CHAPTER 67

     Dylan walked past several police cells at the station until she got to the end of it. Five days after the rough encounter with Taylor and Kelley Smith and the whole ordeal was still raw in her head. Maybe the presence of a bullet wound on her chest made it even harder to forget. What she focused on in that moment however was what he was going to tell her former boss. She had tried to come up with the best thing to say since she left home but she hadn't come to a conclusion yet. He had requested her to visit and she didn't know whether to be mad at him or pity him. In some sense he had been innocent but then he had abused his power which had led to his arrest. Maybe she should have felt guilty because in many times before Kelley and all started,he had always treated her like his daughter. No,the fact that he betrayed her even after all that just made her feel betrayed. There was no need to feel guilty. He had brought it upon himself even though she had been the one to report it. 

     She finally got to the cell she had been directed to at the front desk. There he was sitting in a corner of his hard cell bed,his head held in his hands as if it would fall. She wasn't sure if he was awake or asleep in the position. She stood there for a moment before deciding to clear her throat and bang the metal bars separating the cell from the hallway. He looked up and when he recognized her,he stood up quickly.

                   "Lewis,I didn't think you would come."

                  "Trust me, I almost turned around multiple times on my way here because I have better and important things to do rather than be here."

                  "I'll only take a few minutes of your time. I know it's much to ask especially after everything but I need to explain why I did what I did. The court might not listen and I deserve every bit of what's coming to me but before I get locked up permanently,I would love to ask you to forgive me."

 Dylan scoffed,"Forgive you for what? Let's see, betraying your dead friend who you know perfectly would never have done anything like that to you. You promised her that you would protect me,that you would have my back but you abandoned me the first chance you got. I didn't really need your protection but at least you could have warned me."

                  "I'm sorry I know I should have." He walked closer to the iron bars and placed his hands against them. He had a desperate look in his eyes. "She threatened my family. You saw how she was. If you had been in the same place I was in you would have done the same. Tell me you wouldn't have done that for your woman I saw you kissing earlier or even your friends."

 She nodded,"I would go to extreme ends for that woman and all my friends but I would never betray any of them. You just had to make a choice. She threatened us too,but we made a choice to face her instead of giving in to her. So really, I wouldn't have done the same." She stopped and observed him. She knew he was already regretting it judging by his appearance but it was already too late.

                "How did you know?" he finally asked.

                 "That you were involved? Well,I felt something was wrong a while back and so I did some investigation. Your bank accounts didn't really add up with what you earn. I had a little help lining them up and I trailed the money back to Kelley. I did the same with my partner and several other officers and that's how I knew who to trust."

                    "You are good. Always knew you were." Was all he said.

                 "Not to worry though, even if I got shot,at least we are all alive. I want to thank you because your betrayal gave me the strength to fight,it encouraged me." She stood up,"I have to be somewhere really important. I don't know if I will see you again,if I want to see you again rather but I hope where you go next you are going to come back a reformed person." She didn't expect him to say anything about that but he did.

               "I promise I will." She nodded and turned to leave but before she could go a few steps, he called her. "Lewis?" She turned around and raised an eyebrow. "Before all this,there is something I did. I gave your profile to the homicide department for consideration to join the team. A few days back they contacted to have a one on one conversation. Next week on Monday. If you are still interested,you should go by the offices,see what they've got for you."

   She nodded once,"Thank you." Then left the building without another word. The truth was,they had already contacted her directly after the Kelley case and she was already planning on going. She however didn't want to tell him that.

                          ★★★

     Carly looked at her phone again. Not that she would be mad if Dylan didn't get there on time but because she needed her, because Teddy wanted her to be there. There was nothing she wanted more than this to be over. After surviving Taylor Lockwood's apocalypse, she and her brother had received a severe tongue lashing from their parents as if they were still sixteen. She didn't blame them though. She knew what pain they would have had to live with had they both died. Right now however,they all had one thing going on in their mind. Teddy's surgery to go well and to make a full recovery afterwards. Her parents were there and Carl too. He had finally recovered from the shock of being a father of a ten year old he never knew existed. They had carried out DNA test which had confirmed that indeed he was her father and now he was the proudest dad she had ever seen. Ravenna still had a long road of recovery ahead of her, she would need several weeks of therapy to adjust to the real world with actual people in it and to get past what her mother had taken her through. All in all, she would have a pretty strong and loving family around her. Emily had finally filed for divorce and Justin had been arrested and apprehended. He had however been released and given a restraining order. He would have to support his children from far though. So,the only thing that was a challenge lying before them was this surgery. And they were now just some minutes to it. She looked at her son who was being prepared for theater. 

                 "Hey, what did we say about going there?" she asked softly. Teddy understood exactly what was going to happen to him but he didn't seem to be afraid. He was braver that she ever would have been.

                "I go in and I fight to come back," he replied then knew she was still worried. He touched her hand. "I am going to be okay mommy. I don't want you to worry about me."

   She nodded trying to smile to fight back tears. "I know baby."

He looked around the room then back at her,"Is Dylan coming?"

                 "She is running a little late but she is coming. She promised she would come and she keeps her promises."

                  "I know."

    A nurse came and interrupted them. It was time. She rose up and sighed heavily before the nurse shot an anaesthetic drug into Teddy's body. She kissed him then stood aside and watched as his hands dropped to his sides droopily and his eyes closed slowly until he was completely unconscious. Looking at him was like seeing his lifeless body and even though she knew he was still there,she could help the emotions she felt. She turned away.  Carl took her into his arms and she leaned against him. They were instructed to leave the room and watch through a glass window from the outside.

                          ★★★

     Dylan hurried into the hospital then straight to the surgical theater. She already knew where they would be but she was already some minutes late. Visiting the chief could have waited but Carly had insisted that she should go and hear what he had to say then come by the hospital later. Now here she was and by the look of this,the surgery had already begun.

                  "Sorry I'm late," she announced once she was beside them. Carly turned to her. "Did it start long? I thought I would make it in time before he went in."

                  "It's okay you are here now. It just started."

                  "I'm gonna go get drinks. I can't do without a coffee,"Carl excused himself and Carly moved closer to Dylan. Their parents were seated just a few seats away unable to stand up much longer.

                 "Do you want to sit down?" Dylan asked.

                  "Yeah, honestly I don't think I can manage to watch all through. Those incisions and blades are too painful to watch. It makes me feel like they are going to kill him. Stupid I know but I can't help it."

                   "It's not stupid. I get you. Let's go sit down,it will do you some good." Carly nodded and followed her. They sat side to side silently for a long moment until Dylan decided to break it. "Do you know why I suggested the name Teddy when we were teenagers?"

                     "Because of your dad?" Carly replied even though it was just a little more of a guess.

                     "Yes,"she replied simply. "That was the main reason. I knew that even though I never knew him,his name might be brought to life again through a child we had together. I know that we didn't get to have that but Teddy, he's a special kid. He is strong, determined and a fighter. I have never seen anyone like him and I love him just as much as I would have loved our own child."

 Carly was silent for a moment then,"I gave him that name because right in the moment I was giving birth to him,I felt like you were right there with me. I remembered this conversation and hen I held his little body in my arms,I smiled and didn't think twice. I fell in love with the name almost as much as I fell in love with you." She paused before adding,"It's not too late to be the family we once wanted you know."

  This was something that had been in her mind all along but she had hesitated to say it because she had been afraid that Carly would have some reservations because of her son. This came as a relief and even in the middle of the situation, she wanted to cry out in joy. She looked at her right into her eyes.

                     "You have no idea how long I have been waiting for that," she said,her eyes glittering.

                     "Really?" 

                      "Yeah," she nodded. "Do you think I would wait this long only to let you go once again. I would have fought even harder to keep, this time forever." She patted around her neck and felt what she was looking for. She pulled it out and showed it to Carly."

                     "You still wear it?" Carly asked in surprise recognizing the necklace.

                       "I never took it off. It's a good thing it wasn't too small otherwise it would have choked me already." Carly laughed along with her. At least the mood was now lighter. "We are going to get through this together I promise."

                     "Thank you for everything."

               "For you, always. Also there is something I want you to help me with but after we make sure Teddy is gonna be okay."

                   "Anything for you Dylan," Carly replied with a big contented smile them leaned against her good shoulder as the minutes ticked by.