"we only said goodbye with words, I've died a hundred times"

~Back To Black (Amy Winehouse)

°~°~°

The sudden break of fluid shocked Bernice, but she should have known better. Aiden was born two weeks before his due date, why on earth did she think it wouldn’t have been the issue with the unborn Aiven. Her hand instantly went between her thighs and beneath her night dress just to make sure her mind wasn’t playing tricks on her.

And as if the water dripping from her thighs wasn’t enough, the first contraption kicked in having her knees buckle as her left hand held her belly bottoms whilst the other gripped into the wooden railing of the steps. A pain yelled left her as she hunched over, her first reaction was to call for Ken.

“KEN!” she shouted, the memory of a gun being pointed at her completely eradicated until the safety clip went off.

“Shut up!” Viola shouted as her hands shook.

Giving a detrimental glare to her stepsister, Bernice harshly bit out, “yuh ago bloodclaat carry mi a hospital, bitch!? Either yuh fucking shoot me or help! KEN! KEN!”

“Babe?” Ken’s voice came from the top about to bolt down the steps as he hurriedly tried to pull his bottoms on.

Stopping him before he could see Viola, she told him, “the baby a come. Wake Aiden, grab the keys. Please!”

“Shit! Okay, I’m coming. Don’t move!”

Bernice took deep slow breaths as she brought herself to sit on the steps, “Vi—”

“Don’t, Niecy.” She said as sternly as she could, “you always act so fucking tough! All you had to do was give me the two million I asked for from start.”

Confused, Bernice scrunched her nose, “Wah yaa talk bout? Yuh neva ask mi fi no money.”

“I did!” Viola asserted, her eyes red. Bernice was only now realizing that and she understood, but she didn’t cut Viola as she spoke, “I told Giovanni. I asked him a—and he said he asked you multiple times to help me but you said no and took all his money because you didn’t want him giving it to me.”

“Giovanni cheated on me with multiple women, Viola. I took the money because I knew he stole it. Well, tried to.” She explained as best as she could feeling another contraption hit her. Her eyes brimmed with tears not being the greatest one to deal with pain and as her head tossed back, she still forced out words to say to Viola, “he never once asked me for money for you. I would’ve given it to you! Remember I was the one who sent you to rehab when you got on drugs? I paid for everything. I’m glad to see you having wasted my money though.” Even through her pain the sarcasm in her last sentence was dripping.

That’s when her eyes got redder, but this time it wasn’t from drugs. It was from the tears that welled in her eyes, “Niecy.”

“Fuck.” Ken’s eyes were wide as he had a packed bag slung over his shoulder with Aiden rubbing furiously at him a sleepy eyes, “what the fuck, Niecy. Why didn’t you say anything.”

“I’m fine. Just come.” She told him, stretching her neck to have her glance up at them.

Out of reflex, Viola swung the gun up towards Ken and Aiden. That had Bernice shout hard, “oi! Viola, point that bloodclaat pon mi! Yuh a eediat!?”

“S—sorry!” Viola stuttered as she went to wipe a tear from her cheek, “Giovanni told me he asked you. W—why would he lie?”

“So he could get everything himself.” Niecy told her as simply as she could with the pain in her voice.

By this time, Ken had his phone subtly out with the police on as he made the situation known, “Viola, drop the gun.” He didn’t know her, but he caught it quickly from Bernice.

“Shut up!” Viola screamed with the gun swinging again.

Again, Bernice yelled despite her pain to have the gun pointed at her and not two of the only people she loved, “keep the fucking gun point on me and mind yuh do something yuh get fuck fah, Vi.”

“Why would he lie to me? And what do you mean get everything for himself? He told me you cut him off completely.”

Another contraption came having Bernice stomp her foot hard with a falling tear, “yes, I cut him off, but because yuh dunce and hook pon drugs again yuh unstable! Him a pray yuh kill mi at this point. And once me dead him a caretaker fi Aiden and since everything leave to Aiden him ago in charge a the money and business them. You most likely ago get lock up and outta side and mind to him.”

“H—how do you know that!?” Viola asked jabbing the gun's point at her.

Bernice rolled her eyes, “I grew up with my mother and your father. I know all the ropes. Just put down the fucking gun and mek mi go deliver mi baby. Please.”

“I—” Viola started, but cut herself off as she dropped her hands to either sides of her, “Bernie.”

Contraptions came again, “Ken!” Bernice shouted and he came done fast.

Arms wrapped around her, he eased her to stand as gentle as possible. The clack of the gun falling to the ground hit everyone’s ears before Viola went to their sides and tried assisting by taking the packed by Ken and they were walking out.

The faint sounds of sirens were heard just then. Ken was confused seeing as there was barely enough time for them to get there so quickly when he called, and he hung up the call. The sound made Bernice cringe as Viola caught coward and jumped away from them.

“Y—you called them!?” she shouted, about to grab at the floored gun again, but she froze stiff.

“Probably Jefferson call them… what happen to him by the way?” Niecy asked as the sirens gradually became louder, but when she realized Ken’s neck was craned impossibly behind him with his eyes wide she forced herself to turn with him, “Aiden. Baby, drop the gun.”

“She tried to hurt you.” He whimpered, sleep still obviously in the little boy’s system, “why do they hurt you? You don’t deserve it.”

With a sinking heart, Bernice placed her hand on Viola’s shoulder as the white woman trembled, “Aide, please? You’re going to regret this. You’re eight. You don’t need to protect me. I’m to protect you. Remember?”

“But I love you!” he shouted, the eight-year-old held the gun a hundred percent firmer than Viola did in her drugged state, it was only his eyes sluggish and slightly foggy with frustrated tears, “it’s okay, mamma. I had grandma get rid of Giovanni. I—I can get rid of her and we could say it’s self defence, they won’t lock me up. Mommy, please.”

Pain surged through Niecy in that moment once more and the sirens were blaring. As her mind trailed off, she turned to Ken and gently peeled her body away from him, “Ken, go outside and hold them off. Mi need fi talk to Aiden. Don’t mek them come in.” she pulled his ear to her lips in that moment and whispered something additional in his ear. When he looked at her puzzled, her eyes pleaded as she asked him not too question it, but he nodded either way and made off for the exit quickly.

Nodding at that, she turned to her baby boy once more, “come here, Aide. Mek mi talk to yuh.”

***

“Don’t shoot!” Ken yelled the moment his feet hit outdoor grounds.

There were two police cars on the outside, men already out with their guns pointing. He was already tired of the vile weapon finding his position, but he rose his hands at either sides of his head as he said, “some woman named Viola broke in. She currently has a gun pointed to Bernice White. I was only allowed out to—”

A gunshot went off.

Care for white police men aiming a gun wasn’t much, but it got worst after that as Ken dashed back into the house despite one of the men shouting for him to get back to them. He was pretty sure he heard one or two of the men stomping on behind him, but he didn’t care.

Ken’s heart palpitated in his chest, but fright and fear had the act feeling as if it was all over his body, especially his ears. So why was it that when he got back into the living room it was like his heart stopped functioning all together?

It was because Bernice laid on the ground with a bullet hole in her stomach and blood pouring into her hand, pooling to the white tiles.

And for some reason, some fucked up reason. Viola was the one with the gun again.