Losing a Life (jo)

[Siege]

Siege sighed softly. Last night had been one of the more difficult ones. Josiah had been off on a job, his last he said, and she believed him. But he wanted a bit more money before they tried to do this thing legit. But he must have seen something, she wasn't sure what, because the whole night he had clung to her, shaking in his sleep. She has coaxed him to a deep rest in the early morning hours, but had gotten little to no sleep herself. She didn't care though, but it was hard for her to see the man she loved so completely cling to her. She knew he woudln't have had he been awake, his pride wouldn't have let him, so she was glad in his sleep he knew where to seak that comfort. He lay there now sleeping peacefully in his bed wrapped up in his covers, she rubbed her overly tired eyes. She'd catch up on sleep later.

Siege went downstairs and made him some breakfast. She was learning, but it was still hard. She now knew, under his teaching, how to make pancakes, eggs, and toast. So that was what she made, before she came back up and smiled seeing him clinging to the pillow she normally used in that bed. They tended to change off beds, they were both used, but neither were slept in with just one person. She could tell he was starting to wake up anyway as she slid into bed in the same clothes she wore to school yesterday.

"Good morning."

A kiss on his cheek caused his eyes to open and she greated him with a tired smile as she placed the tray over their laps and took her plate beginning to eat. famished as she always was.

"Did you sleep well?"

[Josiah]

It had been a hard night, exhausting tiring and savage. While he was awake it hadn’t phased him he was doing this for a reason it had to be done and with the money it paid he would be able to give them a nice bundle to fall back on incase legit money didn’t exactly cut it. He had night mares about it in his sleep, that was why he hated siege at times. Since she had gotten him to open up his heart he felt things like guilt and remorse after his work something he found himself not liking at all.

Slowly his eyes began to open up it was morning already, he could always feel the warm of the sun peaking into the room when ever it was morning in his room.. A kiss on the cheek, he smiled a bit with his eyes still closed realizing it was siege, after all who would wake him up in the morning. When he woke up he sat up seeing she had a tray with her.

It was so quite, ever since she had learned to wake a few things he had noticed she made then as much as she possibly could. She put the tray in their laps and he smiled softly.

“I slept alright” He said softly as he looked to her, his eyes noticing the gentle circles beneath her eyes and the shirt she had on which was all to familiar “Sorry for not getting in till late….sorry if I kept you up worrying…” he took his mug in his hand “This will probably be the last morning you wake up in yesterdays clothing….you tend to do that…every time I work” he chuckled lightly as he took his fork and cut into a pancake leaning to her and feeding her first.

[Siege]

“I slept alright”

Siege had not slept well at all. She figured that maybe she had slept a total of two hours, maybe. Every time that she was about to fall asleep, he had needed her again, whispering her name, clinging to her tighter, needing her in some way that caused him to pull her closer and wake her up from whatever half sleep she had worked herself into. But, to be honest she really didn't mind, she would do what she could for him because he did mean the world to her and she was not intending to ever leave him he was all she really needed in the world.

“Sorry for not getting in till late….sorry if I kept you up worrying…”

"It's alright, I can always catch up on my sleep later. You know how when you do stuff, I always curl up in your lap and fall asleep itll probably be no different."

“This will probably be the last morning you wake up in yesterdays clothing….you tend to do that…every time I work”

Siege touched his cheek softly, she knew the chuckle was trying to play off some inner feeling, perhaps guilt. He leaned over and fed her a bite of pancakes which she took eagerly enough and smiled as she chewed and swallowed them.

"Baby, I would do it every day, if it was needed. I don't mind, I love you, you know that. And with loves comes sacrifice, and a little less sleep and the lack of pjs isn't gonna bring my world down around me."

Ever since she had met him he had given her hope. Because he had taken her under his wing, brought her into his home. Given her a room, clothing, furnitire, and her drums. making sure that she was comfortable and happy. And in turn, she had gently broken through his barriers and gently gotten past the shields to the man inside and that man was the one that was here now. Feeding her pancakes, the one that could no longer sleep without her in his arms, and she knew she could not sleep without his kiss on t he back of her shoulder before bed.

"I was thinking about going on a walk down the beach today do you wan..."

*ding ding*

Siege's brows rose. She looked at Jo. He never expected company and she didn't have any friends, so it was rare that the doorbell would ring. Kissing his lips softly she put her coffee down and headed down the stairs to see who it was. She opened the door only to be greeted by three cops and a man in a suit.

"Sage Westerhaus?"

Siege nodded.

"We're with social services."

Those simple words were all it took to instill utter fear into the young womans body. her eyes went from happy to dispair in seconds.

[Josiah]

Everything seemed fine enough, as always she was understanding and in a way he was thankful for that, He didn’t like fighting with her it was always so hard on the both of them and since it was the last time he figured they both kind of knew even with a sleepless night they were just suppose to be thankful to have seen the morning together. This morning would be the first in a new chapter of his life, no more killing, no more stealing, he’d have her a legitimate job his violin and martial arts….it didn’t sound like a bad life to him at all

The door bell rang his his bushy brow furrowed a bit as his red eyes looked to her. He wasn’t expecting a soul, nor had he had any packages coming in. The only people who knew they lived here was the school , his English teacher, the post office and the DMV and he doubted any of them would be coming for a surprise visit this early in the morning.

Since she was dressed she kissed his lips and got out of bed and went to check it out but Josiah was not going to let her stay there alone. He put on his A shirt and his pants from last night, they smelled of cigarettes blood and gasoline which made his nose flare with the thoughts of last night. He didn’t hear a scream, or forced entry so it must have been some one else…but who?

In pants and a tank top now he went downstairs to see a frozen Sage standing at the door with what looked like cops. His right fist balled up, if they were here for him then he was screwed.

“Sage?” he said coming to the door and putting an arm around her “Sage…why are there cops at my door” He said before looking over to the men, his eyes as cold as the first day she had met him, mentally preparing himself for what he would have to do if they were indeed here for heartless Jo.

“One of you want to tell me what this is about?”

[Siege]

"Sage?"

His words broke her from her trance, and her grey eyes moved looking over at him. His arm came around her, and she moved so that she was leaning against him. Her body was shaking slightly she couldn't help it. He was moving on past his fears and her fears had walked right up on her doorstep with her name, two pigs, and a police car. She swallowed hard.

“One of you want to tell me what this is about?”

The man stepped forward between the two police officers and looked up at the man that stood there in the door way. Obviously close or somewhat close to the target, which was currently frightened as she should be.

"I am here for Miss Westerhaus. She is still a minor you see, and a ward of the state. Running away was not a smart move Miss Westerhaus, Mister Collins at the orphanage was very distraught at your loss. It's taken us a while to find you, but we have, now I'm going to take you home."

Siege's eyes grew wide, her eyes practically died right then and there.

"I.. don't.. want to go." Siege whispered.

"I'm sorry, you really don't have a choice. At seventeen Mister Collins is your guardian and he says you're to come back. Come now you can still see your friend from time to time."

Siege shook her head.

"No! I won't go!"

Life coming back to her slightly.

"You don't have a choice, and these nice men in suits here are here to make sure you come with me. Lets not make it harder than it is." the social worker explained.

"NO!"

Siege moved from Jo and tried to move back into the house, but the cop to his left grabbed her and quickly yanked her out of the house onto the porch. She gasped and struggled but he was bigger and a great deal stronger than she was, and no matter what she did, he had a buddy, they were both holding her securely. Tears streamed down her face as she looked up at Josiah. Two more cops came running up the stairs, as the two holding Seige began to move towards the stair case that would lead them to the driveway.

"JO!" Siege screamed.

[Josiah]

A man step forward, no this was not about him, not this man he wasn’t a fed he was something else and he knew it. The fucker came out and then said he was here for Sage and Josiahs eyes if possible grew colder “Try and take her and I’ll kill you” His tone so cold as though ice itself was flowing off his breath.

He could hear her, she didn’t want to go and he didn’t want her to go, he wanted to tell her to go back into the house to find one of his guns and use it on these fuckers. Josiah had no problems killing them and running to another country. She moved from him and he knew she would be running into the house but then before she could get in and close the door a cop grabbed her and yanked her onto the porch. The social worker got between him and the cops holding Sage as they dragged her down the steps. He froze a bit seeing her tears as she cried out his name.

His world was being shattered around him, his world being destroyed just as he was leaving an old one behind. “AHHHHHHHHHHHHH” He let out a as his fist slammed into the unprotected diaphragm of the social worker which seemed to put him right on his knees.

“SAGE!” Josiah cried out as he began to run after them as they got her down the stairs.

“DON”T LET THEM WIN!” He cried out telling her to struggle to fight them, just as another set of pigs caught him both of them grabbing him by his arms. His red orbs looked so focused on her tears began to stream out of his eyes.

They struggled to strain him Josiah was pretty strong for his size and seeing Sage being dragged away was like killing him and he was fighting against death.

They tackled him to the ground he had no mind to really fight at the moment he was purely struggling to get t her. As A set of hand cuffs we slapped on him he could not help but look to her. “I’ll FIND YOU!...I”LL COME AND GET YOU” He said loudly to her. “I LOVE YOU SAGE!!!!!!!!!!!”

[Siege]

“DON”T LET THEM WIN!”

Siege tried to fight, she really did. She struggled the whole way down the stairs. She caught onto the railing but she couldn't get herself away and the men were pulling on her, she sliced her hand open on the rough wood and cried out. As one hoisted her in the air she kicked at him wildly crying out Josiah's name, her bloody hand reaching out for him as she saw him come to the top of the stair case. She was fighting as best as she could but unfortunatly it was not good enough.

She watched in horror as he was tackled to the ground and cuffed. He looked right at her, her tear stained face as her hand reached out for him even though they were way too far for it to matter, she was at the bottom of the stairs being carried to the cop car and he was up there being held down and cuffed.

I’ll FIND YOU!

"JOSIAH!!!!" she screamed as they opened the car door she struggled more than ever as she caught onto the door with a death grip refusing to let go.

...I”LL COME AND GET YOU”

"DON'T LET THEM TAKE ME!! JOSIAH DON'T LET THEM TAKE ME!"

“I LOVE YOU SAGE!!!!!!!!!!!”

NO NO NO NO!!!

This was not how she wanted to hear it, not how she wanted to find out that the words she had waited six months to hear were on his lips now as they were being pulled apart. The cop took his nightstick out of his belt and beat on her fingers forcing her to let go as the other pushed her into the back of the car and slammed the door shut. In moments she was at the window screaming that she loved him too. Clawing at the glass as they started the car, and drove away with the young woman screaming for him.

[Josiah]

He felt the cold steel of the hand cuffs bind his wrists behind him as he watched her being dragged in the police car. There was nothing he could do, cops always had a way of changing thing but he didn’t care, His wrists were already turning bloody and raw as he tried to free himself. She was his world and he knew it, she really did mean everything to him and if she went back…if she went back…she’d have to deal with that asshole who had violated her.

“Where…where are you taking her!” Josiah demanded, “Don’t send her back…You’ll only hurt her that way!” He said struggling as the officers lifted him up to his feet The cops could not seem to care though.

‘Your under aresst for assaulting a state worker and interfering with police business” He was being told as they began to drag him away, clearly it was known if they did not do something he was not going to take this laying down.

“Fuck you…if anything happens to her before I get to her your all dead…DEAD I SAY!”

[Siege]

Day two...

He says he will come for me. But I've had no contact since they tossed me back in here. My bed was waiting for me, the 068 above it painted in fresh black paint just yesterday morning before I was brought here. I miss him. My heart aches so that the pain is physical, I've never had a broken heart before but this must be what it's like. I wait, and watch the windows in the front thinking any moment now he's going to come, one final job, and that job would be to rescue me and kill the fucker that is making my nights and evenings miserable.

'Come with me Sage, lets get reaquainted'

Those words will haunt me for eternity. I sit here now. The kids are out down stairs, in the play area around the orphanage, but I .. I am not allowed out. Considering it was when I ran last time, or so they think.

He said.. he loved me.. Josiah did.. I .. I've waited six months to hear those words from him and now I have and yet we've been torn apart. I hope he doesn't forget about me, I miss him more than I miss my freedom, I could endure anything so long as he was here. I miss the way he rolled his eyes at me, and the way that he smiled at me. I miss.. I miss his arms.. I miss his stupid way of dressing, and I miss fucking with him all day about it, I miss.. everything.

He will come, I know he will, because he said he loves me, and that means.. that I .. broke through. I'm inside, I know the real man, and I love him all the more for it

Siege looked up at the footsteps coming down the hall as she exhaled a bought of smoke. She was sitting in the window sil that overlooked the play yard to the side of the large shitty building. It was in even worse shape than it had been two years ago.

"He isn't coming for you. Why would he? A piece of white trash. You were never good you know, that's why I must punish you."

Siege grimmaced. It was him. 'Mister Collins' His finger played up and down her bare arm she was dressed in the same tank and jeans she had been two days ago.

"you were fun when you lasted, probably a good fling in bed, but do you really think he loves you. Come on now, a man of his stature, little sixty eight, you are nothing."

[Josiah]

An all to familiar car pulled onto the block. It had been two long days for Josiah his red eyes were so focused it was scary even more so then they normally were. Holding had been easy enough to get through, a few hours at most luckily the cops had felt sorry for him, he had gotten lucky he guessed but the 48 hours since then have been filled with nothing but work and lots of it.

He called in a favor to get a lawyer, Kathren his brothers ex had also be a help with a side project which he was sure would take care of this once and for all. And Josiah himself, after cleaning and binding his wrists did what he did best. He cleaned and loaded his guns, sharpened his favorite knives and went to city hall to pull up the plans to the orphanage she Sage was at. He had gotten lucky the social service worker had said the name Mister Collins, because of this he was able to figure out where Sage would be realitivly easy.

Josiah turned to the lawyer he had brought with him. Josiah was dressed in his usual clothing but he also had a thin jacket on, he looked more professional then ever but he needed it to conceal his gift for her. “Come on…lets go get her” Josiah said as he got out his laywer following him. Before he headed to the building he reached into the back seat and got a small overnight bag with a change of clothes, he favorite shampoo and some things he would need to get cleaned up.

When they got inside the dark circles under his eyes were a testament to the fact he was tetering on insanity from a lack of seat.

Some one stopped him some idiot that worked here. “I’m hear to see Sage” Josiah said in a demanding tone

“I’m sorry but you..” They tried to tell him

“NOW!” Josiah said, the cool person he normally was clearly had left him since she had been taken. “Get her or her guardian now or You can speak with my laywer” Josiah said, his appearance his tone those cold red orbs in his eyes all screamed business.

[Siege]

"Come with me, you need to be taught another lesson."

"Please.. no.. I just want to sit here.. I'm not doing anything wrong." Panic flooded the tattooed girl's body.

"But you have Sage, you have.."

With a grin, he pulled her up. She didn't put up much of a fight. She had the first night, and he had a horrible black eye for it. But she had almost given up. And so as he lead her away she would not see the familiar car pull up in the drive, she wouldn't see him get out. Having come for her armed to the teeth and ready to take her from this place. The paper she had written her journal on, or napkin rather, was shoved hastily into her pocket. Her eyes would mirror Jo's own, she hadn't gotten any sleep. Not only for the man that had a strong grip on her arm leading her towards his office down stairs, but also because he was not with her.

"come along now."

“NOW!”

Siege's head shot up, as her eyes looked towards where the lobby was. It was his voice, she was never more sure of anything in her life. Suddenly, she shoved her arm out of the grasp of the old fucker holding onto it only to start moving down the stairs at an accelerated rate. But a hand caught the back of her shirt and pulled her back as he put his lips to her ear.

"I should take you, right here, right now, on these stairs, and let you suffer while you know he's there and can't see you."

"NO!" she cried out. "JO!!!"

She struggled as Mister Collins shoved the girl hard up against the wall she was just out of sight but if Jo got closer he would see her favorite pair shoes. Black with lime green laces, the ones that she always wore.

"Shut up you stupid bitch before I get a restraining order and you never see your sausage fest again!"

"STOP IT!! DON'T TOUCH ME!"

The old fuckers hands reached up and fabric was heard tearing. No time to actually take it off, he ripped it off her body and hungrily began to grope what he considered his.

"NO! Stop it!" Siege flailed as he had her pinned. She sent her knee up for his crotch but it missed. Taking an idea from some stupid cartoon she saw this morning she moved forward and bit hard into his neck drawing blood and leaving a horrible bite mark. The man cried out as he litterally picked her up and threw her down the rest of the stairs. Siege crashing half naked into the tile of the lobby.

[Josiah]

“JO!!!”

That voice he knew that voice and he knew he had to get to it. He began taking several steps to it only to have the office manager get in front of him. ”You Can go in there” He tried to tell Josiah but the teenager was not going to have any part f it . Josiah shoved the man forward with both his hands in a double palm strike knocking his balance off Center, his left foot the swept forward tripping the prick before Jo turned to his lawyer.

“Make sure he doesn’t wake up” Josiah said which made his lawyers brow raise . That was until Jo walked passed him and kicked him in the head with those shiny shoes he loved to wear.

He began to move forward and then his eyes opened wide after a crash she layed at the bottom of the stairs her shirt ripped leaving her half naked. “SAGE!” He screamed seeing her in such a state, it felt like his chest was about to explode it hurt him so much his heart beating so quickly at the site which felt like it was killing him..

He removed his jacket. His shoulder holster still hidden by his vest. That vest had more things tucked away in it then a swiss army knife, she knew it now he had told her a while ago about how he managed to look inconspicuous while even on the job, a weapons was never seen on him till it was to late.

He drapped his jacket over her and knelt down beside her “I told you I’d come for you” He said pulling her into his arms and wraping his jacket around her. “I told you I’d come”

His heart beat quickly so loud he barely heard the squeak of the stairs under the weight of a man. His eyes Widened and he pulled out his weapon from his vest while keeping her in one arm His pistol already had the silencer attached to it thanks to the unquie holster he used. Mister Collin would be on the last step facing down the barrel of his gun staring into the most unforgiving eyes ever to be seen on the young man.

The whisper of his silencer broke as Josiah shot mister Collins right on of his Knees, the old fucker fell backwards onto the stair case grabbing his leg his cry filling the halls of the orphanage, surely only to join the screms of many little girls he had take.

“Stay there you fucker” Josiah said his tone so very harsh “Your only alive because I still need you….if not you’d be dead for touching my girl!” His eyes turned to Sage and he smiled.

“Did you miss me baby?” He said with a tired smile on his face so happy to be holding her again.

[Siege]

He came, she could hear his steps the ones that she knew all too well only this time instead of her calling his name he was screaming hers. There was a small gash in her head that was seeping a little bit of blood but she didn't care, she was alright. It was hard to think that he was there, she had dreamed of it every second of every day, of every minute waiting for him to come back. Knowing that he would and when he did he would hold her close and she would love him. He crashed into the floor beside her and picked her up gently cradling her to his body as her eyes opened groaning slightly from the headache that she now had.

“I told you I’d come for you”

"I knew it.. I knew you would."

“I told you I’d come”

She felt the soft inner silk of his jacket move around her small half naked body. Her eyes fluttered open to look up at his face as her arms weakly slipped through the sleeves of his coat. She felt the hidden knife taped in it, and knew what it was. Her was her weapon of choice. Her eyes met his hard red ones, but this time she knew the cold ruby was not directed at her but instead directed at the man that was now coming down the stairs.

Siege snuggled into his arms, but as she did her hand slid into the coat and disengaged the knife that he had hidden within. She might need it later. She slid it into the inner coat pocket for later. She whisper of the silencer called out and her eyes followed where the gun was aimed to and saw the man fall screaming as blood spurt forth from his knee. But her attention was called back to Jo as he spoke holding her tightly.

“Your only alive because I still need you….if not you’d be dead for touching my girl!”

Siege smiled. His girl. She snuggled into his neck, how she loved him. Her jacketed arms moved up and hugged him, grey eyes looking up at his cold and mean face. Her lips kissed his neck as she clung her small body to him. How she loved him and had missed him. Two days had seemed like an eternity for the pair, and yet now that they were back together the pain of the seperation was already fading.

“Did you miss me baby?”

"I did not live without you, baby."

he smiled at her, and she gave him a smile back. He was hers, he was the one that loved so very much. Siege pulled him down and kissed his lips gently. This was certainly no time for crying, and so she wasn't going to cry yet.

"You took my heart when they took me away." she whispered as the kiss broke, and her eyes opened to look up into his. She stroked his cheek. "What do you need Chubby for?" she asked as she looked up.

[Josiah]

“And I never lived without you” he said back to her the hint of a small smile on his face, it was hard for him to cool down at the moment he was some where between his working state of mind and his insanely passionate love for the woman he had in his arms He kept his gun steady even as she pulled him down into a kiss their lips sharing a soft loving kiss.

When it broke she whispered to him her eyes looking into his. Her question made him smile “Oh I had plans in mind…ones that will make sure this can’t happen again” He said as his eyes looked down to her own a glint of a smile on his lips.

“Gregorio!” Josiah yelled his head turning to the front where he had come from. A middle aged man with salt and pepper hair walked into the room, his suite alone could tell you he was from money or had a lot of it was really more the truth. The older mans eyes looked to the man groaning in pain on the stairs before he looked to Josiah.

“Sage, I want you to meet Gregorio…he was Boss Harris’s lawyer , one of the few people I put a bit of my trust in” He said standing up pulling her up in his arm as he did so. So they could both stand, his arm though never left its place.

“Hello Sage, Josiah told me about the situation already about you and the state” he said in an all to calm tone approaching the two teenager, it was clear he was used to this kind of thing.

He opened up his brief case which he had with him and Josiah smiled.

“I’ve been busy these past hours…and called in for a bit of help…its why I need him alive” Gregorio pulled out a small package of papers all of them seemed dated and notarized already. He took them with his gun hand

“I need his signature on these adoption papers dated and officially notarized for yesterday” He said with a smile, his brothers old girlfriend had already put her name down to be the new legal guardian of his darling Sage.

He turned to chubby “Hear that fat man…sign these and I might be inclined to let you go with just a limp”

[Siege]

“Oh I had plans in mind…ones that will make sure this can’t happen again”

Siege smiled softly back at him. She loved him, and the words he had screamed to her before they had been forced apart played over and over again in her mind. But she was not going to ask him now, now was not the time for questions, it was the time to get everything set so that she could get out of here and never have to be brought back again. He called out someone's name as he gently got up off the floor and helped her stand up straight. She looked up at Josiah before her attention was turned to the man that looked not only like he had a lot of money but more than that he had power.

“Sage, I want you to meet Gregorio…he was Boss Harris’s lawyer , one of the few people I put a bit of my trust in”

"Nice to meet you."

She was as of this moment unwilling to leave the strong arm that Jo had around her small waist. Her fingers reached down and buttoned the coat over her body it was too big for her and her cleavage showed easily in the V of the collar but it was warm and it was more than she had at the moment.

“Hello Sage, Josiah told me about the situation already about you and the state”

Siege smiled and blushed slightly, he was the first one to ever call her Sage outside of Josiah that wasn't the creep on the stair case. Sage leaned into Jo turning around so that she faced him and snuggled into his arm that was around her. Feeling him holding her as tightly as she was holding him, though she knew he still had business to conduct. She kissed his shoulder gently with a smile. It felt so good to be back with him, enjoying the time she had together, and remembering how much she loved him, how complete he made her.

“I’ve been busy these past hours…and called in for a bit of help…its why I need him alive”
“I need his signature on these adoption papers dated and officially notarized for yesterday”

Siege smiled and moved out of his arms. Immediatly she felt cold and alone but she knew that he would need his arms and his hands to be able to take care of what he was planning to do. As he walked to the man that lay on the stairs bleeding and in pain she watched standing close to the lawyer that he had brought with him as the papers were laid in front of the man.

“Hear that fat man…sign these and I might be inclined to let you go with just a limp”

"Here baby."

Siege reached into his coat to where his pens were and took one out clicking it she handed it to Josiah. Offering him a kind smile. She loved him, and he loved her, the world could get no better. The man on the floor groaned, and took the pen, staring at the papers and then his eyes looked at Siege. Siege growled as she stepped over to the man in two quick strides and jammed her foot in his jewels.

"Sign them now fucker, or I swear you'll write your name with your teeth!" she growled. To make sure that he knew she was not joking she reached into the coat and pulled out her switch blade. Flicking out the recently sharpened blade she grinned hungrily her eyes alight with the wish to cause him pain.

"Sign, or I'll make sure that you piss in a plastic bag for the rest of your life."

With a shaking hand he reached over and signed the papers, before she grabbed them and tossed them at Gregorio. She turned back and grinned, an mean and evil grin as she leaned down and cut the crotch of his pants and boxers out leaving his package open.

"I should, make sure you never touch another girl with this disgusting appartatus as long as you live. And unless the two men behind me have mercy on you, I think I'll do just that." she said as she waited for a moment.