Shot in the Dark (Ty)

[Cass Old Account]

Cass kept on working through her late night lunch break, getting her mind off of what had recently happened. She had never been paralyzed before, and then she was. She shook her head as she poured another drink for someone and headed back to the counter.

Cass didn't have much time to react when a hand grabbed her and pulled her to the man. She instantly froze when she was pulled onto his lap. "I think it's about time you took a break from all that running around." Cass pulled herself away from him and spilled his drink all over his lap. "No, I think I'm good, thanks." She started to walk away when he grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him. "You're beginning to piss me off, lady. Don't make me get your boss."

Cass gave him a determined look and said, "Really? You want to be a child like person and complain to the boss? I didn't peg you for the type." Cass shrugged his hands off of her and walked away.

It only took two seconds. Someone shouted, "Look out!" and Cass felt pain in her abdomen after hearing a shot being rung out. Her eyes widened as she fell to the ground and looked up. The man stood over her and said, "That's no way to talk to me, lady! Remember that." He walked off.

Cass forced herself to stand up and went into the back alley. Gasping for breath now, and holding the bleeding wound with her hand, she quickly dialed Ty's cell phone. Cass started coughing as she leaned against the wall and slid down...

[Tyler Ryonas]

Ty was sitting in the chair in the living room, having fallen asleep watching TV. He'd had a rough day at work, but on the bright side, his friend called saying his mom had gotten Cass an interview at the newspaper. He'd wanted to stay up to tell her, but that didn't quite work out as planned.

He jerked awake when his cell phone went off. He looked at the number: Cass. He had this really pressing feeling in his gut as he answered. "Hello? Mom? What is it? Are you okay?" That feeling in the pit of his stomach told him she wasn't...

[Cass Old Account]

Cass heard Ty on the other line and coughed two or three more times and tried to speak. "Nuh...N-No..." She gulped. "Ty...I need you..." Cass closed her eyes, taking a very shaky breath. "I-I don't have...very long..."

Cass leaned her head back and looked at the sky, having noticed the blood now flowing over her hand. She was losing a lot of blood. "I can't...morph....without someone seeing me....I need someone to look out for me while I do...I couldn't...I couldn't think of anyone else to call....I'm s-sorry if I woke y-you..." She kept watching the sky as she waited his response.

[Tyler Ryonas]

Ty could tell by her voice that she wasn't okay. Without even getting dressed, he grabbed the keys and hopped into the car, wearing nothing but a pair of plaid pajama pants. No...not again.... he thought, a tear streaming down his face.

"Don't worry about it. I'm on my now," Ty said speeding off. He knew she was working at the bar tonight. "There's one thing I HAVE to know. Where are you, exactly?"

[Cass Old Account]

Cass closed her eyes, willing the pain to go away, but it kept getting worse. She couldn't risk it, wouldn't. If some controller saw her morph, they'd figure out Ty could morph, too. She couldn't have that. Suffering like she was was better than her son being made into a controller alongside her.

"I'm...i-in...the back alley...I'm in a bad position...that j-jerk..." A tear went down her face as she repositioned herself and grunted in pain. "I also...j-just wanted t-to hear your...v-voice..." She flinched as she continued, "...o-one l-last time...before I....p-passed. I j-just want you to know....I..." Cass coughed furiously before she spoke again..."I love you, T-Tyler...y-you're my s-son, and I'm proud...o-of y-you. So so proud...I l-love you....s-stay s-strong for me, okay?" Every stutter, Cass struggled for breath...it kept getting worse and worse.

[Tyler Ryonas]

"I'll be right there. HANG ON...." Ty instructed as he hang up, tears flowing as he stomped the gas pedal. When he got to the back alley behind the bar, he wiped his eyes and ran to see her.

"Mom..." he said, being strong in front of her. "You're not gonna die. You'll be okay, understand?" He didn't care that all he had on was his green-plaid pajama pants as he stood there. He looked around and saw what he was looking for.

Picking up a nearby piece of brick, he threw it up at the one light, shattering it as the brick clattered to the ground. Then, just in case, Ty morphed the Kodiak bear for more protection. <Mom? Morph. Do it now. I've got you.>

[Cass Old Account]

Cass' hand dropped, tossing the phone not far from her, and breaking it after Ty hung up. She didn't have long. She gripped at her stomach, wishing the bleeding would stop, it was making her queasy. She had to be strong for him. She tried her hardest. She wondered for a moment what she had done to lose everything she had...

FLASHBACK

Cass laughed. "It's okay." She stood up too and hugged him back. "I didn't do anything. It was all you. I know it's only been a day, but I feel like I've known you forever." Cass grinned when she saw Jay smile and said that it was the same for him. Before she knew it, they were in her room, and getting ready to sleep together. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Only if you want to," Jay said. He shrugged and Cass fell for him then, as they both went into bed and slept together. The weeks after were amazing too. She had heard her friends talk about Jay, but she had ignored them. They would see each other every night.

Their best night together had been their last official date. She remembered that well. "I love you, you know that?" Cass said, looking up at Jay, laying in his arms on a couch swing. Jay didn't say anything, but he kissed her deeply as she wrapped her arms around him. "I have something to tell you..."

Jay looked at her, his eyes shining bright. Nothing could ruin this moment. "Later, babe...we can talk later..." Then he bent in to give her another kiss, a long deep passionate kiss, his tongue meeting hers, causing her to not be able to function any longer on her own. Jay had picked her up then and took her inside, kissing her quickly three times, before kissing her deeply again, where they spent their last night in love...together.



End Flashback

Cass breathed in and out deeply and slowly as she could tell it would be over soon, and that Ty might be just around the corner. Tyler...my own....my Tyler... She had opened her eyes and then closed them, relishing in one of her fondest memories.

FLASHBACK


Cass was eating a piece of cake at Nichole's house. Nichole and Leona had both been there when she broke down about Jay. They even rescued her from his grasp and she hadn't seen much of him since. Every once in a while, they would bump into each other and it would end in her running or someone hitting him or something.

At least for now she didn't have to worry about that. Cass went over to where Nichole sat waiting for her to start the movie. "Hey, go ahead and start it. I'm going to get some soda or something." She flinched when she got a shot to the kidney.

"You okay, love?" Nichole turned her head, concern in her eyes. Cass nodded. "Kidney shot." Nichole nodded and turned back to the television. Another shot at the kidney and Cass was at the fridge. She turned back and saw what was on the t.v. It was normal. Something about being a mother.

Cass was so excited about being a mother, that she almost didn't notice the water sliding down her legs. Her feet got soaked and she looked down. "Oh, my God!"

Nichole spun in her chair. "Love? What's wrong?"

Cass looked at Nichole. "My-My water broke..." She looked at Nichole with scared eyes. Nichole's own eyes widened. "Your what?!" She leaped to her feet and tried to keep calm. "Okay, we needs to take you to the hospital! Come on, I'll help you. He isn't supposed to be early like this! A month to the day!"

Cass took a deep breath in and a deep breath out. Soon, Nichole had gotten them to the emergency room and into the delivery section. The doctors turned to Nichole and said, "We can take it from here."

Cass grabbed Nichole's hand. "Please...stay...I want you...here with me..." she said and then shouted out due to a contraction. Nichole nodded. "I'm here, love. You can pull through this."

The doctor asked about the drugs and Cass shook her head. She wanted to be natural with this. She tightened her grip on Nichole's hand as she yelled out. "CAN I PUSH YET?!" Tears streamed down her face. The doctor shook his head. "Almost...he really wants out."

Then it was time....Cass screamed and had an iron grip on Nichole's hand, who was saying soothing words to Cass. "I WANT THE DRUGS!" She screamed out when the doctor said, "Push! Only a few more, Cassandra, then he'll be out..."

"Think about him, love. Think about how you'll be able to hold him and love him forever..." Those words made her believe she could go all the way. "I...want you...to be the godmother..." was the last thing she said before she gave all of her energy to the last push.

Two hours later, and she was holding a baby boy in her hands, Nichole standing next to her, flexing her hand, and the doctor out of the room. "Love? What are you going to call him?" Cass looked up to her and smiled.

"He reminds me of Ty...I think, in memory of him, we should name him Tyler...." She looked up at Nichole. "What should his middle name be? My mind is boggled on that one..."

Nichole took Cass' hand and said, "Weren't you going to have a baby brother, love? Why not use his name for the middle?"

Cass looked at her for a second and then down at Ty. "Tyler Vincent....Tyler Vincent Ryonas...it fits him....I can't believe....I gave birth...to a life. I gave birth to something magical..." Nichole smiled and hugged her best friend as they spent the day cooing over the baby.

END FLASHBACK

Cass heard Ty's voice. "I-I can't...I have no energy..." She looked at him. "I think...I think I see my brother...He's waiting for me...He wants me to take him...t-to the movies....Tyler...I l-love you..."

[Tyler Ryonas]

If Ty hadn't been a bear at that moment, he'd have cried his eyes out. He refused to accept--he couldn't accept the fact that his Mom wasn't going to be there for him anymore. Even looking at her now, blood covering her hands, it just couldn't be true...

FLASHBACK

Ty looked down at the blood seeping out of his knee where he had fallen and scraped it on the pavement. He was only 6, and the pain seemed almost unbearable. Tears ran down his face as he sat on the ground, holding his knee.

Then, next thing he knew, his mom was there, scooped him up, kissed him, and doctored the wound. Just being in her arms made him feel better....

End Flashback

Ty nuzzled Cass, licking her face. <Mom....you have to....PLEASE.....you have to focus.....do it...do it for me.....> Ty tried to stay strong, even the bear's instincts didn't overpower his feelings right now. <Mom....please....I NEED you....I can't make it without you....I'm not ready to be on my own yet......>

[Cass Old Account]

Cass started coughing again, feeling some kind of gurgle in the back of her throat. She looked up at Ty when he begged for her to morph. She was nuzzled and licked, giving her some kind of feeling that made her want to be there for him. "I-I want...to-to be t-there....w-when y-you get married and h-have k-kids....I w-want to s-see you h-happy..." She had to force herself to fight down the coughs and focused on the only animal she could think of.

Black feathers covered her sides and her head, and white covered her front and back. She shrank, her feet turned yellow. Her mouth bulged out into a beak and her eyes became small and black. Her arms became small, unusable for flying, wings. Soon, she was a penguin looking at a bear. She fought the instinct to run. <Well....that was exciting....let's never do that one again, mkay?> Her voice was really shaky, but she said those words to try and sound strong. She demorphed and saw that the bullet had fallen to the ground. She picked it up. "Who knew something so small like this could do so much damage."

[Tyler Ryonas]

If bears could smile, Ty would have been as he looked at the penguin that was his Mom. <Yeah, let's not...> Ty said, still sounding strong. He demorphed with her.

His jaw dropped when she picked up the bullet. "You were SHOT?!?" He wrapped his arms around her. "Mom," he said sternly yet gently, "you're getting another job."

[Cass Old Account]

Cass looked up at Ty when his jaw dropped. Then he wrapped his arms around her and she wrapped hers around him. "Yeah, I was shot. I'm all right, though..."

"I-wait, what? I'm fine. It was just a misunderstanding, that's all. Besides..." she stopped herself, she had never talked to him about the financial status. "I'm sure the cops will be on their way and the man who shot me will be put in jail...I'm fine, really.."

[Tyler Ryonas]

Ty leaned back looking her in the eye. "Mom...you told me this wouldn't happen again...." he said, tears welling up. "I...thought I was really going to lose you tonight..."

"And Mom, you're getting another job," Ty said firmly before cracking his insane grin. "For the newspaper. Interview's Thursday."

[Cass Old Account]

Cass looked at Ty with her blue eyes glistening. She hugged him close. "You're not gonna lose me, and I swear, your mother just mouthed off...That's all it was..."

Cass leaned back with a confused look when Ty said she was getting a new job. Interview? She hadn't been to one of those in years, the jobs she had now had been simple walk-in and get it. Not the whole asking questions before being hired. "A-An interview? Tyler...I haven't had to do one of those since I was sixteen! There's no way I could pull this off..."

[Tyler Ryonas]

"Don't worry," Ty comforted. "It's just a formality. My friend's mom works up there. He talked to her, and they need someone. All you have to do is meet the boss and look pretty. The job's pretty much yours."

He smiled. "Let's get you home, shall we? You've had a long day."

[Cass Old Account]

"Look pretty? I haven't done that in years either..." Cass muttered to herself as she stifled a yawn. They really should get going. "I'll give it a shot."

Off in the distance, Cass heard police cars. "I've had a rough day and night, to be honest. But let's get out of here before the cops try to figure out how someone got shot and healed in no time..." she agreed with Ty.