Wear me like a locket around your neck

You're looking like a Stranger Part II

Two weeks have passed since the incident with Jared; since he cheated on Ana. Her family flew back to France a few hours ago and Analyne is tidying her apartment when she hears a knock on the door.

"Hiii! How are you, sweetheart?" the warm voice of Cassidy greets her as soon as she opens the door.

Analyne invites her friend in "well, you know, I've had better days."

"Do you want to speak about this?"

"What could I add? I caught my ex-soon-to-be-husband licking a redhead's face. There is nothing more to say. Coffee?"

"Actually I would prefer red fruits tea, please. And try not to change the subject Ana."

Cassidy is truly concerned by what was happening to her best friend. She knows all too well that Ana is always trying to be strong and doesn't allow anybody to see her weak. But Cassidy feels that Analyne needs help even though she does not want to admit it.

Cassidy follows her friend into the kitchen and sits on the kitchen counter as she always does.

"Ana, please look at me," she grabs her friend's arm "this is not as easy as you pretend, honey, you are not alone in this," she pokes Ana's tummy "there is the little Blueberry here."

Analyne smiles a shy smile, tears gather in her eyes. She does not want to look at Cass or else she is going to cry.

"Blueberry, uh?" she whispers.

Cass leaps off the counter and lifts Ana's face with her index and thumb fingers.

"Yes dear, Blueberry."

A tear runs on the blonde's cheek and she can't hold it back.

"Come here," Cass opens her arms and takes Ana in a warming hug "it's gonna be okay Analyne you know that." She brushes Ana's hair behind her ears "whatever you decide to do with my little Blueberry niece, I will be there okay? I will support you always and forever."

"Thank you Cass," Analyne sobs.

"I'm sorry for the following question dear, but did you talk to Jared about it?"

Ana gets out of the hug and takes a mug in the cupboard and fills it with the boiling water. "Here," she hands Cass the mug and pours coffee into another one. "No," she hides her face in shame, "I didn't talk to any of the Letos since that day. Out of anger I think I told something like 'you disrespected the little one stirring inside of me' but not a single word since." She chuckles "I don't even know if he got it."

"But you know you will have to talk to him, right?"

Analyne nods "I know..." she murmurs "I know that my reaction is childish Cass. But I cannot face him right now. Every time I think of him I see her mouth on his, his hands on her ass. I don't think I am strong enough to deal with it for the moment."

Cassidy takes a sip of her tea "I understand," she pauses "hasn't he tried to reach you?"

"To be honest, he has. For the two days following THAT day my phone never stopped ringing and he knocked on my door several times." After a pause she adds "I didn't answer."

"Childish."

"I know" Analyne sighs. "I have turned my phone off since and bought a new one so he doesn't have the new number."

"Ana," Cassidy shakes her head, "that is not the good way to behave you know?"

The blonde searches the cupboards "Muffins?"

"Thank you" Cassidy takes a bite of the triple chocolate muffin her friend has handed her. "Jared is not the only Leto Ana," she mumbles with her mouth full, "maybe you could talk to Shannon. I'm convinced he, too, tried to reach you these past two weeks."

"Maybe..." Analyne shrugs her shoulders.

"Where is your phone? The old one I mean."

With a movement of her head Analyne motions her friend to follow her to her bedroom. She opens her bedside table drawer and hands Cass the phone. The brunette turns it on and it immediately starts vibrating.

"Wow, the Letos do not joke! 34 missing calls and ... 56 texts, both from Shannon and Jared. Do you want to read them?

Analyne shakes her head "No, go ahead and tell me if there is something important."

Cassidy takes several minutes to scroll and read all the messages. Most of them are from Jared who repeats again and again that he is sorry and that he regrets what happened and the usual fuss.

"This one is from Shannon it says: 'I will not pretend to know what you are going through right now because I clearly don't but please Analyne, please give us a sign of life.'"

Analyne knows deep down that by doing this and disappearing like she did she is hurting Shannon. She is disgusted of herself for that.

"Shannon doesn't deserve this" she whispers.

"No he doesn't Ana," Cassidy sits by her friend on the bed and pets her back, "how about we don't talk about the Letos again for the day and enjoy a stroll around the city? I crave Ben&Jerry's right now." She jumps off the bed and holds her hand out to Analyne.

"Last Monday we found a corpse in a garbage can near the river, ugh. I will need to brief you before you come back to work. When are you coming back actually?"

Cassidy tries to talk about their job so that Ana doesn't think about the whole Leto-fiasco situation.

"On Thursday, tell me more about this case do we know who is the victim?"

"The thing is that we only found the torso and arms. All we know to this day is that she was of Caucasian type and the lab is currently trying to determine her age."

"Have you tried to tally the corpse with the missing person's files?"

"Yes, Arden is on that."

"Do we know the causes of death?"

"The coroner is examining the remains as we speak and we should have the results tomorrow."

"Great! Keep me updated okay? Maybe I can try and think of something even though I am not at the office."

Cassidy nods and brushes her beautiful black curls behind her ears when her beeper beeps.

"Hold up on the 23rd I must go." She kisses Analyne temple, "go back home and relax okay? Try not to think about the situation too much. But as I know you will then try to make the right decision, Ana." She blows her friend a kiss and runs away.

Analyne walks back to her apartment. She thinks: Cass is right Ana and you know it, you act in a childish way. How can you be a mother if that is how you deal with issues?

On the landing waiting next to her door, a familiar figure.