6. Lost And Found

*Kay so here's where this fic is gon' be a tad different, you'll soon see ^__^ I know some of you are getting impatient with the time I'm taking to get the Onikafaree-ness going but keep your wigs on, it's coming XD Pauz on coming though...Anywhooslebees Thanku for all the comments ^_^ Made me smile and they always make me laugh too XD OH and here is the link for @Rayebaby92TM 's blog, starting soon so go follow! >> http://actionspeaklouderthanwordsonikafaree.blogspot.com.au/ Hope this is kay for you all and @SoftLykeButta I updated Catch Me too ^_^ I'm glad you like it, thx :* Haha*

She scrambled around picking up her garments, some of which were unfortunately still in the hallway. Grabbing some of his clothes too she threw them his way.

"Hurry up and get dressed."

"Nic, I'm not one of them dudes you fuck for a couple hundred bucks and then just leave." She turned to look at him sourly.

"I know, but we shouldn't have done this. Like I said, it was a mistake." He studied her facial expression as she talked, catching her eyes briefly. She was lying.

"Why did you do it then?" He sat up and began dressing as she quietly opened the door to grab her shirt from the floor.

"Look, can we just talk 'bout this later please?" She threw her hair into a messy bun and slid her pants back on as the knocking became more urgent and impatient. "Ugh, can't they freaking wait five seconds?" She swung the door open and ran down the stairs as Safaree put his clothes back on. He listened from her bedroom, it was a man's voice he could hear as she let whoever it was inside. Maybe Drake. He didn't know whether it would look weird for him to go down the stairs, he might suspect something. So he smartly flushed the toilet first.

"Somebody upstairs?" She turned around to look at his blood stained face as he sat down.

"What? Oh right, yeah Safaree came over to talk. He's just usin' the bathroom." She said it hurriedly as she tried to read his expression setting his water down on the table. "Aubrey, what's happened?" She asked worriedly looking at the mess somebody had made of his face and the blood on his hands.

He sighed and shook his head. "Candi's in the hospital." He rubbed his hand carefully over his face and felt bad as she got quiet and continued trying to get a bowl of warm water and a cloth.

"Oh my God! Why? She's gon' be ok right? And are you alright?" Sitting back down again she started to dab at his wounded face. It looked like it was stinging.

"Ion know, we looked everywhere for her and I had someone check all the hospitals and they eventually tracked her down. It doesn't look too good though." He placed his hand tenderly over hers on his face as Safaree watched from the doorway. "And I'm fine, I just-"

"So you found her yet?" He walked in like he lived there making Nicki glare at him. She felt Drake's body become more tense as she stood up swiftly, giving Safaree that "You have to leave" look.

"Uhm hold on babe, I'll just show Faree out." Shook took his arm and led him to the front door.

"The fuck Nicki? We need to talk 'bout this!" He whispered loudly and angrily as his brow deepened, she let go of him when they reached the front step.

"Safaree there is nothing to talk about, we should never have done what we just did. Please just go, I'll call you lat-" He waved his hand at her dismissively.

"Don't fuckin' bother Nicki, I'm outta here." As he turned and walked away she felt her heart sink. Now she didn't know who or what she wanted, honestly spending the day with Safaree made all those feelings flood back but he was engaged to someone else. Then on the other hand Drake had never left her side, but he wasn't exactly offering her the great life she dreamed of. Hearing him calling for her she shut the door and tried to blink the tears away before heading back to him.

"Here." She pushed him gently back down into the chair and continued to clean up his face. "Did he do this to you?" He sighed heavily and didn't answer. "Aubrey?"

"Yes Nicki, Ion know why that was vital to know but yes he did!" She moved her head back as he looked up at her apologetically. "Sorry I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine, but Ion see why you still associate yourself with him though. He's an ass." She dipped the cloth in the water before proceeding to wipe over his cuts again.

"He's my father Nic, my boss. Your boss! If I go I ain't leavin' you behind. He's rippin' 'bout this whole mess with Candi-." Nicki interrupted him and stopped what she was doing before sitting on his lap carefully.

"Wait, he don't know anythin' 'bout you and me though, right?" He sighed again, letting her know that he did. "Shit." She threw the bloody cloth down and ran her hands over her face.

"But I wasn't done explainin'." He paused and folded his lips.

"What? Aubrey just tell me?" She was getting worried as he groaned frustratedly.

"Can's in the hospital 'causa him. He heard from someone that I was sleepin' with one of y'all and flew off the handle, then got your address. He obviously thought I was with Candi, beat her ass and then mine." He trailed off noticing the tears starting to form in her eyes, she hardly ever cried which made him act without thinking. Pulling her into his arms, his loving actions caused her to cry even more. "Hey, come on now, I know what you thinkin', and you can't think like that. It ain't your fault. If anythin' it's my doin'. We can't go see Candi yet, they said she can have visitors in a couple days time, kay?" He continued to try and soothe her until she was completely silent about an hour later. She was asleep. He carried her upstairs as best he could considering his battered and aching body. His Dad may have been relatively old but that didn't stop him from being an angry, aggressive asshole. "Junior" was his name, not his real one of course but that's who he was known as in this business. He wouldn't have hesitated for a second to do all that damage to Candi himself, he never struggled to lay a hand on a woman. Not even his own wife. From a young age Drake was exposed to this type of environment but would never dream of hitting a woman, ever. He looked at Nicki's tiny frame in his arms. He really did love her, he'd never had this feeling before. She shifted slightly as he kicked her bedroom door open before laying her gently in her bed. He checked on a sleeping Jacob before making his way back into Nicki's room and laying with her.

***

How could she just drop her panties for him and then act like nothing had happened. Like he was nothing. Maybe all the years living like she did had made that a normal thing? He couldn't even think about it as he pulled into his Mom's driveway, knowing Stef was going to flip out and start screaming at him for not coming home until 11pm. He sighed and stayed stationary for a moment or two before making his way inside.

'The fuck have you been?!" Surely enough she was stood right near the front door waiting like a damn hawk.

"Stef please? Not now." He tried to get past her but she slapped his chest hard.

"No Safaree. NOW." She crossed her arms and started tapping her foot. This is what he hated about her, the jealousy, it was such a turn off to him. But this time she had reason, she didn't know it but he did and it was eating away at him. She scoffed when he still didn't answer and stormed upstairs, slamming the door thoughtlessly behind her. Obviously waking up Mama Samuels. He'd already taken a seat on the lounge room couch by the time she got to him.

"Safaree?"

'I'm over here Mom." He stood up to greet her.

"What's happened now? She isn't half dramatic y'know?" She shook her head and sat next to him.

"Nothing Mom. Really. She's just mad 'cause I came home later than she wanted."

"Well, you were gone a while.Where were you? We were waiting for ages."

"I went to see Nicki." He leant forward and rested his head in his hands.

"And? How'd it go?" He really, really didn't want to be discussing this right now, especially not with his Mother.

"It was..Fine. We just left things on a bit of a sour note though."

"I'm sure you'll sort things out." She rubbed his arm reassuringly. "So, how is little Onika doing? We don't see much of her anymore and Carol never mentions her." She scrunched up her brow only just realising how strange that was.

"Yeah she's good, she moved out a while ago. She doesn't speak to her parents anymore." He saw her mouth drop out of the corner of his eye.

"Why not?" She tilted her head a little as he shifted uncomfortably.

"Mom I'll talk to you tomorrow, I'm tired I think I'm gon' head to bed." He attempted to stand but her small hand stopped him.

"Safaree."

"Mom." She let go of him after he mocked her causing him to apologise and continue up to bed, only to be kicked out and face sleeping on the couch after his Mom had returned to her room. Thoughts of Nicki kept running through his mind and everything she'd had to cope with after he'd left her. What they just did in her bed only hours ago. The same bed she and Drake were probably sharing right now. He snarled slightly just thinking about it. Maybe this was how she felt seeing him with his Girlfriend all those years ago, whilst he just messed around with her on the quiet. He felt so awful and wished he could just erase everything that had happened, but he couldn't. What was done, was done. He'd just have to work out what he really wanted, or more like who he really wanted and fast.

***

The next morning Nicki woke up to the sound of Jacob crying in his room, as she became more aware of her surroundings she felt Drake's strong arms wrapped around her. Making her feel safe, but all the time she still had Safaree stuck at the back of he mind. She needed to speak to him.

"You want me to go get him?" He sounded groggy as she turned to face him, his face was less bloody but more bruised now. She ran her hands over the marks carefully. She felt horrible, his and Candi's injuries were all down to her relationship with him.

"No, no I'll go." She whispered and kissed him lightly. "I'm sorry." He grabbed her hand.

"And I've already told you, you don't need to be sorry." She smiled as best she could before going to get Jacob. She wanted to go see Candi but preparing herself mentally and emotionally was going to be hard. What if she didn't wake up? Drake had explained what the doctors had told him and it wasn't promising. She'd sustained serious head and chest injuries, was on a ventilator and put into an induced sleep to increase recovery time, but now there was the risk of her never waking up. As she picked him out of his crib he stopped crying and held on to her, she just hoped Candi would recover for his sake too. She's all he has, nobody apart from Candi herself knew who the father was but he had nothing to do with his son. Just as she was about to leave his bedroom there was a loud noise from downstairs, which sounded a lot like wood splintering and the smashing of glass...

*Ugh Ion like this chapter at all and sorry it's only mini XD Hope this was ok-ish for everyone and Im SO sorry it's a little rushed :// Night! And thx again for all the comments last chapter ^_^*