doesn't work like that. You're family now. So I'm going to ask you again, Brother Shane, are you ready to go to the hospital?"

Shane smiled, shook his head and replied ,"Yea!!"

"Alright then." He looked at both Andreas and Shane and replied, "Let's go."

Andreas got up and the three men turned and went towards the door. Before they could get over the threshold they heard a shrill scream from behind them,

"WAIT JUST A GODDAMN MINUTE. YOU'RE JUST GOING TO LEAVE ME HERE!?!?!"

Maurice, Andreas and Shane turned around simulataneously to look at my Mother's exasperated expression. They looked at each other and then loked at her and replied in unison,

"Exactly!!!

They turned back around and walked out the door. Mother screamed their names until her throat was raw, they all ignored her. Maurice got in the front, Andreas on the passenger side and Shane in the back. Once everyone was situated, Maurice turned on the car and drove off.

By this time Mother was on her knees sobbing. Everything had gone wrong and she felt like her heart was breaking. She was so distraught that she didn't hear the door open and someone walk in.

She looked up with tear-stained eyes and met familiar hazel eyes. She got up and walked towards the figure before her and fell into their arms. While stroking her back, the figure replied in a soothing voice,

"It's ok love. I'm home now!!!"

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Copyright©BBWLove8369

May 2011