Without A Trace

Fourty-One.

Ivy walks into the school as the click of her heels echo down the hallway. We walk down to Pippins classroom and open the door. I close it behind us as Ivy and Anna make their way to the teachers desk.

"Mrs. Shelby, what brings you here?" Pippins teacher Mrs. Changretta asks.

"My daughter came home the other day and cried to me that kids are bullying her for being a Shelby," she says taking a seat and locking eyes with the teacher.

She raises her eyebrows surprised, "My goodness, I assure you I had no idea such a thing was happening."

"Bullshit," Ivy spits her words at her. "Mrs. Changretta let me ask you something," she says leaning towards her, resting her arms on the desk, "Did you forget who we are?"

She swallows hard and glances between Ivy, Anna and myself before looking back at Ivy, "N-not at all. I taught each of your husbands. I'm well aware."

"Good, then quit lying about you not knowing my daughter is being bullied," she says leaning back in her chair, "I want you to call each of the parents who's children is bullying my daughter. You will have them all come here for a confrence tomorrow at the same time as now. I just want to speak with them," she say staring her blue eyes into Mrs. Changrettas old ones.

"Very well," Changretta says swallowing hard, "You will not spill blood in this classroom however. Do you hear me?"

Ivy nods her head, "Loud and clear. Michael will be attending as well."

"Fine. But the rest of them stay home," Changretta says clenching her jaw.

Ivy smiles wickedly before giggling, "Ah, see thats where the problem lies Mrs. Changretta. Nobody else will come in with me, but they will all wait outside. This is a family affair considering this is my daughter. And in the event something goes wrong," she pauses, "but I'm sure you know what I'm getting at." She furrows her brow and crosses her hands in her lap, "By the way, if my daughter asks you if her parents are bad people. What exactly is it you tell her?"

Changretta pauses for a moment before speaking, "I tell her that her family isn't bad, they're just all special," she says before clenching her jaw.

Ivy smiles and nods, "Good."

The bell rings and Ivy gets up from the desk, "See you tomorrow Mrs. Changretta," she says before walking out the door with Anna and myself behind her. We walk back to the house before seeing a familiar car in the driveway.

Upon entering the house we find Ada and Polly having a casual conversation in the diningroom. I raise my eyebrows at light a cigarette, "Ada, I didn't know you were coming today."

She looks at me and the girls, "Its been a while girls. I just figured I'd come and visit for a few days if that's alright. See my brothers and my niece."

Ivy nods her head, "You mean the niece that has no idea who you are because you shunned this family before she was born? Or are we talking about a different one?" Ivy asks leaning against the counter taking a puff from her cigarette tilting her head to the side slightly.

"Ivy," Michael warns coldly staring at her as he enters the room with the boys and he tosses his jacket on the back of a chair.

She raises her eyebrows to him turning in his direction, "I'm sorry. Are you trying to be Thomas?"

"Enough," I seeth at her, staring an icy glare into her eyes. "Michael did no wrong by his tone with you. Simmer the fuck down," I say before sitting down and meeting Thomas's eyes before looking away.

"Everyone turns over a new leaf at one point or another Ivy," Ada says meeting her gaze.

"Something none of you wretched girls would ever fuckin know," Polly pipes in puffing off her cigarette.

Ivy snaps. She lunges across the table and grabs Pollys collar, knocking over whiskey glasses causing them to shatter on the ground. She throws Polly on the ground and punches her across the face.

I shoot up out of my chair and run over to Ivy. Anna and I pull Ivy off of Polly. Ivy thrashes and yells for us to let go of her. Polly jumps up and lunges for Ivy as Thomas grabs ahold of her but not before Polly lands a blow across Ivys jaw.

"THATS FUCKIN ENOUGH," Thomas yells over all the chaos. He sets Polly down and points his finger at her, "You are NOT the fuckin boss Pol. You don't get to say half the fuckin shit you think you get to. Get the fuck off of your high horse. I will NOT tell you that again," Thomas angrily walks across the room and points at Ivy, "And you. Dont you ever fuckin do something like that again. Next time it will be me to fuckin restrain you."

Michael goes to say something but Thomas whips his head at him, "Open your fuckin mouth Michael. I fuckin dare you."

Michael clenches his jaw before grabbing Ivys arm, "We're gonna take a fuckin walk," he says demandingly to her before pulling her outside.

I sigh and flop down in the chair before lighting a cigarette. I look over at Ada, "Miss this family much?"

Michael throws Ivy on the couch outside and snatches ahold of her arms as she tries to fight him. He pins them above her head, "ENOUGH IVY."

Ivy breathes heavily staring at her husband.

"I understand you're fuckin hurt. And I dont know what the fuck to do to make it up to you. But you need to get your fuckin behavior in check before you damage this fuckin family," he says searching her eyes. "Im not talking about the family im talking about our fuckin family. You're being fuckin reckless. Recklessness gets you fuckin killed. You can be strong and powerful but the minute you let that shit get to your head, thats when you run the risk of fuckin up the most," he says clenching his jaw. "Knock off your fuckin shit. And if you ever ask me if im trying to be Thomas ever again, I will smack you across the fuckin face. Understand?" He says coldly looking in her eyes.

Ivy nods her head before clenching her jaw, "I won't do it again," she says quietly. Her heart beats in her ears and her face is warm. She cant help but be slightly turned on by her husband's behavior at the moment but is trying to shove that to the back of her mind.

Michael lets go of her and gets off of her before rolling his sleeves up and lighting a cigarette and taking a puff off of it before handing it to his wife. Ivy takes it from him and takes a long drag off of it before handing it back.

"We're having a meeting tomorrow with Mrs. Changretta and a few parents of some students that are bullying Pip," She says running her eyes over her husband before meeting his gaze. He doesn't say anything besides nod his head taking another puff off his cigarette.

"You take the lead. Because if I do it wont be pretty," He says looking into his wifes blue eyes.

"Of course," she says before adjusting herself on the couch.

The two of them sit there in silence for quite a while and just listen to the birds chirp in the trees. Michael makes his way back over to his wife before kneeling down, taking her hand in his.

"I know I fucked up," he starts as he strokes her hand and kisses the top of it softly, "But I still love you with every ounce of my being Ivy Shelby. And what happened, will never fuckin happen again. And if it does, you can put a bullet in my fuckin head," he says softly as he explores his wifes blue eyes. He places a soft kiss on her lips before standing up and heading back to the door. He turns to look at his wife, "Come back in the house. I think its time you and the girls sat down and had a discussion with Ada. Time to clear the fuckin air."