black Dahlia|| Craig Cody

24

dahlia's pov
it's been a few days. smurf admitted to the drugs in popes food. i'm still feeling out of it not going back on my meds. i helped break into Nicky's place and took that briefcase and now baz has pulled nicky's dad into everything. we got the money moved to a different building. "ma" it's J. i mutter "yeah?" he says "i don't know how to say this" i ask "what is it baby?" grabbing his hand. "nicky told me she and craig did cocaine together and they fucked" he broke it off with nicky to keep her safe. i shrug "okay" and he furrows his eyebrows "okay? you and him are just at the stage of saying i love you and went through all of this shit..and he cheated on you and isn't clean like he said he was...and all you're saying is...okay?" i nod "he's grown and can make his own decisions. i don't care. it's okay" i mutter "is that all? i'm tired"

he makes me look at him "this isn't you ma. you haven't been you for days now. what is going on? i'm terrified for you now ma." i force a smile "i feel more like myself than i have in a very long time J" i move over "come cuddle" he comes over and he kisses my head "i love you. so much. whatever it is you're going through...im here okay? we all are. i can't lose you too" and with that i drift off.

j's pov
once i'm certain she's asleep i slide from under her and head to the medicine cabinet. i see her pills. she's got a month and has to take em once a day. it's the 23rd. and there's...12 still here. she's not on her meds. i eye my mother and think about the symptoms of being bi polar.

fuck. i take the pills and get out the room where my uncles and smurf are. i ask craig "when you started fucking nicky and continued to do drugs, did you even notice that dahlia isn't taking her meds" craig is confused "fucking nicky? what the hell are you even on about J. i didn't cheat on Lia. and i'm as clean as she is. and what do you mean she's not on her meds? i just gave her them to take earlier? and i saw her do it"

i say "nicky told me you did coke with her and fucked earlier" he scoffs "fuck man. i didn't. i wouldn't. she's 17! and i love lia. i don't even have any more drugs at my place because lia likes to go there and im clean now too. i went and found nicky after you dumped her so we have reason to keep her around after you dumped her because of the job" pope says "she must've just held the pill under her tongue and spit it out and put it back when you left her alone. oldest trick of hers"

craig asks "you knew she wasn't on her meds and didn't say anything?" deran replies "is she okay?" pope says "i noticed her patterns when she picked me up from jail. told her to go back on em with my help or i'd tell everyone. been busy and didn't check. assumed she went back on em because she seemed to act normal again. guess she didn't" i say "there's 12 pills left. it's the 23rd." and i answer deran "told her what nicky told me thinking it was the truth and she deserved to know...she didn't care." as pope and craig argue but craig asks "you told her i cheated when i didnt...and she didn't care?" i say "it's not really her craig. she's not really her right now. but yeah. she said you can make your own decisions and that you're grown and she doesn't care and went to sleep"

smurf speaks up "what we're going to do is ask her to go back on them. if she says no then we lace her food" pope scoffs "yeah because that did me so fucking well smurf. when we talked about it when she picked me up. she said she stopped taking them afraid to relapse and start abusing them the way she did the other pills. she's scared right now and fighting her own mind and body. okay? last thing she needs is to be drugged but to see we all love her and have her back. and support her" she comes down and hugs me "hey j" i hug her "hey ma" "babe" craig calls.

craig's pov
she thinks i fucking cheated on her. fucking nicky. i didn't. i'd never. she ignores me making a sandwich "can we talk?" i ask. she questions "about what? the fact you fucked a child? or the fact you're doing coke and i don't even know what else anymore" i reach for her and she whips around pointing the knife at me "do not touch me" a look in her eyes i've not seen before. i surrender "baby put the knife down" she asks "why? is it because she's fucking here at every turn and throws her little pussy all over at every turn? is it because J doesn't want her anymore? hm? is it because i'm so fucked up? tell me why you fucked a fucking teenager craig? now!" i say "i didn't fuck her baby! i wouldn't do that to you" begging for her to believe me.

she snaps "stop lying to me!" "i'm not! look at me dahlia. i love you." i tell her she snaps "liar. you don't love me" "yes i do dahlia!" stepping closer and she cuts me. i curse and she snaps "get away from me" but i dont. "i love you" i tell her and she shakes her head "no. you don't cheat when you're in love" "dahlia" pope tries. she says "what? you going to lie to me too? huh? anyone else gonna want to step up and lie?!" "dahlia listen to me. this isn't you. you don't have a clear head right now. you're not thinkin straight. look at you. you cut craig" he tells her. she says "i've never felt better pope. ever." "that's your mind and illness talking. it's not you" he tells her and she snaps "IT IS! THIS IS ME POPE" on guard again. clutching the knife. "if it was you...you wouldn't be calling me pope" he tells her and steps forward and she lashes but i catch her arm with the knife and take it and she thrashes "GET OFF OF ME!" i hold onto her and pope says "it's worse than i thought. there's a liquid version of her meds. get it for me"

J goes and comes back as she thrashes and pope sticks her with the needle on her shoulder. i hold her as she continues for a bit but she tires herself out. i pick her up "i got her" hating to see her like this. pope should've fucking said something as soon as he noticed she wasn't on her meds. how did i not notice? i lay her in our bed and wait beside her as she sleeps it off. we just had to drug her. baz drugged her and raped her. Renn drugged her. and now so did we. Pope comes over with a first aid kit "i'm fine" i tell him waving him off. it's just a cut. i deserve worse for even putting myself in the position for nicky to even be able to tell J i cheated and did drugs with her.

"you're bleeding pretty bad. she got you good" he says and i let him do what he wants and he says "don't need stitches but here keep it clean and wrapped" i nod "how didn't i notice. like fully notice. or put the fuckin pieces together that she wasnt taking her meds like i thought. she's mine and i didn't fucking notice she was suffering like this" stroking her cheek gently. "she didn't want anyone to notice craig. i only noticed because i've seen her in this state before and know it well. J noticed because of Julia and how she was too so he picks up on shit like that. this ain't on you" clasping my shoulder. i say "she thinks i cheated" "well you didn't. and when she wakes up she's gonna have questions. she can spot lies a mile away. so she'll know you're telling the truth. gotta keep her busy though...she might try to kill nicky" he says with a chuckle. "good riddance"