JP - Colt is Gone, Again

“It’s only okay when I call Loreen a stupid ****!” Piritta said, kicking the idiot.

Tzeitel was not happy when she caught up to Cody.

Cody sighed heavily. “SWEAR JAR!” He yelled at Piritta and went to Ami. “I am so sick of morons insulting us.”

“I’m just repeating what this asshole said!” Piritta protested.

“I hope you hurt him.” Ami told Cody.

Tzeitel would let Piritta be Piritta and followed Cody. “I don’t think the moron knows who we are… I hope this isn’t going to attract attention here.”

“I guess I did,” Cody said with a shrug and looked at Tzeitel. “Doubt he cares enough.”

The guy merely grunted and tried to crawl away from Piritta. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

“Vitun oikeassa olet!” Piritta growled and turned back to the van.

Tzeitel sighed, checking Cody for injuries. She had been debating whether to let her kids stay here or take them with her to the Underground, but now she was not sure if it would be safe here.

Cody just let Tzeitel check over him, but had no injuries. He was annoyed that everyone still saw him as a kid and not the man he had become…

“Maybe you and Ami should come with me to the Underground.” Tzeitel said, turning her fussing on her sister who was never in danger of being hurt but was feeling guilty for using the Ouija board behind her back.

“Why?” Cody asked, crossing his arms. “Because you think I can’t take care of myself or Ami?”

“Because that moron is probably going to complain and get cops here.” Tzeitel said.

"I'll handle it" Lyle replied approaching Tzeitel " but Riley did say you should all hit up the underground and spend some time there."

“Yeah, he wanted us all to get checked up by Frisk and settle there or around there.” She frowned as she watched Riley speeding away with the van. “I think I can take my car there…”

“Couldn’t Colt take us in his mustang?” Cody asked, not realizing said mustang was not in the driveway at the moment. Colt had gone somewhere…

“No.” Tzeitel said right away, before she even noticed that Colt’s mustang was missing. She frowned, wondering where he was and hoping that he was not getting into trouble… but she knew him well enough to know he was getting into trouble. It was what he did after she rejected him the first time, went after Canestone by himself and got captured and hurt… “Shit!” Tzeitel ran into the house. “Klaire!”

Klaire was halfway under the sink, trying to fix something. “What?” She called before yelping and cursing the pipes.

Tzeitel paused, guiltily remembering the last time she saw Klaire. Her shoulders hunched guiltily. “Colt’s car is gone…”

Ami shook the swear jar but was left behind with Cody. She looked at him and shrugged.

“Change is on the kitchen table, Ami!” Klaire said as she came out from under the sink. “Got that fixed. Doesn’t Colt always go off on his own these days?”

Cody shrugged back and just watched.

Ami found the change and started putting it in the jar.

Tzeitel uncomfortably folded her arms and looked down, blushing slightly. “I think he’s going to get into trouble, do something stupid, this time. Really stupid. Like go after one of those clones on his own.”

“What makes you think that?” Klaire asked as she dried off her hands with a towel. Thankfully, James was watching the kids so she was free to do what she wanted at the moment.

"He kissed me." Tzeitel whispered just loud enough for Klaire to hear.

Klaire had to blink a few times. “And that’s surprising to you?” She asked in bewilderment.

"You knew? Why didn't you warn me?" Tzeitel asked accusingly. "Of course it surprised me! He hadn't given any signs of still feeling that way to me ever since he chose Feng!"

“You really are in denial…he’s made it extremely obvious the past two years, Tzeitel.” Klaire replied. “He sticks by your side, always helps you when you need it, doesn’t get in the way of you doing reckless things, but he’s always there to pick you up and get you back to safety…the list goes on.”

"I thought he was my friend!" Tzeitel said angrily. "I thought he was over me because I'm the way I am. He was going around having sex with random women so I thought I was safe." Tzeitel touched her neck scars. "Why didn't you warn me?" She asked again.

“I thought you knew…and he’s never actually slept with anyone, Tzeitel…Megan and Annie probably said that to see if you’d notice. Well, Annie probably did. Megan doesn’t talk much…” Klaire sighed heavily. “It was just…so obvious. I thought you knew…plus, I’ve been busy with the kids and my new relationship with James…and…yeah…” Her ears fell back, feeling horrible.

“I’ve only ever had one guy show interest in me and that was Colt, except for those two perverts that I repelled when I was a kid.” Tzeitel felt kind of guilty about that still because she was pretty sure they went to Klaire after leaving her cell. “I didn’t know… I thought he saw me as a sister now.” Tzeitel cringed inwardly. How many times had she leaned on his shoulder, hugged him, let down her guard around him? “I didn’t know. I… I didn’t react well.”

“He’s probably been working up the courage to ask you on a date or something…I don’t really know, Tzeitel. I’ve been so busy with the twins…I mean…keeping them from blowing up more ice cream trucks is a bit difficult.” Klaire groaned softly. “Though, if you think he’s gone to do something stupid, we can’t exactly stop him. He has a head start on us and is in a mustang, AKA, a very fast car.”

“I was hoping you could help me track him.” Tzeitel’s shoulders slumped. “Last time he went after Canestone alone and got hurt.”

“I can try, I suppose,” Klaire answered, grimacing.

“Thanks Klaire… I’m sorry for…” Tzeitel hunched up her shoulders, feeling her eyes getting hot. “I talked to Riley about going to the Underground for a few days.”

“And how did that go?” Klaire inquired as she made her way to her room and went to the gun safe she and James kept. The twins were currently playing a game of Uno with said pyro…and winning.

“I was going to go to the Underground with him, but Piritta started to steal his van and he took off with her.” Tzeitel said. “He cheated when we were talking, Riley cried.”

“Well, you have been upsetting everyone lately…” Klaire admitted and grabbed her sniper rifle and bullets. “James, can you keep Lotus and Leon out of trouble?”

“Yeah,” James said with a kind smile toward Klaire.

"I don't want to hurt the people I care about anymore." Tzeitel said in a small voice, feeling like a terrible person.

“Then it’s probably best you stay with Frisk and Leimomi for a while…” Klaire insisted, crossing her arms. “I’m not going to tolerate you pushing me away and insulting James forever, you know.”

“I know.” Tzeitel said softly, looking at the floor. “You’re my best friend… I’m sorry.”

“Let's go find Colt before he gets his ass kicked again,” Klaire said and hip bumped Tzeitel.

“If you need help, call us.” James told them.