New Rochelle, New York

It took a few minutes for Katie to calm Ash down. The girl's concern, while adorable and heart-warming, seemed to reach no end. And Katie was too distracted by the police that were searching the place, as if they were going to somehow find something. She turned to Ash when she spoke again. "Look, I'm fine, the shop is...it's gonna be fine. We are all fine. I just gotta...I just need a minute to breathe. Just go ahead." She smiled to reassure the girl and nodded to Alena, hoping she would follow her inside.

Like last night, the shop still had broken things on the floor. Her aunt would be super pissed about her precious antiques. They were of sentimental value to the woman. Each artifact, even it didn't belong to her, held a memory. Perhaps Katie was insensitive about it, but they were all just stupid artifacts. None of them actually worth breaking into a shop for. She felt a little anger bubbling up inside of her, knowing that somebody wanted to come in here for something and would have done anything to get it.

"I don't know what to do here, Lena," she admitted to her best friend. "What the hell did they want from me?" She knew that her best friend would not have an answer, at least not the answer Katie wanted. Who know what those robbers wanted?

She glanced out the shop's window and saw some tall male standing near Ash, talking to the girl and the guy Katie knew to be her boyfriend. They weren't familiar with each other or anything, but Katie had seen the couple a few times before. She was about to turn back to Alena when the tall guy's eyes cut in her direction and her breath caught in her throat. For a second, Katie swore he knew her. The intensity in his gaze caught her by surprise and subconsciously, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear that fell out of her ponytail. She was just about to say something to Alena -

"Katherine," Officer Swann called and ran through the door. Katie tensed almost immediately and folded her arms over her chest. He was the last person she needed to see right now. "My partner just briefed me on everything. Are you alright?" As he spoke, he approached her and once he was close, his hands were on her arms and although she was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, she could feel the uncomfortable warmth of his hands as if they were on her skin.

"Eric," she snapped and pushed him away. It was gentle enough to not bring too much attention, but had enough force to remind him that she wasn't comfortable. He frowned at her, piercing her uncomfortably with crystal blue eyes. "I'm fine. A little shaken, but fine." She managed to give him a tight-lipped smile, glancing over at Alena for help.

"I don't know what to do here, Lena," Alena looked over to her with sympathetic eyes as they stood inside a unfamiliar house to her. Looking around she didn't really know anyone but Katie, but she didn't mind meeting new people. Giving a reassuring smile she patted her friend on the back, "It's going to be ok, I promise... I think I understand how criminals think... and how it sounds is it had nothing to do with you or they would have killed you." She made her voice light since the mood of the entire room was full of a tight tension. "What the hell did they want from me?" "I'm sorry I wasn't there to be with you." She kind of felt bad she couldn't protect her friend, but from now on she'd be stuck to her side until this all blew over. She couldn't loss this girl, she loved her way to much and had been with her way to long, Katie was her family, sister, and she would never let anyone hurt her. "If you don't feel safe at home you can come stay with me and my parents." They weren't her parents, grandparents, or even family by blood, but mentally they were. Alena knew that if Katie stayed with her she'd be extremely safe. Her (illegally adopted) father was once a detective and later on he became sheriff for some time, he was skilled with a gun, had the mind of a criminal; he could easily protect the girl if needed.

Looking at her friend she waited for a reply, watch her mouth open, but then it seemed like Katie froze in time and the words did not emerge. "What's wrong?" She stuttered as she spoke not sure what to make of this. Confused she let her eyes follow what her friend was looking at. "Hello Officer Sexy..." Alena said quietly to herself looking Officer Swann over. She had a interest in his appearance while she knew Katie disliked him for whatever reason. Looking back over at Katie she noticed how she had crossed her arms, She's uncomfortable. Was her first thought. "Katherine," He watched as he reached and touched Katie's arm laughing softly at her friends reaction. "My partner just briefed me on everything. Are you alright?" "Eric," to Alena's trained ears she could hear the hidden but sweet spitefulness in Katie's voice, "I'm fine. A little shaken, but fine." She gave Eric a tight smile then shot Alena glance. Time for momma bear to step in. "Hey bro," she said giving him a playful punch, "this little chicka is going to be peachy. She'll be staying with yours truly," she didn't exactly know if that was ok with Katie, but she said it anyways, "and you know she'll be safe as long as she's with my dad. At one point he was sheriff, the best this town had ever seen. So yes, she'll be fine, hands down, the whole mine yards!" Looking him over she started twisting her hair on a flirtatious manner, "Speaking of fine, I've alway loved a man in uniform." Giving him a wink she then made a secret hand sign to Katie that meant Good. Using the word as a question she hoped it'd be a yes, she was trying to draw all the attention away from her bestie and on to her, and she certainly wanted all of Eric's attention.