Earth2Mama: The road’s been pretty rocky getting him to this point so it may be a little rocky yet.
We’re definitely seeing some progression with Kyle and Tess.
sarammlover: Lol, yeah, the light bulb just came on! Kyle and Tess have really become a fun couple to watch and root for.
Natalie36: We’ll be keeping a close eye on the little guy.
CandyliciousLovah: Yeah, it just never lets up! We’re pretty sure he’ll find a smile for the little guy though.
kismet: It’ll definitely give him something to think about.
Kyle and Tess are really doing great and moving along at a decent pace.
Lol, we will have all the girls together… and things could get interesting.
Roswelllostcause: Thanks! That was definitely an eye-opening moment for him.
keepsmiling7: He’s getting there, slowly but surely.
begonia9508: Lol, true, but he’s finally bought a clue. Yeah, it’s probably gonna take him a while longer to understand what’s happening.
That would be nasty! Let’s hope things work out for him!
Oh, they should’ve, but they jumped the gun so now they’ve gotta go back and find their way.
killjoy: Lol, finally!
Yep, it’s definitely put Alex in danger and unfortunately she can’t take it back.
Eva: Yep, things are reaching a boiling point for several of them.
The tension is building so let’s hope we’ll see some resolution on at least some of the fronts soon.
Alien_Friend: Leave it to the rookie to point out the obvious.
It’s a beginning, and a big step for Isabel.
Having your hands tied like that is hell. The only thing Amy wants is to have her children safe and healthy and it’s so far out of her reach that sometimes she just feels like she can’t breathe.
Amy needed that little interlude and really, so did Maria.
That visit was good for Cody and Kyle! The guys needed a little break from their thoughts.
Aaron’s a real sweetie and while he wants so badly to go home, he’s also enjoying his time with his adopted Grandma and Grandpa.
Cody does have things rough, but he’s a little trooper and the support he has is going to help him and his family.
Kyle’s happy about that too! He’s so ready to be free from that hospital room.
Adam might be able to help Michael sort things out if he ever reaches a point where he can open up about his confusion. You know Michael though. He likes to figure things out in his own head before he can vocalize them. At least for now he has Kyle as his sounding board.
Kyle and Tess are making such good progress. We’re very proud of them.
Maria does have so much going on and it’s possible that could complicate things.
Part 141
Evermore
The slight sway of the subway car as it followed the tracks was oddly soothing and the familiarity of the rocking could’ve easily lulled her to sleep. It had been a long day and after hours and hours of waiting around she’d finally been given an opportunity to audition. She thought it had gone okay, but somehow felt she could’ve been better. Her mind was weighed down by so many things that it had made it hard to focus and as a result her performance had felt disjointed.
Graham had assured her that even if it wasn’t her best work she could count on a callback. He knew more about this side of the business than she did so for now she would just wait and see what happened. She was too much of a realist to believe it was a sure thing though. In spite of the desire to close her eyes and drift off for the rest of the ride to Brooklyn she forced herself to stay awake. It wasn’t very late but it was smarter to be aware of her surroundings, especially since everyone knew that mugger was still on the loose.
She scanned the faces of the other passengers and other than the guy slouched down in one of the seats in the back corner no one really stood out or seemed suspicious. He wasn’t even doing anything to make him stand out; he just looked menacing and he kept staring at her. How many times had she heard the guys warning them about traveling alone at night on the subway? She snorted softly. They’d be happy if none of the girls in their group ever traveled by subway alone regardless of time of day.
But sometimes it was a necessity. And this was one of those times. Her grip on her bag tightened as they neared the Montague Street Tunnel. She didn’t know why but it seemed like every time the subway passed through the tunnel under the East River the lights would flicker and all it took was a moment for someone to attack. She swallowed with difficulty when the guy she had pinpointed suddenly stood up and walked towards her. The train was approaching the tunnel quickly and with every step the guy took the train seemed to move even faster.
Why didn’t she have pepper spray in her bag? Or anything that might resemble a weapon of some sort. She knew the best thing to do if someone ever came at her with the intention of mugging her was to just let the person have her bag, wallet, and whatever else. The few things she carried around weren’t worth getting hurt over. Or worse. She bit back her nervousness when the guy stopped in front of her and wrapped his hand around the pole. He cleared his throat in a bid for attention and she considered ignoring him but when he did it a second time she finally looked up.
“You look familiar,” he blurted out. “We ever met?”
“No, I think I’d remember.” Max had a lot of tats and he wasn’t threatening, but she couldn’t say the same for this guy. When he glanced up, looking ahead and nodding to himself, she felt her body tense in anticipation. The tunnel was only seconds away and suddenly she was bombarded by thoughts of things she needed to say to the people she loved.
“Better hold on. Track’s a little rough through the tunnel.”
It felt like a warning and she clutched her bag tighter. Maybe it was the smart thing to let go and just let the mugger take her stuff, but even though it wasn’t much, it was hers and she’d worked hard for everything she had. She’d be damned if she just gave it up. She could feel the sweat breaking out on her skin as they entered the tunnel and the lights began to flicker. The trip through the tunnel was over in no time though it felt like it had lasted a small eternity and she looked down at her hands when she felt pain shooting through them and she realized just how tightly she’d been holding onto her bag.
“Don’t ride the rails much do you?” Mr. Menacing asked as he noticed her reaction.
“Not a lot, no,” she lied, wishing for him to go away. She nearly shouted in elation when the train began to slow as it neared her stop and she got up, practically bolting to the doors as they opened and feeling the sweet air of freedom wash over her. In reality the air was hot and there was little sweet about it, but at that moment she didn’t care. Her eyes darted around to make sure Mr. Menacing wasn’t following her and to her relief she saw him standing several cars back checking his pockets with a confused look on his face.
She turned to make a run for the stairs that led up to the street level but before she had made it more than a couple of steps someone grabbed her from behind and shoved her up against the wall. She fought to hold onto her bag, unable to just let it go, and before she could get a sound out the mugger hit her across the back of her head and everything around her seemed to swim before her eyes. She was vaguely aware of her bag being ripped from her hands, the muffled sounds of someone shouting, or the fact that it was Mr. Menacing who chased after the mugger before coming back to wait with her until the police came.
*****
“Can you give us a description of the man who stole your bag, Miss Deluca?” Officer McLaney crouched down to come to eye level with the scared young woman who was sitting on the concrete steps of the subway station.
She frowned, her head still spinning from the earlier blow. “No,” her voice was hoarse so she cleared her throat several times. “No, I didn’t see the person. I was on my way out of the station and he attacked me from behind. I never got a good look at him.”
“I can help with that.”
McLaney turned to look at the tattooed man who had been with the young woman since they had arrived. “Do you know him?” He directed the question to Maria again.
Her eyes lifted to Mr. Menacing, who was leaning against the wall next to them, hands shoved into his pants pockets and a cigarette hanging from his lips. “No, we just met.” She had been scared shitless about him and he’d turned out to be someone who actually cared and hadn’t been threatening to her at all. Waves of shame flushed her cheeks and she looked away. “He tried to help me.”
The officer glanced at his partner on the stairs and nodded for him to take the statement from the guy while he talked to her.
She went over everything she remembered again, shaking badly while she did and had the feeling something heavy was sitting on her chest, trying to squeeze the last bit of air out of her lungs.
“Can you tell me what was stolen?”
“Everything in my bag.” She tried to remember what she had been carrying with her. “My purse with about 50 dollars, my ID, drivers license, and one credit card, and also…” her voice cracked and she had to suppress a sob, “… some pictures of my family. And my cell was in the bag as well.”
“Alright,” McLaney nodded while he made his final notes. “You sure you don’t want to see a doctor?” She had declined one when they had arrived.
“No, I’m good,” she shook her head. All she wanted was to go home and hide in her dark room right now.
“Make some calls when you get home to put a lock on your credit card and cell phone immediately. I’m going to talk to two more witnesses and after that we’ll drive you home, Miss Deluca.”
“Can I call someone to pick me up?” she asked hopefully. Sitting around here and waiting would just be too much right now. Tony lived close by; he could be here in a few minutes if he was home. The officer felt around his uniform and frowned. “My cell’s in the car, I’ll – “
“She can use mine,” Mr. Menacing said and handed it to her.
McLaney nodded and moved on to do his work, leaving her alone with the stranger.
Maria grabbed the phone. “Thanks.” She dialed Tony’s number, starting over twice since she couldn’t seem to hit the right buttons.
He picked up quickly, which filled her with an enormous amount of relief. With very few questions he agreed to pick her up and the call ended.
“You sure you’re okay?” The tattooed man crouched down in front of her after flicking the rest of his cigarette away and took his cell back from her.
“Yeah,” she wiped her cheeks with her hands, certain she probably had mascara all over the place. “Just shaken up.” In the light and without his hoodie over his head, his face didn’t look as intimidating as it had before. In fact his steel blue eyes were kind of friendly and in a different situation she might have even thought he was a good looking guy. “Sorry, you probably think I’m a crazy ungrateful bitch, but I’m not.”
The guy chuckled. “Name’s Blake and I don’t blame you for thinking I was the one gonna mug you. I saw that guy behind you; he set his sights on when you boarded on the Lower East Side.”
Maria nodded. “That the reason you came to talk to me when we reached the tunnel?”
One side of his mouth turned up in a half-smile. “I didn’t see him get off and then I got distracted when I realized my own wallet was missin’.”
“He got you too?”
“I think maybe he’s workin’ with a partner ‘cause the fella that went after you didn’t get anywhere near me.” He frowned. “Either that or we both got lucky on the same day at the same station.” He chuckled and shook his head. “Yeah, I’m not buyin’ that one either. I told the cops about the possibility that he’s not workin’ alone.”
“It’s sure as hell the way my luck’s been goin’ here lately,” she muttered and rested her forehead on her knees.
“Sorry I couldn’t get to you in time to stop him.”
She turned her head to look at him. “Are you kidding?” she asked incredulously. “You did something no one else did! You even chased after that guy!”
“Yeah.” He glanced down at his hands, absentmindedly rubbing at the tattoo that covered the back of his hand. “Wish I’d caught that little bastard though. At least I got a good look at him. They bring him in I’ll be able to identify him in a lineup.”
“Maria?”
She looked up when she heard her name being called and she got to her feet with Blake’s help just as Tony ran up to her.
“What the hell is goin’ on?” Tony had been alarmed after her short call from a number he didn’t recognize and when he saw her face he had his confirmation that something had happened.
“Hey,” she welcomed his hug and buried her face against him, and suddenly the tension fell from her body and she started to cry silently with her arms wrapped around his middle.
His gaze shot from the tattooed guy in front of her to the police all around them and then back. He had a suspicion of what had happened, but he didn’t want it to be true.
“She got mugged on her way outta the station,” Blake offered an explanation when the woman couldn’t. He wondered if the guy was her boyfriend and why the hell he would ever let his girl travel alone on the subway.
Tony squeezed her tighter against him and waited until she calmed down again. What was wrong with fuckin’ fate lately?
“This’s Blake,” Maria sniffed and leaned back to look at her friend to introduce the other man. “He got mugged as well and tried to help me.”
“Miss Deluca?” A police officer came down the stairs, holding her bag in his hand.
She let go of her friend and walked towards him, wiping her cheeks to get rid of the new tears. “You found it?”
“Yeah,” the young uniformed man held it out to her. “Your purse and cell are gone though.”
Tony glanced at Blake while Maria was distracted. The man didn’t look like the typical guy who would help a woman in the subway, but yet he had. “Thanks, man. I appreciate you helpin’ her.”
Blake bumped the proffered fist with his. “No problem.”
“We’ve told her like a hundred times to not take the damn subway alone,” he muttered, but he couldn’t be mad at Maria, knowing that she was just a girl who didn’t want to bother anyone to pick her up.
“One of the stubborn ones, huh?”
Tony snorted. “That’s an understatement.” He wrapped an arm around Maria when she returned to him.
“At least he left me the photos,” she leaned against him and held up a plastic sheath of photos of her family and friends that she always carried around with her.
“That Max Evans?” Blake leaned in closer when she folded the line of pictures together again so it would fit in the small leather wrap.
“Yeah,” Maria’s eyes shot up. “You know him.”
“Holy shit, I knew you looked familiar,” the guy suddenly grinned. “You’re the one from the recent photo shoot at his studio, aren’t you?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “You’ve seen the ads?”
“I saw the ones up on the wall at the studio.” He shook his head. “That’s a helluva job… the tats and the ads. Evans knows how to work a needle.”
“Oh, well, they weren’t…” she trailed off when he waved one of his huge hands dismissively.
“Nah, yours weren’t.” He turned to the side to show off his right arm and the tattoos that took up the majority of his skin. “These are though.”
“Yeah, looks like somethin’ Evans would do.” Tony could feel that Maria wasn’t really following the conversation, she was too messed up with what had happened and he tightened his grip around her. “You need a ride, man?”
Blake shook his head. “I’m good, man. I’m close to where I’m goin’, but thanks.” He reached over and gently cuffed Maria’s shoulder. “Take care, girl.”
She tried to smile bravely. “Thanks. I owe you, Blake.”
“Nah, you don’t owe me anything.”
“Let’s go,” Tony said gently and nodded at the other man. “See you around.”
“I don’t know where that guy came from,” Maria mumbled. “I never saw him. He just... he came outta nowhere.”
“Problem is, those guys never stick out from the ordinary,” he guided her to the Avalanche that was parked in a ‘no parking’ zone.
“Yeah.” She looked down at her bag that was clutched tightly in her hand. “He took my things.”
“It’s just money and your cell, Maria.” He opened the door for her and waited until she had climbed in. “Easy to replace.”
Yeah, replacing things was easy. Replacing that sense of being safe was a different story.
Tony closed the door and walked around his car to climb into the driver’s seat. “Someone home at your apartment?”
“Um...” She glanced at the clock on the dashboard when he started the engine and tried to remember. This was just stupid, she thought as her vision blurred again. Why couldn’t she remember who was home and who was out or at work? She could normally recite that information in her sleep. “Yeah. I think so.”
“Isabel wanted to stay at your place. She had planned to go with Tess when she left the hospital. They’re probably already home,” he agreed and held his free hand out to her after pulling out into the lane and shifting gears.
She nodded. “That’s good. Isabel shouldn’t stay alone right now.” Why did that sound so familiar? Had she talked to someone about that earlier? Michael maybe, she decided. He would be worried about his sister.
“Neither should you,” he mumbled and grabbed her hand, when she ignored his, pulling her closer to him. “I’d stay with you girls, but they called us in for the night shift again.”
She made a face. “They need to give you guys a break.”
“Yeah, maybe soon,” he made a turn onto another street, honking when the driver in front of them decided to do the same thing when it was almost too late. “Heard they’re sendin’ us some guys from Jersey for a while.”
“That should be interesting.”
“Yeah,” he snorted, “at least it’d give us some days off.”
She nodded and turned to look out the window. “Do you think the cops will catch that guy?”
“Sooner or later. Blake gave them a good description.”
“I was worried he was gonna mug me on the subway,” she admitted quietly.
“Yeah?” He frowned. “Well, he doesn’t really look like the nicest guy ever, but...”
“He kept staring at me and he looked so intimidating.”
“He probably just thought you were hot,” he teased her lightly. “Especially after he’d seen your shots.”
“I just wanted to get away and I thought I was safe when he didn’t follow me.”
“You don’t think he’s involved in this shit, do you?” Tony frowned at the thought.
“No, I don’t think so.” He had such kind eyes, she thought. And he had helped her.
“Yeah, and he outed himself as a fan of Max’ tats so he’d be easy to track.” He pulled onto the street where the girls’ apartment was situated. “I got his number, so we could contact him again at some later time and invite him to one of the famous parties.”
“That’ll be nice.”
He brought the truck to a stop, but didn’t make a move to get out yet. “Hey,” he turned in his seat to face her, “you alright? I know this was scary, but you’re safe now, okay?”
“I’m okay,” she assured him with a shaky smile.
“You’re a bad liar, Deluca.”
She rolled her eyes. “Thanks.”
“Come on then,” he loosened their seatbelts and opened his door. “I’ll see you inside before I head off to work.”
“That’s not necessary, Tony,” she protested, but was glad he had offered.
“I know it’s not, but I’m gonna do it anyway.” He grinned at her when he came around the truck to open her door.
“Ava’s a lucky girl.” She smiled and wished her legs didn’t feel like rubber when her feet landed on the pavement.
“I’ve got a bit of love for you too,” he winked.
Maria chuckled and held onto his arm to steady herself. “I’ll bet you do.”
“What about your keys? Still got ‘em?” he asked as they reached the door.
“Um...” Why hadn’t she thought about that before? She checked her bag and when that didn’t yield any results she shook it frantically.
“What about your pockets?” His voice was gentle as he rubbed her arm.
“My pockets...” her hands moved over them and she released a shaky laugh when her fingers closed around them. “Of course.”
He pried them out of her hands softly and stuck one into the lock to open the door.
“There you are, finally. Thought you were cookin’, Deluca.” Tess’ voice called through the rooms from where she stood in the kitchen. “Isabel an’ I were looking forward to your cooking skill – “
“Tess,” her older sister hissed when she realized Tony and Maria had slipped in, their expressions not happy at all.
“What’s going on?” she asked as she came out of the kitchen.
Tony squeezed Maria’s shoulder when the attention of her friends brought the tears back full force.
Isabel glanced between the two of them, easily seeing that something had happened. “Tony?”
“I was – “ Maria spoke before he could, but her voice broke and she had to start again. “I was mugged in the subway.”
Tess’ eyes widened in horror and she quickly rushed over, ready to give her best friend a hug, but she stopped when she reached her. Sometimes that was all it took to break that fragile wall a person was using to hold all of those emotions at bay and she knew just how much Maria hated to break down in front of anyone. “You wanna go to your room?”
The blonde nodded tightly.
“Hey,” Tony caught her arm gently before she left. “Make sure to lock your cell and credit card immediately, alright?”
“C’mon, Maria, I can get your information and Isabel can make the calls.” No one would question her sister’s authoritative tone if she called and said she was Maria Deluca.
“Thanks for coming to get me, Tony.”
He shook his head. “No need to thank me, but you’re welcome all the same.”
Tess guided her friend to her room after they gave Isabel the information about which credit card to block and as soon as the door fell closed behind them she could see the slouch in her friend’s shoulders as she started to sob. “Hey,” she came up in front of her and brought her arms around her.
Maria felt the dam burst and no matter how much she wanted to hold it in she couldn’t stop the hot tears from pouring from her eyes. It just felt like lately everything was off track and going wrong and she didn’t know how to fix it. Realistically she knew there was little she could do to change things. She had no control over almost any of it and that only made the situation more daunting.
“It’s okay, just let it all out,” her friend assured her and guided her towards her bed slowly to sit down.
She shook her head. She knew it was okay, but it sure didn’t feel that way. She hated the way it felt to be so vulnerable and to feel so weak. She sank down on the bed and turned away to curl up in a little ball, wishing she could just hide from the world until it decided to right itself again.
Fuckin’ breaks my heart to see her like this. Tess bit her lip painfully at the sight of the girl next to her. She kicked her shoes off and crawled onto the bed to lean her back against the wall. There was still space between them to give her time, but she reached out to run her hand over Maria’s hair again and again in a soothing manner.
“Why?” she whispered brokenly. “Why do all these bad things keep happening?”
“I don’t know. It’s just stupid life, ya know? I doubt there’s a reason.”
“It has to stop sooner or later, I know that, but it’s taking so long. Cody’s getting worse... I don’t know what’s going on with Michael, now I’ve been mugged... Kyle’s getting better but he still can’t see... Alex is missing and Liz and Isabel’s ex’s are probably both involved...” She wiped the back of her hand across her eyes. “How much can people take, Tess?”
“We stick together, no matter what,” Tess assured her because she didn’t have an answer. “All of us. My brother’s still your best friend no matter if he’s with Shitney or not.”
“I know.” Would he stay with Shitney after everything that’d happened?
“An’ just so you know, I think he showed a lot of affection during the shoot.”
“Be hard not to the way Graham had us glued to each other,” Maria said, trying to play it off.
Tess slouched down further on the bed next to her. “How weird was it?”
“It was... I don’t know,” she sighed. “Sometimes it was weird and the rest of the time it was just...” She shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“Did something happen?” She couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something.
“Yeah... something.”
The soothing caresses of Tess’ hand stopped for a moment. “Something...”
She rubbed her eyes and reached for a tissue to blow her nose. “Something that shouldn’t have happened.” And it shouldn’t have, she knew that. He was involved with Shitney and they both should’ve backed off before things went so far.
“Okay, now you have me hooked girl. Did he kiss you?”
She shook her head but remained silent.
What did my brother do? Tess wondered. Or had Maria instigated it? “You can tell me, I won’t judge, girl, you know that, right?”
“Of course I know that. It’s just embarrassing, Tess. He’s got a girlfriend and we never should’ve let things go so far.”
“Sex?” she guessed, shocked. Well, that would be drastic, but after all... it was Michael they were talking about. Her brother wasn’t a man who did things halfway.
“Not exactly,” she hedged.
TIC TAC - (CC,AU,Adult) - COMPLETE - 7/12/15
Moderators: Anniepoo98, Rowedog, ISLANDGIRL5, Itzstacie, truelovepooh, FSU/MSW-94, Erina, Hunter, Forum Moderators
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
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- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Part 141
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Part 142
Earth2Mama: Yeah, things are tough all around and she’s just not catching a break. She does need her friend and he needs her too.
Blake was definitely an unexpected blessing.
Natalie36: Oh, you’re so right!
sarammlover: Yeah, they really do, but it may not come just yet. With Blake’s help the cops may just have caught the break they need to catch that mugger.
CandyliciousLovah: Blake’s help was unexpected, but definitely what Maria needed.
Eva: Oh, that is so true! We can see how that thought would’ve crossed your mind.
keepsmiling7: Thanks for reading!
Roswelllostcause: Thanks! Yeah, and it just doesn’t seem to want to let go.
begonia9508: Thanks!
It can be a difficult hurdle to overcome but she has a lot of support and we’ll see some of that today.
Lol, there’s no doubt that photo has left an impression!
kismet: The group has been through a lot and it’s hard to say how much more they can take, but everyone does have a breaking point. Blake would fit in, wouldn’t he?
Part 142
Overload
“Okay, so not sex, but also not kissing.” Damn, she hated this guessing game, but for Maria she would do it. “Seems like that just leaves some serious touching.”
She grimaced even as heat flooded her body at the memory. “Yeah, it was serious alright.”
“Come on,” Tess nudged her with her knee. “Tell me. You know you’ll feel better after it. And I can have a look from the outside.”
She squeezed her eyes shut in embarrassment. Somehow saying they’d given each other hand jobs sounded worse than saying they’d had sex, but after several long minutes she forced the words out. They were jumbled all together and it sounded like one long strange word, but Tess was just gonna have to figure it out for herself.
“Hand jobs,” her friend said calmly after a few seconds of thinking about what the mumbling had meant. “Did it feel good?” Ungh, she tried to get the images of her brother out of her brain.
Maria rolled her eyes. “Yeah, of course it felt good!” She ran her hand over her face. “But afterwards it was just awkward and I know he feels guilty because of Shitney.”
“Well, good,” she insisted. “He’ll never be able to hide it from her. Ergo, there’s gonna be a break up.”
“I can’t even imagine him trying to hide it from her. And it’s just wrong to be happy that they’re gonna end up probably breaking up over this.”
“Maybe for you, but me... I don’t feel bad,” Tess teased lightly. “What about afterwards? Did you two talk about it at all?”
“Not really.” She rubbed the side of her face against the pillow.
“Not even later?” Somehow she doubted Maria would just let him off the hook like that.
“Well, we did have an... encounter later at his apartment.”
“Uh-huh,” Tess moved to lie on her stomach in front of her friend. “And what came out of that encounter?”
“We managed to put the brakes on in time, which is good because I think it could’ve gone a lot further than just mutual hand jobs.”
“And no kiss?”
She shook her head. “No, but earlier we ran into each other in the parking lot behind the studio when he came back and we kinda started to talk about it. I told him I didn’t regret it.”
“Good. That’s good. No regrets. What’d he say?”
“He regrets it, but he doesn’t at the same time, that’s what I got outta what he said. And I started to tell him the truth but guess who called and ruined that moment?”
“Fuckin’ bitch.”
“Then later, when we had that encounter in his kitchen he said his only regret was that he was with someone else when it happened. And then he told me that he had to figure out what all this means, and that he can’t think straight when he’s around me now.”
Tess smirked encouragingly. “Hell, Maria, I know it doesn’t look like it, but I think it’s a good thing. My brother finally fell into the Deluca-Love-Trap.”
She snorted. “I didn’t want it to happen like this though. Now he’s stuck feeling guilty and as sick as it is I’m glad he feels like that. I mean, not glad that he feels bad, but he wouldn’t be the man I’ve always thought he was if he didn’t.”
“I hate to say it, but I think it was the only way this was gonna happen. Maria, he really needed that push, so no guilty feelings on your side, okay? It’s not like you forced him.”
She sighed. “I didn’t stop him either, Tess.”
“Because you have feelings for him, it’s only natural.”
“Yeah, but I’m a big girl. I wasn’t really thinking it through, but Michael’s the kinda guy who tries hard to do the right thing and it only makes sense that he wouldn’t feel right about cheating.” She made a face. “Even if it was on Shitney.”
“Don’t punish yourself for it.”
“She’s not even a bad person, and if it weren’t for the fact that she’s into Michael I’d probably still like her.”
“Well, then it’s good you already have enough friends,” Tess said with no love for the other girl.
“You dislike her just because of me, right?”
“Yep, and that’s all reason I need. Sue me.”
“That’s not fair though.” She held a hand up. “You can like or dislike anyone you want to, but just because she’s dating Michael and I’m not, that’s probably not a good reason to not like someone.” She rolled her eyes. “But, on the other hand I can’t say I’m completely sorry you don’t like her regardless of the reason.”
Tess chuckled and pulled her friend into a hug now that the mood was a bit lighter. “I hate her for you too, babe. That’s enough for both of us and this way you don’t have to feel guilty.”
Maria sighed and hugged her back. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she mumbled tiredly.
“Always,” she promised. “Wanna tell me about that subway trip you made?”
“It was just a ride on the subway like any other day.” She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. “There was this guy that I thought was just waitin’ for the Montague Tunnel to come up... you know how the lights always flicker when you go through it? Well, I figured he was gonna mug me then, but he just stood there making conversation. Or maybe he was hitting on me, I don’t even know.”
Tess frowned. “But you were mugged at the end, right? And it wasn’t... that guy?”
“Yeah, after I got off the train. It wasn’t him though. This guy’s name was,” she giggled and there was just the slightest strain audible in the sound, “Blake, but in my head I kept callin’ him Mr. Menacing because on the train he just seemed so scary.”
“Blake,” her friend said, amused. “His name sounds hot. Was he?”
“Yeah, I guess once I got past thinkin’ he was gonna attack me at any second and he chased after the guy that did mug me, I realized that he was kinda hot.”
“Saved by a hot stranger,” Tess sighed loudly. She knew the situation was anything but funny, but she tried to ease the sorrows of her friend with humor.
“It’s a lot better in a book,” she admitted with a roll of her eyes.
“I can imagine. Did that mugger hurt you?”
“No, not really. A few bruises, but nothin’ serious.” She looked at her friend. “I’m okay, Tess. Really.”
“That must’ve been scary though. I’m glad there’re some decent men out there to help when it matters.”
“It was terrifying,” Maria said after several minutes.
“It’s over now and no more subway travels alone, Missy!”
“Tess, I can’t just call someone every time I need a ride.”
“Uh-huh. We’ll figure it out. Now...” she rolled onto her side. “How about you grab a shower and then meet us downstairs for dinner. Isabel’s lost in angst about Alex. She needs some distraction as well an’ Parker’s not home yet.”
“Where is Liz? Wasn’t she only working for a few hours this morning?”
“She went out to visit Aaron with Max. They should be on their way back now, but who knows where they stopped for some kink.”
Maria snickered. “Should we be worried that they’re the only ones in a solid relationship?”
“Worried? No. Envious? Yes!”
That made her laugh a little. “I’d drink to that.”
“Good. There’s half a bottle of Jäger in our refrigerator.”
“Now that sounds like a plan. But I guess we’d better eat first otherwise it could get ugly.”
“Deal,” Tess rolled from the bed first. “Meet you downstairs in a while. Go an’ shower while I fix dinner.”
Maria nodded and slowly got to her feet. “Thanks, Tess.”
“Not for that, girlfriend.”
“Not just for that,” she corrected. “For everything. I couldn’t ask for a better friend than you.”
The curly blonde smiled and pulled her into another hug. “Ditto, girl.”
*****
“You’d better grab a change of clothes quick,” Dana said as she pulled the paramedic’s van into the station. “The way this night’s goin’ it won’t be long before we’re bein’ sent out again.”
Michael looked down at himself and shook his head as he rubbed his eyes tiredly. There were several places on his uniform shirt where their last call had gotten blood on him. If it wasn’t bad enough that they were being run ragged on calls where people actually wanted help the last one had been a guy who did his damnedest to fight when they ignored his insistent demand that they leave him to die.
He’d never understand it. Suicide was just the coward’s way out. Life was such a precious thing, and at the same time, such a fragile thing. And some people just threw it away on purpose. No, he didn’t know what the guy’s circumstances were, but to his way of thinking, no reason was good enough to just throw in the towel like that. The cries of the man’s family would haunt his thoughts. They were disturbing and there was no way to pretend he hadn’t heard them.
“Guerin, you okay?”
He turned his head to look at Dana. “Yeah, yeah, I’m good.”
“Uh-huh, tell me another one. Those calls are always rough and there’s no understanding it so don’t try.” She parked and cut the engine before opening her door. “Get changed and I’ll start on the report.”
“Yeah, alright,” he pushed himself out of the truck and up to the second level where he went to the lockers, surprised to see Tony inside as well. “You’re in too? Congratulations.”
“You look like you’ve already had a long night.”
Michael glanced down at his bloody shirt and jerked it off over his head with one hand. “Yeah.”
“Well,” Tony sighed as he opened his own locker, “I’m about to add to it.”
That got the other man’s full attention. “Say what?”
“Y’know that subway mugger we keep hearin’ about?” He nodded when Michael’s brow furrowed. “Maria ran into him on the train home tonight.”
“Fuck, no way,” every bit of blood drained from his face and he had to sit down on the bench in front of the lockers.
“Uh-huh, guy got her on her way out of the station in Brooklyn. She got knocked around a bit, but she’s more shaken up than anything else. He got away with her purse and phone, but the cops managed to find her bag with the rest of her things still in it. She got a bit of help from a guy ridin’ the train with her. He chased after the mugger. Guess the other guy got his wallet too. Apparently the mugger isn’t workin’ alone. Anyway, he didn’t catch him but he did manage to get a good look at him and he gave the cops a description. Turns out Blake – the guy that helped her, he’s one of Max’s clients.”
That was too much information at once. Michael tried to focus and went over everything Carter had just laid on him. “How’s she doin’? Fuck!”
“She’s a little rattled; the guy scared her pretty good. But she’s home with the girls now.”
He slammed his head against the locker and then got his cell out of his pants. Maybe they had problems, but he couldn’t just ignore that and not contact his best friend. When he was halfway through a message he realized that Tony had said her cell was gone too. Fuckin’ great, he thought and altered the text to send it to his little sister.
Maria okay? Tell her to hang in there.
“I talked to Mr. Sanchez, he lives across the street from the girls. He’s a retired cop and he was more than happy to keep an eye on things. He sees anything out of the ordinary he’ll call it in.”
“Good,” Michael wiped his face when images of a man attacking Maria went through his mind and all he felt was the rush of blood in his ears and the anger building in his chest.
“Hey, man, she’s okay,” Tony said when the look on Guerin’s face reminded him of a volcano about to erupt.
“How can she be okay after that?” he snapped and then winced apologetically. “Sorry. It’s just too much lately. Her brother’s getting worse too.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I know. It’s a shit storm for sure, but all we can do is ride it out. Maybe we can drop in on ‘em for breakfast after our shift’s over,” he suggested with a shrug.
“Yeah, maybe,” he ran a hand through his hair before letting his head hang down between his shoulders, arms resting on his legs. It would be pretty early when they got off and as much as he wanted to make sure she was alright, right now he couldn’t just walk into her bedroom to check on her. I could check on Cody in the afternoon. She’d most likely be at the hospital then as well. And since I won’t have to work now when Courtney gets back home, I’ll also be able to come clean with her immediately as well.
“Somethin’ else bothering you?”
Michael breathed in deeply before he straightened his back again. “Nothin’ you wouldn’t already know,” he lied. Kyle knew about him and Maria and that was as close as he would allow his friends to the truth right now. “So that guy who helped her, he’s a customer of Max’s?” He got up and opened his locker for a fresh tee shirt. “You met him?”
“His name’s Blake,” Tony nodded.
“He’s cool?”
“Think so. His looks don’t make you feel like you want any girl to meet him in a dark alley alone, but as it turned out he made sure she was okay after the incident. Got his number since she called me from his cell. Maria suggested we should invite him to one of the parties.”
“Yeah, let’s do that, but first we’ll talk to Evans about him.” Parties, he mused, when had the last one been? Those careless times seemed like years away.
The door opened and the Chief stuck his head into the room, wearing a serious expression. “I need to talk to you, common room in five.”
Michael glanced at Tony with a frown after he had pulled his tee shirt over his head. “What’s that about?”
“I don’t know, man,” his friend slammed the locker shut. “But I didn’t like that tone.”
“Yeah, me either.” He sighed and forced himself to his feet again. “Probably some really great news like the guys they were gonna send over from Jersey couldn’t make it and we’ll be pullin’ double shifts for the next God only knows how long.”
“I love my job, ya know? But these hours are killin’ me. I know it’s the same for everyone pullin’ these shifts, but damn, adrenaline can only get you so far.”
“Tell me about it.” How far could the human body be pushed before exhaustion caused one of them to make a fatal mistake? “He cancels my time off tomorrow after the extra hours tonight and I’m callin’ in. Man, if I don’t get some sleep I’m gonna make a mistake I don’t wanna have to live with.”
Tony nodded and glanced at the clock. “Guess we’d better get out there.”
The Chief’s solemn expression did little to calm their thoughts as they entered the common room and found some space on the wall, using the opportunity to lean against it and rest for a few minutes as the others in the station began to come inside and take up similar positions. Everyone was beat, ready for some serious downtime, and from the quiet grumbling going around the room it was clear they were all thinking the same thing.
Chief McCoy pulled a chair out and used it as a step to climb up on the table, glancing around the room as he cleared his throat and held his hands up in a bid for silence. He reached up and removed the baseball cap with the department logo on it, holding it between his hands as silence fell and his people waited for him to speak.
“You’ve all been doin’ a helluva job,” he said finally. “You’ve all stepped up to the challenge once again, filling in because we’re shorthanded with several of our people in the hospital recovering from injuries sustained in the recent explosions. As you all know, Parsons was released last week and he was sent home to recover. He’ll be returning to duty in a couple of weeks.” He smiled at the cheers that went up around the room. “Valenti’s still in the hospital givin’ the nurses hell I’m sure, and the word I got is he’ll be released home within the next week. His return to duty is unknown at this time, but I think we can expect that boy to buck the odds and take his place back on the line once he’s fully recovered.”
He waited for the cheering to die down and he cleared his throat as he looked around the room, making eye contact with each of his people. “Dan sustained some pretty serious injuries during the explosion and he’s fought valiantly to make it over that hurdle, but,” he swallowed hard and straightened his spine, “he succumbed to his injuries about an hour ago.”
A heavy, uncomfortable silence fell over the room at the Chief’s words as firefighter, EMTs and paramedics tried to process the horrible news about their coworker and friend.
McCoy looked over the shocked faces of his people while his hands kneaded the cap in his hands. “I’m sorry to hit you with this news on top of the shifts you’ve all been pullin’ recently. I know you’re all tired and I promise you we’re working on getting the situation resolved.” With one hand he rubbed his eyes and then breathed in deeply. “I’ll let you know as soon as arrangements have been made for Dan’s funeral. I want to give his family some time to grieve, but would like to go and visit them for condolences at the beginning of next week. If one or two of you would like to join me, let me know.” With a final look around the room and a nod to himself, he stepped back down on the floor.
Tony looked at his friend next to him, already knowing he would take the news badly. While Michael and Kyle had both worked with Dan for several years, practically side by side on most of their shifts, he’d only known the guy for a few months. With a silent gesture he squeezed the other man’s shoulder and remained next to him, leaning against the wall.
Michael felt numb in that moment. All of the bad news hitting them lately had caused an overload on his emotional bearings and the only thing left in his body now was a complete and utter hollow feeling.
He had no clue how long he stood there unmoving and staring at the floor in front of him, but he finally snapped out of it when the Chief approached him with a concerned look on his face. “Dan and Kyle were partners and since he’s a close friend of yours – “
“I’ll tell him,” Michael agreed before the older man could ask.
“Ya know, I wasn’t as close to Dan as the rest of you,” Tony said when the Chief left them to go back to his office, his broad shoulders carrying the weight of responsibility and loss. “I could talk to Valenti if you – “
“I’ve got it.”
He held a hand up and nodded. He wouldn’t push the issue. If Guerin wanted to handle the notification then he’d respect his decision. He was just about to suggest they grab a coffee when the alarms sounded and dispatch announced a medical emergency over the loudspeaker.
“Looks like I’m up,” Michael muttered tiredly and pushed off from the wall. “Catch ya later, Carter.” He took a deep breath and focused on the task at hand, calling on every ounce of inner strength as his feet began to move and the tiredness fell away, the adrenaline once again coming through and propelling him forward.
Tony was wondering what the chances were he had time to grab a cup of coffee when dispatch sent another call out and without a second thought he headed for the bay, stepping into his gear on the run and jumping up inside the truck.
Yeah, he thought, it was gonna be another helluva long night.
*****
“Today was nice.” Liz loosened her seatbelt when Max stopped the car in front of the Brooklyn apartment. “He’s happy with your parents; they really take good care of him.”
“Yeah,” he agreed with a nod. Who would’ve thought that things would change in a heartbeat and he would find himself attached to his old man and mother closer than he had been for a very long time? “But he still wants to come home to you. Always will.”
She knew he was right and she only hoped that everything worked out and her little brother could do just that before things changed and he’d rather stay with the Evans. They were good people, but she wanted to take care of Aaron on her own. Her eyes flicked to her hand when it was swallowed by a larger one. Well, maybe not completely on her own.
“Do you have an early start tomorrow?”
“First appointment’s for a pretty large tat at nine. The woman’s been by countless times but when she saw the ad with Maria she finally decided on what she wanted.”
Liz snorted and turned in her seat to face him, but her eyes were quickly distracted by his strong upper arms, his black tee-shirt tight around his biceps. The tattoos disappeared under the sleeves and although she already knew what was under the fabric imagining it made her just as hot. “How’d I end up with the fuckin’ sexiest guy in New York?” she muttered under her breath and only realized she had said it aloud when he snorted.
“Turning the heat on, Parker?” he asked teasingly when she bit her lip right after muttering and it made her look all hot and ready to jump him.
“Wanna stay the night?”
He glanced down at himself for a moment and shifted when the question got him hard as a rock. “Only if you don’t complain about me leaving at the crack of dawn. I need to get back to my apartment for a change of clothes before work.”
“No complaints,” she shook her head and opened the door. “Let’s get inside.” Sex in the car was hot at times, but she wanted to have a good look at him this time and she also wanted it to last.
Max chuckled in amusement when she was already on his side of the jeep when he climbed out and locked it. He took her hand in his and gave it a tug, just hard enough to bring her towards his body.
“Behave,” she breathed against his lips. “The girls are probably in the living room so we’re gonna have to make it upstairs first.”
“Lead the way then,” he growled and followed her to the front door.
Liz used her keys to open it quickly, anticipating quality make out time, but the smile on her face fell and the heat in her body was replaced by a chill when she two of the three girls with puffy eyes.
Tess was sitting in the middle, one arm wrapped around her older sister, the other one around Maria, and it looked like she had been trying to console them for hours.
“Liz, why’re you…” Max bumped against her and shut up as well when he saw his other friends. “What’s goin’ on?”
Isabel lifted her head. “Do you mean Alex still missing or maybe the fact that the security tapes in my apartment building are nonexistent?”
Then Maria looked at him. “Or do you mean that I was mugged in the subway today?”
“Oh, no!”
Max closed the door when Liz rushed across the room to join the girls and it made him smile as he watched her being absorbed into their little group without effort or hesitation. He started to speak but he’d barely opened his mouth when he realized they’d never hear anything he had to say. He gave them several minutes, listening and trying to follow the conversation, but giving up when he couldn’t keep up with all four of them at once. So he went to the kitchen to do something useful… and made a pot of coffee.
Bored with watching the dark liquid dripping into the pot after less than a minute, he started going through the cabinets. He was taking a mental inventory and he started pulling out a few things once he’d realized all of the ingredients necessary were housed in the cabinets. He already knew they wouldn’t be having sex. That had gone out the window the moment she’d seen their friends in distress and as much as he’d like to be selfish, after hearing about the day the girls had experienced, well, even he wasn’t that selfish.
Blake was definitely an unexpected blessing.
Natalie36: Oh, you’re so right!
sarammlover: Yeah, they really do, but it may not come just yet. With Blake’s help the cops may just have caught the break they need to catch that mugger.
CandyliciousLovah: Blake’s help was unexpected, but definitely what Maria needed.
Eva: Oh, that is so true! We can see how that thought would’ve crossed your mind.
keepsmiling7: Thanks for reading!
Roswelllostcause: Thanks! Yeah, and it just doesn’t seem to want to let go.
begonia9508: Thanks!
It can be a difficult hurdle to overcome but she has a lot of support and we’ll see some of that today.
Lol, there’s no doubt that photo has left an impression!
kismet: The group has been through a lot and it’s hard to say how much more they can take, but everyone does have a breaking point. Blake would fit in, wouldn’t he?
Part 142
Overload
“Okay, so not sex, but also not kissing.” Damn, she hated this guessing game, but for Maria she would do it. “Seems like that just leaves some serious touching.”
She grimaced even as heat flooded her body at the memory. “Yeah, it was serious alright.”
“Come on,” Tess nudged her with her knee. “Tell me. You know you’ll feel better after it. And I can have a look from the outside.”
She squeezed her eyes shut in embarrassment. Somehow saying they’d given each other hand jobs sounded worse than saying they’d had sex, but after several long minutes she forced the words out. They were jumbled all together and it sounded like one long strange word, but Tess was just gonna have to figure it out for herself.
“Hand jobs,” her friend said calmly after a few seconds of thinking about what the mumbling had meant. “Did it feel good?” Ungh, she tried to get the images of her brother out of her brain.
Maria rolled her eyes. “Yeah, of course it felt good!” She ran her hand over her face. “But afterwards it was just awkward and I know he feels guilty because of Shitney.”
“Well, good,” she insisted. “He’ll never be able to hide it from her. Ergo, there’s gonna be a break up.”
“I can’t even imagine him trying to hide it from her. And it’s just wrong to be happy that they’re gonna end up probably breaking up over this.”
“Maybe for you, but me... I don’t feel bad,” Tess teased lightly. “What about afterwards? Did you two talk about it at all?”
“Not really.” She rubbed the side of her face against the pillow.
“Not even later?” Somehow she doubted Maria would just let him off the hook like that.
“Well, we did have an... encounter later at his apartment.”
“Uh-huh,” Tess moved to lie on her stomach in front of her friend. “And what came out of that encounter?”
“We managed to put the brakes on in time, which is good because I think it could’ve gone a lot further than just mutual hand jobs.”
“And no kiss?”
She shook her head. “No, but earlier we ran into each other in the parking lot behind the studio when he came back and we kinda started to talk about it. I told him I didn’t regret it.”
“Good. That’s good. No regrets. What’d he say?”
“He regrets it, but he doesn’t at the same time, that’s what I got outta what he said. And I started to tell him the truth but guess who called and ruined that moment?”
“Fuckin’ bitch.”
“Then later, when we had that encounter in his kitchen he said his only regret was that he was with someone else when it happened. And then he told me that he had to figure out what all this means, and that he can’t think straight when he’s around me now.”
Tess smirked encouragingly. “Hell, Maria, I know it doesn’t look like it, but I think it’s a good thing. My brother finally fell into the Deluca-Love-Trap.”
She snorted. “I didn’t want it to happen like this though. Now he’s stuck feeling guilty and as sick as it is I’m glad he feels like that. I mean, not glad that he feels bad, but he wouldn’t be the man I’ve always thought he was if he didn’t.”
“I hate to say it, but I think it was the only way this was gonna happen. Maria, he really needed that push, so no guilty feelings on your side, okay? It’s not like you forced him.”
She sighed. “I didn’t stop him either, Tess.”
“Because you have feelings for him, it’s only natural.”
“Yeah, but I’m a big girl. I wasn’t really thinking it through, but Michael’s the kinda guy who tries hard to do the right thing and it only makes sense that he wouldn’t feel right about cheating.” She made a face. “Even if it was on Shitney.”
“Don’t punish yourself for it.”
“She’s not even a bad person, and if it weren’t for the fact that she’s into Michael I’d probably still like her.”
“Well, then it’s good you already have enough friends,” Tess said with no love for the other girl.
“You dislike her just because of me, right?”
“Yep, and that’s all reason I need. Sue me.”
“That’s not fair though.” She held a hand up. “You can like or dislike anyone you want to, but just because she’s dating Michael and I’m not, that’s probably not a good reason to not like someone.” She rolled her eyes. “But, on the other hand I can’t say I’m completely sorry you don’t like her regardless of the reason.”
Tess chuckled and pulled her friend into a hug now that the mood was a bit lighter. “I hate her for you too, babe. That’s enough for both of us and this way you don’t have to feel guilty.”
Maria sighed and hugged her back. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she mumbled tiredly.
“Always,” she promised. “Wanna tell me about that subway trip you made?”
“It was just a ride on the subway like any other day.” She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. “There was this guy that I thought was just waitin’ for the Montague Tunnel to come up... you know how the lights always flicker when you go through it? Well, I figured he was gonna mug me then, but he just stood there making conversation. Or maybe he was hitting on me, I don’t even know.”
Tess frowned. “But you were mugged at the end, right? And it wasn’t... that guy?”
“Yeah, after I got off the train. It wasn’t him though. This guy’s name was,” she giggled and there was just the slightest strain audible in the sound, “Blake, but in my head I kept callin’ him Mr. Menacing because on the train he just seemed so scary.”
“Blake,” her friend said, amused. “His name sounds hot. Was he?”
“Yeah, I guess once I got past thinkin’ he was gonna attack me at any second and he chased after the guy that did mug me, I realized that he was kinda hot.”
“Saved by a hot stranger,” Tess sighed loudly. She knew the situation was anything but funny, but she tried to ease the sorrows of her friend with humor.
“It’s a lot better in a book,” she admitted with a roll of her eyes.
“I can imagine. Did that mugger hurt you?”
“No, not really. A few bruises, but nothin’ serious.” She looked at her friend. “I’m okay, Tess. Really.”
“That must’ve been scary though. I’m glad there’re some decent men out there to help when it matters.”
“It was terrifying,” Maria said after several minutes.
“It’s over now and no more subway travels alone, Missy!”
“Tess, I can’t just call someone every time I need a ride.”
“Uh-huh. We’ll figure it out. Now...” she rolled onto her side. “How about you grab a shower and then meet us downstairs for dinner. Isabel’s lost in angst about Alex. She needs some distraction as well an’ Parker’s not home yet.”
“Where is Liz? Wasn’t she only working for a few hours this morning?”
“She went out to visit Aaron with Max. They should be on their way back now, but who knows where they stopped for some kink.”
Maria snickered. “Should we be worried that they’re the only ones in a solid relationship?”
“Worried? No. Envious? Yes!”
That made her laugh a little. “I’d drink to that.”
“Good. There’s half a bottle of Jäger in our refrigerator.”
“Now that sounds like a plan. But I guess we’d better eat first otherwise it could get ugly.”
“Deal,” Tess rolled from the bed first. “Meet you downstairs in a while. Go an’ shower while I fix dinner.”
Maria nodded and slowly got to her feet. “Thanks, Tess.”
“Not for that, girlfriend.”
“Not just for that,” she corrected. “For everything. I couldn’t ask for a better friend than you.”
The curly blonde smiled and pulled her into another hug. “Ditto, girl.”
*****
“You’d better grab a change of clothes quick,” Dana said as she pulled the paramedic’s van into the station. “The way this night’s goin’ it won’t be long before we’re bein’ sent out again.”
Michael looked down at himself and shook his head as he rubbed his eyes tiredly. There were several places on his uniform shirt where their last call had gotten blood on him. If it wasn’t bad enough that they were being run ragged on calls where people actually wanted help the last one had been a guy who did his damnedest to fight when they ignored his insistent demand that they leave him to die.
He’d never understand it. Suicide was just the coward’s way out. Life was such a precious thing, and at the same time, such a fragile thing. And some people just threw it away on purpose. No, he didn’t know what the guy’s circumstances were, but to his way of thinking, no reason was good enough to just throw in the towel like that. The cries of the man’s family would haunt his thoughts. They were disturbing and there was no way to pretend he hadn’t heard them.
“Guerin, you okay?”
He turned his head to look at Dana. “Yeah, yeah, I’m good.”
“Uh-huh, tell me another one. Those calls are always rough and there’s no understanding it so don’t try.” She parked and cut the engine before opening her door. “Get changed and I’ll start on the report.”
“Yeah, alright,” he pushed himself out of the truck and up to the second level where he went to the lockers, surprised to see Tony inside as well. “You’re in too? Congratulations.”
“You look like you’ve already had a long night.”
Michael glanced down at his bloody shirt and jerked it off over his head with one hand. “Yeah.”
“Well,” Tony sighed as he opened his own locker, “I’m about to add to it.”
That got the other man’s full attention. “Say what?”
“Y’know that subway mugger we keep hearin’ about?” He nodded when Michael’s brow furrowed. “Maria ran into him on the train home tonight.”
“Fuck, no way,” every bit of blood drained from his face and he had to sit down on the bench in front of the lockers.
“Uh-huh, guy got her on her way out of the station in Brooklyn. She got knocked around a bit, but she’s more shaken up than anything else. He got away with her purse and phone, but the cops managed to find her bag with the rest of her things still in it. She got a bit of help from a guy ridin’ the train with her. He chased after the mugger. Guess the other guy got his wallet too. Apparently the mugger isn’t workin’ alone. Anyway, he didn’t catch him but he did manage to get a good look at him and he gave the cops a description. Turns out Blake – the guy that helped her, he’s one of Max’s clients.”
That was too much information at once. Michael tried to focus and went over everything Carter had just laid on him. “How’s she doin’? Fuck!”
“She’s a little rattled; the guy scared her pretty good. But she’s home with the girls now.”
He slammed his head against the locker and then got his cell out of his pants. Maybe they had problems, but he couldn’t just ignore that and not contact his best friend. When he was halfway through a message he realized that Tony had said her cell was gone too. Fuckin’ great, he thought and altered the text to send it to his little sister.
Maria okay? Tell her to hang in there.
“I talked to Mr. Sanchez, he lives across the street from the girls. He’s a retired cop and he was more than happy to keep an eye on things. He sees anything out of the ordinary he’ll call it in.”
“Good,” Michael wiped his face when images of a man attacking Maria went through his mind and all he felt was the rush of blood in his ears and the anger building in his chest.
“Hey, man, she’s okay,” Tony said when the look on Guerin’s face reminded him of a volcano about to erupt.
“How can she be okay after that?” he snapped and then winced apologetically. “Sorry. It’s just too much lately. Her brother’s getting worse too.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I know. It’s a shit storm for sure, but all we can do is ride it out. Maybe we can drop in on ‘em for breakfast after our shift’s over,” he suggested with a shrug.
“Yeah, maybe,” he ran a hand through his hair before letting his head hang down between his shoulders, arms resting on his legs. It would be pretty early when they got off and as much as he wanted to make sure she was alright, right now he couldn’t just walk into her bedroom to check on her. I could check on Cody in the afternoon. She’d most likely be at the hospital then as well. And since I won’t have to work now when Courtney gets back home, I’ll also be able to come clean with her immediately as well.
“Somethin’ else bothering you?”
Michael breathed in deeply before he straightened his back again. “Nothin’ you wouldn’t already know,” he lied. Kyle knew about him and Maria and that was as close as he would allow his friends to the truth right now. “So that guy who helped her, he’s a customer of Max’s?” He got up and opened his locker for a fresh tee shirt. “You met him?”
“His name’s Blake,” Tony nodded.
“He’s cool?”
“Think so. His looks don’t make you feel like you want any girl to meet him in a dark alley alone, but as it turned out he made sure she was okay after the incident. Got his number since she called me from his cell. Maria suggested we should invite him to one of the parties.”
“Yeah, let’s do that, but first we’ll talk to Evans about him.” Parties, he mused, when had the last one been? Those careless times seemed like years away.
The door opened and the Chief stuck his head into the room, wearing a serious expression. “I need to talk to you, common room in five.”
Michael glanced at Tony with a frown after he had pulled his tee shirt over his head. “What’s that about?”
“I don’t know, man,” his friend slammed the locker shut. “But I didn’t like that tone.”
“Yeah, me either.” He sighed and forced himself to his feet again. “Probably some really great news like the guys they were gonna send over from Jersey couldn’t make it and we’ll be pullin’ double shifts for the next God only knows how long.”
“I love my job, ya know? But these hours are killin’ me. I know it’s the same for everyone pullin’ these shifts, but damn, adrenaline can only get you so far.”
“Tell me about it.” How far could the human body be pushed before exhaustion caused one of them to make a fatal mistake? “He cancels my time off tomorrow after the extra hours tonight and I’m callin’ in. Man, if I don’t get some sleep I’m gonna make a mistake I don’t wanna have to live with.”
Tony nodded and glanced at the clock. “Guess we’d better get out there.”
The Chief’s solemn expression did little to calm their thoughts as they entered the common room and found some space on the wall, using the opportunity to lean against it and rest for a few minutes as the others in the station began to come inside and take up similar positions. Everyone was beat, ready for some serious downtime, and from the quiet grumbling going around the room it was clear they were all thinking the same thing.
Chief McCoy pulled a chair out and used it as a step to climb up on the table, glancing around the room as he cleared his throat and held his hands up in a bid for silence. He reached up and removed the baseball cap with the department logo on it, holding it between his hands as silence fell and his people waited for him to speak.
“You’ve all been doin’ a helluva job,” he said finally. “You’ve all stepped up to the challenge once again, filling in because we’re shorthanded with several of our people in the hospital recovering from injuries sustained in the recent explosions. As you all know, Parsons was released last week and he was sent home to recover. He’ll be returning to duty in a couple of weeks.” He smiled at the cheers that went up around the room. “Valenti’s still in the hospital givin’ the nurses hell I’m sure, and the word I got is he’ll be released home within the next week. His return to duty is unknown at this time, but I think we can expect that boy to buck the odds and take his place back on the line once he’s fully recovered.”
He waited for the cheering to die down and he cleared his throat as he looked around the room, making eye contact with each of his people. “Dan sustained some pretty serious injuries during the explosion and he’s fought valiantly to make it over that hurdle, but,” he swallowed hard and straightened his spine, “he succumbed to his injuries about an hour ago.”
A heavy, uncomfortable silence fell over the room at the Chief’s words as firefighter, EMTs and paramedics tried to process the horrible news about their coworker and friend.
McCoy looked over the shocked faces of his people while his hands kneaded the cap in his hands. “I’m sorry to hit you with this news on top of the shifts you’ve all been pullin’ recently. I know you’re all tired and I promise you we’re working on getting the situation resolved.” With one hand he rubbed his eyes and then breathed in deeply. “I’ll let you know as soon as arrangements have been made for Dan’s funeral. I want to give his family some time to grieve, but would like to go and visit them for condolences at the beginning of next week. If one or two of you would like to join me, let me know.” With a final look around the room and a nod to himself, he stepped back down on the floor.
Tony looked at his friend next to him, already knowing he would take the news badly. While Michael and Kyle had both worked with Dan for several years, practically side by side on most of their shifts, he’d only known the guy for a few months. With a silent gesture he squeezed the other man’s shoulder and remained next to him, leaning against the wall.
Michael felt numb in that moment. All of the bad news hitting them lately had caused an overload on his emotional bearings and the only thing left in his body now was a complete and utter hollow feeling.
He had no clue how long he stood there unmoving and staring at the floor in front of him, but he finally snapped out of it when the Chief approached him with a concerned look on his face. “Dan and Kyle were partners and since he’s a close friend of yours – “
“I’ll tell him,” Michael agreed before the older man could ask.
“Ya know, I wasn’t as close to Dan as the rest of you,” Tony said when the Chief left them to go back to his office, his broad shoulders carrying the weight of responsibility and loss. “I could talk to Valenti if you – “
“I’ve got it.”
He held a hand up and nodded. He wouldn’t push the issue. If Guerin wanted to handle the notification then he’d respect his decision. He was just about to suggest they grab a coffee when the alarms sounded and dispatch announced a medical emergency over the loudspeaker.
“Looks like I’m up,” Michael muttered tiredly and pushed off from the wall. “Catch ya later, Carter.” He took a deep breath and focused on the task at hand, calling on every ounce of inner strength as his feet began to move and the tiredness fell away, the adrenaline once again coming through and propelling him forward.
Tony was wondering what the chances were he had time to grab a cup of coffee when dispatch sent another call out and without a second thought he headed for the bay, stepping into his gear on the run and jumping up inside the truck.
Yeah, he thought, it was gonna be another helluva long night.
*****
“Today was nice.” Liz loosened her seatbelt when Max stopped the car in front of the Brooklyn apartment. “He’s happy with your parents; they really take good care of him.”
“Yeah,” he agreed with a nod. Who would’ve thought that things would change in a heartbeat and he would find himself attached to his old man and mother closer than he had been for a very long time? “But he still wants to come home to you. Always will.”
She knew he was right and she only hoped that everything worked out and her little brother could do just that before things changed and he’d rather stay with the Evans. They were good people, but she wanted to take care of Aaron on her own. Her eyes flicked to her hand when it was swallowed by a larger one. Well, maybe not completely on her own.
“Do you have an early start tomorrow?”
“First appointment’s for a pretty large tat at nine. The woman’s been by countless times but when she saw the ad with Maria she finally decided on what she wanted.”
Liz snorted and turned in her seat to face him, but her eyes were quickly distracted by his strong upper arms, his black tee-shirt tight around his biceps. The tattoos disappeared under the sleeves and although she already knew what was under the fabric imagining it made her just as hot. “How’d I end up with the fuckin’ sexiest guy in New York?” she muttered under her breath and only realized she had said it aloud when he snorted.
“Turning the heat on, Parker?” he asked teasingly when she bit her lip right after muttering and it made her look all hot and ready to jump him.
“Wanna stay the night?”
He glanced down at himself for a moment and shifted when the question got him hard as a rock. “Only if you don’t complain about me leaving at the crack of dawn. I need to get back to my apartment for a change of clothes before work.”
“No complaints,” she shook her head and opened the door. “Let’s get inside.” Sex in the car was hot at times, but she wanted to have a good look at him this time and she also wanted it to last.
Max chuckled in amusement when she was already on his side of the jeep when he climbed out and locked it. He took her hand in his and gave it a tug, just hard enough to bring her towards his body.
“Behave,” she breathed against his lips. “The girls are probably in the living room so we’re gonna have to make it upstairs first.”
“Lead the way then,” he growled and followed her to the front door.
Liz used her keys to open it quickly, anticipating quality make out time, but the smile on her face fell and the heat in her body was replaced by a chill when she two of the three girls with puffy eyes.
Tess was sitting in the middle, one arm wrapped around her older sister, the other one around Maria, and it looked like she had been trying to console them for hours.
“Liz, why’re you…” Max bumped against her and shut up as well when he saw his other friends. “What’s goin’ on?”
Isabel lifted her head. “Do you mean Alex still missing or maybe the fact that the security tapes in my apartment building are nonexistent?”
Then Maria looked at him. “Or do you mean that I was mugged in the subway today?”
“Oh, no!”
Max closed the door when Liz rushed across the room to join the girls and it made him smile as he watched her being absorbed into their little group without effort or hesitation. He started to speak but he’d barely opened his mouth when he realized they’d never hear anything he had to say. He gave them several minutes, listening and trying to follow the conversation, but giving up when he couldn’t keep up with all four of them at once. So he went to the kitchen to do something useful… and made a pot of coffee.
Bored with watching the dark liquid dripping into the pot after less than a minute, he started going through the cabinets. He was taking a mental inventory and he started pulling out a few things once he’d realized all of the ingredients necessary were housed in the cabinets. He already knew they wouldn’t be having sex. That had gone out the window the moment she’d seen their friends in distress and as much as he’d like to be selfish, after hearing about the day the girls had experienced, well, even he wasn’t that selfish.
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Part 143
Natalie36: Michael’s definitely under an enormous amount of pressure and there’s a very good chance that it’s just a matter of time before he goes off. Lol, well, we’ll have to wait and see.
Earth2Mama: Max definitely gets major points for that scene, doesn’t he?
Kyle will be in for a difficult time with this news.
Well, there’s no telling what Tess might plan, but there’s a certain firefighter who’s gonna be needing her attention very soon so that may just keep her busy.
sarammlover: Max is definitely raking in the points this week, lol. Dan’s loss is going to be felt very deeply. Things have to start looking up soon.
keepsmiling7: Thanks!
Lol, yeah, maybe they didn’t get that night together that they had planned, but she’s sure to make sure that it happens soon.
begonia9508: Ah, yes, “Chicago Fire” is a great show! You’re so right about that bond that exists between people in this line of work. It’s such a necessary thing.
Things have indeed been very dark for our gang in recent updates, but never fear, eventually the light will shine through. That positive news is coming, so be on the lookout for it!
Rodney: Lol, Tess is nothing if not loyal!
And at the same time, you’re absolutely right. Courtney hasn’t done anything that deserves being disliked to such an extreme.
Judging a book by its cover is rarely the smart move, but it just goes to show that everyone at some point or other does exactly that.
Roswelllostcause: We’re not sure… Liz isn’t sharing any information on that.
CandyliciousLovah: The girls are very good friends and their friendships are only getting stronger with every obstacle that gets thrown in their path.
A/N: We are taking an early summer break this year and are going to be back June, 15th.
Part 143
Karma
Max turned his head to look at the girls when one of them asked him a question. “Huh?”
“I asked if you know a guy named Blake?” Tess asked with a roll of her eyes at his lack of attention.
“Not that I know of,” he answered with a shrug of his shoulders. “Why?”
“Because he helped Maria and we were just wondering what you know about him.” She shook her head at him. “Weren’t you listening at all?”
“It’s kinda hard to follow with all of you talkin’ at the same time.” He started putting the recipe together. “Why’d you think I might know him?”
“He knows you. He’s a big guy,” Maria spoke up. “He has a tattoo on the back of his hand but I’m not sure what it was. Some sort of skull, maybe some words… I didn’t really get a chance to figure out what it was.”
He snapped his fingers before reaching for the pot of boiling water. “Okay, yeah, I know who you’re talkin’ about. I can vouch for him.”
“What’re you making?” Isabel asked.
“Well, I figure you girls are in for a long evening of commiserating about a very shitty day and that’ll probably include alcohol.” He finished filling the plastic shot glasses he’d unearthed from the back of the cabinet with the glasses and picked up the shallow baking pan he’d used to line them up on. “Give these about an hour and you’ll have some pretty decent jell-o shots.” He made a face at the pan as he steadied it while shoving a bunch of yogurt, fruit, and other crap out of the way to make space in the refrigerator. Watermelon jell-o and rum… the girls would love them. He’d rather have something stronger. He straightened up and turned when he felt a hand on his back and he looked down at Liz. “Despite the fact that I’m a man and you’re the hottest woman on Earth, I already figured that out on my own.” One corner of his mouth turned up in a half grin and he leaned down for a brief kiss.
“You’re still staying with us, right?”
“Sure,” he agreed. “Unless you girls wanna be alone.” He knew when to make his escape, sometimes girls wanted a night on their own.
“No,” she leaned against him. “I think it’s good you’re here. Neither Isabel or Maria are in a really good place and you’ve always been great at supporting them.”
He nodded quietly and put one arm around her while he glanced to the other girls, who were all joining him in the kitchen now, taking seats on barstools or the counter itself. “What about Guerin and Carter?”
“Tony picked me up from the subway earlier, but he had to leave for work. Michael’s at work as well.” Would he be here if he wasn’t working? Maria wondered. He had said he needed space, but he wouldn’t just ignore it when she got mugged. No way.
Max frowned. “Thought they’d both be off until tomorrow morning at least.”
“They were supposed to be but they got called in again,” Tess answered first and went to get her cell when it buzzed on the coffee table. She returned seconds later, holding it out to Maria. “Seems like Tony told my brother. He wants to know if you’re okay.”
“Your cell’s gone too?” the only man in the room asked.
“Yeah, cell, some money and one credit card, and before you ask, yes, we already locked it.” She took the phone from Tess and punched in a message to send back to him.
I’m okay, just a little shaken up. Don’t let this affect your attention at work! Maria *hugs*
For a moment she thought about adding something sweet or flirty, but she pressed the send button before she handed the cell back to her friend.
“Any news about Alex?” Max looked at Isabel and damned himself when the question was enough to bring tears to her eyes – a sight he had never seen with her normally strong and composed appearance.
“No. We went to the police and they won’t get into it until he’s been missing for 48 hours. His cell’s still turned off. The police suggested looking for videotapes at my apartment building that would prove Richard or someone else broke into my apartment since the pics he sent me of Alex are also gone.”
He lifted an eyebrow, alarmed. “It’s good you’re not staying there right now. What about the tapes?”
“There’s nothing,” she sighed, frustrated. “The tapes got ‘accidently’ deleted.”
“Yeah, right,” he snorted.
“So, you said you’d vouch for that Blake guy,” Tess leaned on the counter. “Why?” Isabel had been off all day and going another round on Alex’ missing state would only pull her down more.
Max knew what the youngest blonde was trying to do and he agreed with a slight nod when she shook her head at him. “Served with him in Iraq,” he answered shortly.
“You never told us that you served,” Isabel said, watching him. It was clear the admission alone had been enough to set his nerves on edge.
He shrugged and busied himself rearranging things on the countertop. “Not a lot to tell.”
Liz rested her hand on the small of his back, rubbing small circles there in an effort to calm him down. She could feel the tension in him and in spite of his insistence to the contrary she knew he feared rejection from the people closest to him over his military service and the subsequent medical discharge.
“You don’t have to talk about it, Maxie,” Maria said with a reassuring smile.
“Yeah, well, it’s not that big a deal.” They all knew that he had a military past courtesy of his recent court date, but so far none of them had brought it up.
“If it wasn’t you would’ve told us about it,” Isabel pointed out softly and flicked a wadded up napkin at him. “Were you worried we’d think you were nuts or something?”
“Oh, my God, you did not just say that,” Tess hissed.
“Isabel!” Maria gasped.
The tall blonde held a hand up, silencing them. “Is that what you really think of us? That we’re so small-minded that we’d judge you for receiving a medical discharge?”
He shifted uncomfortably. “I didn’t say that.”
“I think you fit in with our group pretty well,” Maria smirked.
“Lucky me,” he said with a small grin.
“And you know for a fact we love men in uniform,” she added with a smirk.
“No more uniforms.” He shook his head and shuddered. “Back to your subway savior though... I never called the guy Blake, no one did really. Everyone called him Hawk because his eyesight was unreal and he could pick off a target so far out no one else could even see them.”
“Interesting,” Tess leaned on the counter with a smirk. “He still in the Army?”
He nodded. “Yeah, when it came time to get out he re-enlisted.” He snorted. “He enjoys military life and it suits him.”
“Too bad you didn’t take a pic of him, now I’m really curious about what this guy looks like.”
Maria rolled her eyes at the youngest woman. “How was I gonna take a pic? My cell’s gone. Thanks for the reminder, bitch.” She winked to take the sting out of her words.
Tess made a face and stuck her tongue out at her. “Well, we’re gonna have to invite him to a party or something otherwise I’m gonna die of curiosity.”
Max chuckled. “He’s actually coming to the shop on Monday. He was there today and made an appointment.”
“And it won’t be obvious or anything if the three of you show up at the shop,” Liz said and rolled her eyes even though she was running over her own schedule at the same time.
“He did admire your shots,” he pointed a look at Maria.
“He’s a guy,” she said with a smirk, “of course he liked them.”
“Small world, isn’t it?” Isabel shook her head. “I mean, what’re the chances that a guy in New York City comes to your shop, and he served with you, and then goes on the subway and helps someone who turns out to be your friend.”
“Yeah.” Max chuckled at a memory. “That mugger’s lucky Hawk didn’t get his hands on him.”
“Well, if he’s good with his hands he could put them on Maria,” Tess waggled her eyebrows. She knew her friend would never go for it considering the newest events with Michael; she was just teasing after all the darkness today.
“I wouldn’t know about all that,” Max muttered when Maria gave Tess a shove that had the younger girl grabbing onto the counter to maintain her balance. “There was never any shortage of girls when we were on leave though.”
“Interesting,” Liz looked at him with lifted eyebrows.
“They flocked to the guy like crazy.” He held his hands up. “They weren’t interested in me once he started tellin’ his war stories. Once he opened his mouth and his heroics came out they were fallin’ at his feet.”
“That’s just what the planet needs, another womanizer,” Maria snorted.
“Hawk’s a big flirt. It didn’t really go beyond that for a long time, but then he got a Dear John letter from his girl and,” he shrugged, “well, you can’t really blame the guy for any hook-ups that happened after that.”
“Now you just turned him back into an attractive man,” Isabel smirked. A good looking guy who had a girl at home and got hurt over it while he was at war? Hell, there were books and movies full of that stuff.
“Looks like I’ll need to clear some space in the studio on Monday,” he said dryly.
Maria smirked. Getting to know the guy who had helped her would definitely be interesting. Right now she really wished her heart wasn’t set on Michael and she could consider this new guy as someone who had dating potential.
“Um-hmm, this should be interesting.” Max reached for the bottle of water he’d gotten earlier and took a drink.
Isabel tensed when her cell started to ring and she almost ran to get it, only to realize that it was ‘just’ her father. “It’s Dad, I’m gonna talk to him in the yard,” she pointed outside.
Tess snickered. “I’m glad it’s her and not me getting that call.”
“Why would it be bad? You’re lucky to have a father like him.” Maria shook her head.
“It’s not bad, goofy, but he’s gonna be in lecture mode once he’s made sure she’s alright.”
“He just worries and he’s kinda right. She should’ve come clean sooner.”
“She thought she could handle it,” Tess defended her sister even though she agreed.
“Yeah, I know. Bad judgment an’ all,” the blonde waved her off. “The only one to blame is Dick, and Kennedy in some twisted way. Assholes.”
“Yeah, I can’t wait until they get what’s coming to them.” Tess reached over and flicked Liz’ tightly fisted hand where it rested on the counter. “I hope you’ve finally accepted that Kennedy’s involvement isn’t your fault in any way.”
“I’m working on it,” the brunette forced a smile.
“They’re gonna get caught eventually,” Max spoke up.
“Yeah, and then they can rot in their cells,” Maria agreed. “Right next to that freaking mugger asshole.”
“So ladies,” the only male in the room clapped his hands and looked at each of them. “The night’s still young, what am I gonna do with you all?”
“Give it up,” Tess snorted, “we agreed to pity ourselves and darn life tonight.”
He snorted. “Well, then, how about some music and a few drinks then?”
“Sure, why not?” Maria shrugged. “Make it A LOT of drinks though. I wanna forget this crappy day.”
Isabel walked back in. “I second that.
“What’d Dad say?”
“Not much,” she took a seat again. “I told him I’d stop by tomorrow to talk.”
“Want me to come?”
She looked at her younger sister and shrugged one shoulder. “If you want to.”
Max went to check on the drinks in the refrigerator, deciding they had to be ready, and took them out.
“Someone should stay sober,” Isabel said. “You know… in case Alex calls or something.”
He looked at her and then nodded. “You girls drink, I’ll stick with water.”
*****
It was cold, which was just ridiculous. Nowhere in the city was it cold right now. If you were really lucky you might happen upon a store with really good air conditioning, but he was sure he wasn’t in a store. Or if he was, the amenities sucked and he’d have to have a few choice words with the management.
“Focus, Whitman, you’re startin’ to get delirious.” He started to shake his head but immediately had to rethink that move when it caused the room to spin.
Dick’s lackey had come in some time ago – it felt like hours, but for all he knew it could’ve been minutes – and he’d ignored the insults at first, thinking the guy would get bored and just leave him be after a while. But when that hadn’t gotten a rise out of him the bruiser had aimed a kick at his ribs that had hurt like hell and he’d refused to back down from a direct assault. He’d managed to land a couple of solid hits, more luck than skill, before the side of the guy’s hand had impacted with his windpipe. That had been enough to drop him to his knees and while he was struggling to catch his breath he’d been blindfolded, grabbed by the shirt, and half-dragged to another area of the building.
He had no idea where they were but there was water and a lot of it in the room the guy had taken him to next. He’d been shoved head first into water and held down repeatedly while the asshole cursed at him and just when he’d been sure he was gonna black out he’d been hauled off to another room and thrown back into darkness. The room was cold and he was soaking wet, not a good combination. By the time this was over he was gonna have the mother of all colds to contend with.
He reached up to gingerly rub his throat, wincing at the soreness there. He could just imagine how long it would take to heal. He suddenly sneezed and his throat hurt like hell. He carefully dropped his head back to rest it against the wall and looked around in the darkness, unable to make out anything that might be useful to identifying his location.
He wrapped his arms tighter around himself as a chill raced down his spine and he wondered if anyone had realized he was missing yet. Was anyone worried? Had they noticed he hadn’t made it to the party after the photo shoot at the studio? He had told Isabel he was planning to go so he was sure she’d realize something was wrong. She knew he’d had plans to visit with his sister beforehand. She wouldn’t just ignore it, she’d tell someone, go for help. Someone had to have seen something.
Right?
*****
The hallway seemed longer than normal. Or maybe it was the fact that here lately every time he walked this hall he was carrying the burden of bad news. The sun wasn’t up yet but the sky showed all the signs of dawn preparing to break over the horizon. His feet felt like they were filled with lead weights, every step taking an effort he almost didn’t feel he had the energy to expend.
He lifted a hand to wave to Rhonda where she stood behind the nurses’ station, her blue eyes concerned as she took in his appearance. “I know it’s late… or early… whatever. I know he doesn’t sleep a lot here so…”
“Go on, but you’re almost out on your feet so keep it short, Guerin.”
He raised his right hand and snapped off a mock salute that drew a slight glare from her.
“You keep it up and you’re gonna be in the unoccupied bed in his room. And if you have any doubts that I can put you there…”
He gave her a tired smile and nodded. “I promise I won’t pass out on your watch.”
“Um-hmm, go on and have your visit. And if you happen to pass out, put your ass in that bed first, got it?” The exhaustion was clear in his features, but there was something else there and she had a feeling whatever it was, it was bad.
“Will do,” he muttered, although he wasn’t planning to do so. Sleep sounded good to his ears, but if he was going to crash, then it’d be in his own four walls, and he had a feeling he once that happened he wouldn’t be getting up for the next 24 hours.
“Michael,” one of the younger nurses greeted him in the doorway with a flirty smile. He couldn’t remember her name and he didn’t have the energy to even look at her name tag to find out. “You’re up early. Have the night shift at the station?”
“Yeah,” he grunted and passed her, glad that he’d finally reached his friend’s room so he could avoid small talk.
His relief faded as soon as he closed the door behind him and his gaze fell on his friend who was lying in the bed, headrest raised, so he was almost sure he was awake.
“Brittney has a thing for men in uniform,” Kyle said by way of greeting when he felt his friend nearing his bed. He had overheard the nurse’s attempt to flirt, but obviously she’d been dismissed.
“Bet she’s happy you can’t run away from her then.” He stopped at the foot of the bed and placed both hands on the rail there, relieved that the other man couldn’t see his face right now.
“What’re you doin’ here, Guerin? Your shift’s over and they’ve beaten your ass back and forth at the station for days. Go home an’ get some sleep.”
“I will soon,” Michael agreed, his tone weary.
“Wanna have a seat or you gonna just stand there an’ stare at the floor all night?”
He reached up to rub the back of his neck. He could think on it for the next month and he still wouldn’t come up with a good way to tell Kyle the news. There was no good way to tell anyone that a coworker, a friend, was dead.
“You’re too quiet, Guerin. What’s goin’ on?”
“Too many bad things comin’ on all at once.”
“Hell, once a bad streak starts it seems like it’ll never stop.” He tipped his head back and had his eyes been undamaged he would’ve been staring at the ceiling. “Rough night on the job?”
“Yeah.” He reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Chief McCoy called a meeting partway through shift.”
“The relief crew from Jersey fall through?”
“He said they’re still workin’ on that so maybe it won’t be much longer.” He ran a hand through his hair before moving around to drop down into the lone chair next to the bed. “Kyle, there’s somethin’ I’ve gotta tell you.”
Warning bells went off in his head at the quiet use of his first name. “Cody’s okay?”
“He’s holdin’ his own for now.”
The bells got even louder as he went over the conversation so far. “You said the Chief called a meeting,” he swallowed hard. “Who was it?” Not Dan, he thought. Don’t let him say Dan had lost the fight.
Michael exhaled loudly while his body slumped down in the chair. “Dan.” His voice didn’t sound like his own and when he used his hands to rub his face, he felt the wetness leaving his eyes. Keep it together, Guerin! He brushed the few tears away and forced his thoughts back until nothing but blank emptiness was left. “He died earlier tonight.”
The room went silent and Kyle was thankful his friend didn’t add any empty phrases about how he was sorry or how good people always died too young. None of that would help the situation, so sitting together in companionable silence was all they could take at the moment
Dan had been his partner for over a year now; they had worked almost every shift together, had fought a lot of crazy fires together, had shared a few moments of heroic happiness after handling an emergency call, as well as shared their depression over losing someone in a horrifying accident.
He was gone, Kyle realized, and his mind took him back to the fateful night of the accident. There was nothing he could’ve done to prevent this from happening, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t think about possible scenarios that could’ve saved his partner’s life.
The older man’s face was right in front of his closed eyes and he damned the bandages because he couldn’t just open them to look at something to distract himself. He felt trapped in his own mind and it seemed like he couldn’t find a way out of it until his friend suddenly spoke again.
“The Chief wants to visit his wife at the beginning of the week and he asked if anyone would like to go with him. I’m gonna go if I’m not stuck workin’ another shift at the time.”
“Michael…” he shook his head, knowing after everything that had happened recently the last thing his friend needed was to deal with this too.
“It’s the right thing to do and if you were in any condition to do it you know you’d be there.” He didn’t have a single doubt that once Kyle was back in shape he’d pay the family a visit to express his own condolences.
“He’s got four kids.”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“And just like that his kids are left without a father, his wife without a husband.” He sighed raggedly. “It can happen so quick, man. It’s not right.”
“No, it fuckin’ sucks.”
They sat in silence for a while before Kyle finally spoke up. “Go home and get some sleep, Guerin. You’re dead on your feet,” he grimaced at his choice of words, “and if you fall asleep in that chair you’re gonna be hurtin’ when you wake up.”
He nodded and rubbed his hands over his face again. “Yeah.” It was Kyle’s way of saying he wanted to be alone and he respected his friend’s wishes. “One more thing though,” he suddenly remembered and although he didn’t want to add to the never ending shit-list, he was sure his friend would be pissed if he found out later that he’d kept it from him to spare him.
“Just hit me with it,” Kyle said, resigned.
“Carter told me earlier that Maria was mugged in the subway last evening.” He got up, intending to leave soon. “She’s as okay as she can be after the shock I guess. Texted with her shortly over Tess’ cell since the asshole who mugged her got hers.”
“Who brought on the bad karma, man?” his friend grumbled in disbelief.
“That’s just our fuckin’ luck lately. At least some guy Max knows helped her out.” He glanced at the door when it opened slightly and Rhonda peered in to make sure they were okay. “I’m on my way out,” he told her quietly and she nodded and closed the door again.
“Yeah, I guess,” came Kyle’s weak response. All they could do was sit back and watch as everything around them seemed to fall apart. He hated this helpless feeling and he knew how much his roommate hated it as well. “Are you an’ Maria okay?”
“If I knew,” Michael sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. “There’re things to figure out, but right now my brain’s wrapped up in so many things I can’t think straight.”
Kyle nodded. It wasn’t really the right time to leave Maria on her own when she needed her closest friends the most, but he understood his best friend as well. At some point things built up and became too much to deal with and Guerin was already way past that point from what he could tell. “Go take a break.” He held his fisted hand out in front of him and waited until Michael bumped it with his.
“Yeah.” Sleep wouldn’t come easy, no matter how exhausted he was, but laying down sounded good right now. “Take care.”
Earth2Mama: Max definitely gets major points for that scene, doesn’t he?
Kyle will be in for a difficult time with this news.
Well, there’s no telling what Tess might plan, but there’s a certain firefighter who’s gonna be needing her attention very soon so that may just keep her busy.
sarammlover: Max is definitely raking in the points this week, lol. Dan’s loss is going to be felt very deeply. Things have to start looking up soon.
keepsmiling7: Thanks!
Lol, yeah, maybe they didn’t get that night together that they had planned, but she’s sure to make sure that it happens soon.
begonia9508: Ah, yes, “Chicago Fire” is a great show! You’re so right about that bond that exists between people in this line of work. It’s such a necessary thing.
Things have indeed been very dark for our gang in recent updates, but never fear, eventually the light will shine through. That positive news is coming, so be on the lookout for it!
Rodney: Lol, Tess is nothing if not loyal!
And at the same time, you’re absolutely right. Courtney hasn’t done anything that deserves being disliked to such an extreme.
Judging a book by its cover is rarely the smart move, but it just goes to show that everyone at some point or other does exactly that.
Roswelllostcause: We’re not sure… Liz isn’t sharing any information on that.
CandyliciousLovah: The girls are very good friends and their friendships are only getting stronger with every obstacle that gets thrown in their path.
A/N: We are taking an early summer break this year and are going to be back June, 15th.
Part 143
Karma
Max turned his head to look at the girls when one of them asked him a question. “Huh?”
“I asked if you know a guy named Blake?” Tess asked with a roll of her eyes at his lack of attention.
“Not that I know of,” he answered with a shrug of his shoulders. “Why?”
“Because he helped Maria and we were just wondering what you know about him.” She shook her head at him. “Weren’t you listening at all?”
“It’s kinda hard to follow with all of you talkin’ at the same time.” He started putting the recipe together. “Why’d you think I might know him?”
“He knows you. He’s a big guy,” Maria spoke up. “He has a tattoo on the back of his hand but I’m not sure what it was. Some sort of skull, maybe some words… I didn’t really get a chance to figure out what it was.”
He snapped his fingers before reaching for the pot of boiling water. “Okay, yeah, I know who you’re talkin’ about. I can vouch for him.”
“What’re you making?” Isabel asked.
“Well, I figure you girls are in for a long evening of commiserating about a very shitty day and that’ll probably include alcohol.” He finished filling the plastic shot glasses he’d unearthed from the back of the cabinet with the glasses and picked up the shallow baking pan he’d used to line them up on. “Give these about an hour and you’ll have some pretty decent jell-o shots.” He made a face at the pan as he steadied it while shoving a bunch of yogurt, fruit, and other crap out of the way to make space in the refrigerator. Watermelon jell-o and rum… the girls would love them. He’d rather have something stronger. He straightened up and turned when he felt a hand on his back and he looked down at Liz. “Despite the fact that I’m a man and you’re the hottest woman on Earth, I already figured that out on my own.” One corner of his mouth turned up in a half grin and he leaned down for a brief kiss.
“You’re still staying with us, right?”
“Sure,” he agreed. “Unless you girls wanna be alone.” He knew when to make his escape, sometimes girls wanted a night on their own.
“No,” she leaned against him. “I think it’s good you’re here. Neither Isabel or Maria are in a really good place and you’ve always been great at supporting them.”
He nodded quietly and put one arm around her while he glanced to the other girls, who were all joining him in the kitchen now, taking seats on barstools or the counter itself. “What about Guerin and Carter?”
“Tony picked me up from the subway earlier, but he had to leave for work. Michael’s at work as well.” Would he be here if he wasn’t working? Maria wondered. He had said he needed space, but he wouldn’t just ignore it when she got mugged. No way.
Max frowned. “Thought they’d both be off until tomorrow morning at least.”
“They were supposed to be but they got called in again,” Tess answered first and went to get her cell when it buzzed on the coffee table. She returned seconds later, holding it out to Maria. “Seems like Tony told my brother. He wants to know if you’re okay.”
“Your cell’s gone too?” the only man in the room asked.
“Yeah, cell, some money and one credit card, and before you ask, yes, we already locked it.” She took the phone from Tess and punched in a message to send back to him.
I’m okay, just a little shaken up. Don’t let this affect your attention at work! Maria *hugs*
For a moment she thought about adding something sweet or flirty, but she pressed the send button before she handed the cell back to her friend.
“Any news about Alex?” Max looked at Isabel and damned himself when the question was enough to bring tears to her eyes – a sight he had never seen with her normally strong and composed appearance.
“No. We went to the police and they won’t get into it until he’s been missing for 48 hours. His cell’s still turned off. The police suggested looking for videotapes at my apartment building that would prove Richard or someone else broke into my apartment since the pics he sent me of Alex are also gone.”
He lifted an eyebrow, alarmed. “It’s good you’re not staying there right now. What about the tapes?”
“There’s nothing,” she sighed, frustrated. “The tapes got ‘accidently’ deleted.”
“Yeah, right,” he snorted.
“So, you said you’d vouch for that Blake guy,” Tess leaned on the counter. “Why?” Isabel had been off all day and going another round on Alex’ missing state would only pull her down more.
Max knew what the youngest blonde was trying to do and he agreed with a slight nod when she shook her head at him. “Served with him in Iraq,” he answered shortly.
“You never told us that you served,” Isabel said, watching him. It was clear the admission alone had been enough to set his nerves on edge.
He shrugged and busied himself rearranging things on the countertop. “Not a lot to tell.”
Liz rested her hand on the small of his back, rubbing small circles there in an effort to calm him down. She could feel the tension in him and in spite of his insistence to the contrary she knew he feared rejection from the people closest to him over his military service and the subsequent medical discharge.
“You don’t have to talk about it, Maxie,” Maria said with a reassuring smile.
“Yeah, well, it’s not that big a deal.” They all knew that he had a military past courtesy of his recent court date, but so far none of them had brought it up.
“If it wasn’t you would’ve told us about it,” Isabel pointed out softly and flicked a wadded up napkin at him. “Were you worried we’d think you were nuts or something?”
“Oh, my God, you did not just say that,” Tess hissed.
“Isabel!” Maria gasped.
The tall blonde held a hand up, silencing them. “Is that what you really think of us? That we’re so small-minded that we’d judge you for receiving a medical discharge?”
He shifted uncomfortably. “I didn’t say that.”
“I think you fit in with our group pretty well,” Maria smirked.
“Lucky me,” he said with a small grin.
“And you know for a fact we love men in uniform,” she added with a smirk.
“No more uniforms.” He shook his head and shuddered. “Back to your subway savior though... I never called the guy Blake, no one did really. Everyone called him Hawk because his eyesight was unreal and he could pick off a target so far out no one else could even see them.”
“Interesting,” Tess leaned on the counter with a smirk. “He still in the Army?”
He nodded. “Yeah, when it came time to get out he re-enlisted.” He snorted. “He enjoys military life and it suits him.”
“Too bad you didn’t take a pic of him, now I’m really curious about what this guy looks like.”
Maria rolled her eyes at the youngest woman. “How was I gonna take a pic? My cell’s gone. Thanks for the reminder, bitch.” She winked to take the sting out of her words.
Tess made a face and stuck her tongue out at her. “Well, we’re gonna have to invite him to a party or something otherwise I’m gonna die of curiosity.”
Max chuckled. “He’s actually coming to the shop on Monday. He was there today and made an appointment.”
“And it won’t be obvious or anything if the three of you show up at the shop,” Liz said and rolled her eyes even though she was running over her own schedule at the same time.
“He did admire your shots,” he pointed a look at Maria.
“He’s a guy,” she said with a smirk, “of course he liked them.”
“Small world, isn’t it?” Isabel shook her head. “I mean, what’re the chances that a guy in New York City comes to your shop, and he served with you, and then goes on the subway and helps someone who turns out to be your friend.”
“Yeah.” Max chuckled at a memory. “That mugger’s lucky Hawk didn’t get his hands on him.”
“Well, if he’s good with his hands he could put them on Maria,” Tess waggled her eyebrows. She knew her friend would never go for it considering the newest events with Michael; she was just teasing after all the darkness today.
“I wouldn’t know about all that,” Max muttered when Maria gave Tess a shove that had the younger girl grabbing onto the counter to maintain her balance. “There was never any shortage of girls when we were on leave though.”
“Interesting,” Liz looked at him with lifted eyebrows.
“They flocked to the guy like crazy.” He held his hands up. “They weren’t interested in me once he started tellin’ his war stories. Once he opened his mouth and his heroics came out they were fallin’ at his feet.”
“That’s just what the planet needs, another womanizer,” Maria snorted.
“Hawk’s a big flirt. It didn’t really go beyond that for a long time, but then he got a Dear John letter from his girl and,” he shrugged, “well, you can’t really blame the guy for any hook-ups that happened after that.”
“Now you just turned him back into an attractive man,” Isabel smirked. A good looking guy who had a girl at home and got hurt over it while he was at war? Hell, there were books and movies full of that stuff.
“Looks like I’ll need to clear some space in the studio on Monday,” he said dryly.
Maria smirked. Getting to know the guy who had helped her would definitely be interesting. Right now she really wished her heart wasn’t set on Michael and she could consider this new guy as someone who had dating potential.
“Um-hmm, this should be interesting.” Max reached for the bottle of water he’d gotten earlier and took a drink.
Isabel tensed when her cell started to ring and she almost ran to get it, only to realize that it was ‘just’ her father. “It’s Dad, I’m gonna talk to him in the yard,” she pointed outside.
Tess snickered. “I’m glad it’s her and not me getting that call.”
“Why would it be bad? You’re lucky to have a father like him.” Maria shook her head.
“It’s not bad, goofy, but he’s gonna be in lecture mode once he’s made sure she’s alright.”
“He just worries and he’s kinda right. She should’ve come clean sooner.”
“She thought she could handle it,” Tess defended her sister even though she agreed.
“Yeah, I know. Bad judgment an’ all,” the blonde waved her off. “The only one to blame is Dick, and Kennedy in some twisted way. Assholes.”
“Yeah, I can’t wait until they get what’s coming to them.” Tess reached over and flicked Liz’ tightly fisted hand where it rested on the counter. “I hope you’ve finally accepted that Kennedy’s involvement isn’t your fault in any way.”
“I’m working on it,” the brunette forced a smile.
“They’re gonna get caught eventually,” Max spoke up.
“Yeah, and then they can rot in their cells,” Maria agreed. “Right next to that freaking mugger asshole.”
“So ladies,” the only male in the room clapped his hands and looked at each of them. “The night’s still young, what am I gonna do with you all?”
“Give it up,” Tess snorted, “we agreed to pity ourselves and darn life tonight.”
He snorted. “Well, then, how about some music and a few drinks then?”
“Sure, why not?” Maria shrugged. “Make it A LOT of drinks though. I wanna forget this crappy day.”
Isabel walked back in. “I second that.
“What’d Dad say?”
“Not much,” she took a seat again. “I told him I’d stop by tomorrow to talk.”
“Want me to come?”
She looked at her younger sister and shrugged one shoulder. “If you want to.”
Max went to check on the drinks in the refrigerator, deciding they had to be ready, and took them out.
“Someone should stay sober,” Isabel said. “You know… in case Alex calls or something.”
He looked at her and then nodded. “You girls drink, I’ll stick with water.”
*****
It was cold, which was just ridiculous. Nowhere in the city was it cold right now. If you were really lucky you might happen upon a store with really good air conditioning, but he was sure he wasn’t in a store. Or if he was, the amenities sucked and he’d have to have a few choice words with the management.
“Focus, Whitman, you’re startin’ to get delirious.” He started to shake his head but immediately had to rethink that move when it caused the room to spin.
Dick’s lackey had come in some time ago – it felt like hours, but for all he knew it could’ve been minutes – and he’d ignored the insults at first, thinking the guy would get bored and just leave him be after a while. But when that hadn’t gotten a rise out of him the bruiser had aimed a kick at his ribs that had hurt like hell and he’d refused to back down from a direct assault. He’d managed to land a couple of solid hits, more luck than skill, before the side of the guy’s hand had impacted with his windpipe. That had been enough to drop him to his knees and while he was struggling to catch his breath he’d been blindfolded, grabbed by the shirt, and half-dragged to another area of the building.
He had no idea where they were but there was water and a lot of it in the room the guy had taken him to next. He’d been shoved head first into water and held down repeatedly while the asshole cursed at him and just when he’d been sure he was gonna black out he’d been hauled off to another room and thrown back into darkness. The room was cold and he was soaking wet, not a good combination. By the time this was over he was gonna have the mother of all colds to contend with.
He reached up to gingerly rub his throat, wincing at the soreness there. He could just imagine how long it would take to heal. He suddenly sneezed and his throat hurt like hell. He carefully dropped his head back to rest it against the wall and looked around in the darkness, unable to make out anything that might be useful to identifying his location.
He wrapped his arms tighter around himself as a chill raced down his spine and he wondered if anyone had realized he was missing yet. Was anyone worried? Had they noticed he hadn’t made it to the party after the photo shoot at the studio? He had told Isabel he was planning to go so he was sure she’d realize something was wrong. She knew he’d had plans to visit with his sister beforehand. She wouldn’t just ignore it, she’d tell someone, go for help. Someone had to have seen something.
Right?
*****
The hallway seemed longer than normal. Or maybe it was the fact that here lately every time he walked this hall he was carrying the burden of bad news. The sun wasn’t up yet but the sky showed all the signs of dawn preparing to break over the horizon. His feet felt like they were filled with lead weights, every step taking an effort he almost didn’t feel he had the energy to expend.
He lifted a hand to wave to Rhonda where she stood behind the nurses’ station, her blue eyes concerned as she took in his appearance. “I know it’s late… or early… whatever. I know he doesn’t sleep a lot here so…”
“Go on, but you’re almost out on your feet so keep it short, Guerin.”
He raised his right hand and snapped off a mock salute that drew a slight glare from her.
“You keep it up and you’re gonna be in the unoccupied bed in his room. And if you have any doubts that I can put you there…”
He gave her a tired smile and nodded. “I promise I won’t pass out on your watch.”
“Um-hmm, go on and have your visit. And if you happen to pass out, put your ass in that bed first, got it?” The exhaustion was clear in his features, but there was something else there and she had a feeling whatever it was, it was bad.
“Will do,” he muttered, although he wasn’t planning to do so. Sleep sounded good to his ears, but if he was going to crash, then it’d be in his own four walls, and he had a feeling he once that happened he wouldn’t be getting up for the next 24 hours.
“Michael,” one of the younger nurses greeted him in the doorway with a flirty smile. He couldn’t remember her name and he didn’t have the energy to even look at her name tag to find out. “You’re up early. Have the night shift at the station?”
“Yeah,” he grunted and passed her, glad that he’d finally reached his friend’s room so he could avoid small talk.
His relief faded as soon as he closed the door behind him and his gaze fell on his friend who was lying in the bed, headrest raised, so he was almost sure he was awake.
“Brittney has a thing for men in uniform,” Kyle said by way of greeting when he felt his friend nearing his bed. He had overheard the nurse’s attempt to flirt, but obviously she’d been dismissed.
“Bet she’s happy you can’t run away from her then.” He stopped at the foot of the bed and placed both hands on the rail there, relieved that the other man couldn’t see his face right now.
“What’re you doin’ here, Guerin? Your shift’s over and they’ve beaten your ass back and forth at the station for days. Go home an’ get some sleep.”
“I will soon,” Michael agreed, his tone weary.
“Wanna have a seat or you gonna just stand there an’ stare at the floor all night?”
He reached up to rub the back of his neck. He could think on it for the next month and he still wouldn’t come up with a good way to tell Kyle the news. There was no good way to tell anyone that a coworker, a friend, was dead.
“You’re too quiet, Guerin. What’s goin’ on?”
“Too many bad things comin’ on all at once.”
“Hell, once a bad streak starts it seems like it’ll never stop.” He tipped his head back and had his eyes been undamaged he would’ve been staring at the ceiling. “Rough night on the job?”
“Yeah.” He reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Chief McCoy called a meeting partway through shift.”
“The relief crew from Jersey fall through?”
“He said they’re still workin’ on that so maybe it won’t be much longer.” He ran a hand through his hair before moving around to drop down into the lone chair next to the bed. “Kyle, there’s somethin’ I’ve gotta tell you.”
Warning bells went off in his head at the quiet use of his first name. “Cody’s okay?”
“He’s holdin’ his own for now.”
The bells got even louder as he went over the conversation so far. “You said the Chief called a meeting,” he swallowed hard. “Who was it?” Not Dan, he thought. Don’t let him say Dan had lost the fight.
Michael exhaled loudly while his body slumped down in the chair. “Dan.” His voice didn’t sound like his own and when he used his hands to rub his face, he felt the wetness leaving his eyes. Keep it together, Guerin! He brushed the few tears away and forced his thoughts back until nothing but blank emptiness was left. “He died earlier tonight.”
The room went silent and Kyle was thankful his friend didn’t add any empty phrases about how he was sorry or how good people always died too young. None of that would help the situation, so sitting together in companionable silence was all they could take at the moment
Dan had been his partner for over a year now; they had worked almost every shift together, had fought a lot of crazy fires together, had shared a few moments of heroic happiness after handling an emergency call, as well as shared their depression over losing someone in a horrifying accident.
He was gone, Kyle realized, and his mind took him back to the fateful night of the accident. There was nothing he could’ve done to prevent this from happening, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t think about possible scenarios that could’ve saved his partner’s life.
The older man’s face was right in front of his closed eyes and he damned the bandages because he couldn’t just open them to look at something to distract himself. He felt trapped in his own mind and it seemed like he couldn’t find a way out of it until his friend suddenly spoke again.
“The Chief wants to visit his wife at the beginning of the week and he asked if anyone would like to go with him. I’m gonna go if I’m not stuck workin’ another shift at the time.”
“Michael…” he shook his head, knowing after everything that had happened recently the last thing his friend needed was to deal with this too.
“It’s the right thing to do and if you were in any condition to do it you know you’d be there.” He didn’t have a single doubt that once Kyle was back in shape he’d pay the family a visit to express his own condolences.
“He’s got four kids.”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“And just like that his kids are left without a father, his wife without a husband.” He sighed raggedly. “It can happen so quick, man. It’s not right.”
“No, it fuckin’ sucks.”
They sat in silence for a while before Kyle finally spoke up. “Go home and get some sleep, Guerin. You’re dead on your feet,” he grimaced at his choice of words, “and if you fall asleep in that chair you’re gonna be hurtin’ when you wake up.”
He nodded and rubbed his hands over his face again. “Yeah.” It was Kyle’s way of saying he wanted to be alone and he respected his friend’s wishes. “One more thing though,” he suddenly remembered and although he didn’t want to add to the never ending shit-list, he was sure his friend would be pissed if he found out later that he’d kept it from him to spare him.
“Just hit me with it,” Kyle said, resigned.
“Carter told me earlier that Maria was mugged in the subway last evening.” He got up, intending to leave soon. “She’s as okay as she can be after the shock I guess. Texted with her shortly over Tess’ cell since the asshole who mugged her got hers.”
“Who brought on the bad karma, man?” his friend grumbled in disbelief.
“That’s just our fuckin’ luck lately. At least some guy Max knows helped her out.” He glanced at the door when it opened slightly and Rhonda peered in to make sure they were okay. “I’m on my way out,” he told her quietly and she nodded and closed the door again.
“Yeah, I guess,” came Kyle’s weak response. All they could do was sit back and watch as everything around them seemed to fall apart. He hated this helpless feeling and he knew how much his roommate hated it as well. “Are you an’ Maria okay?”
“If I knew,” Michael sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. “There’re things to figure out, but right now my brain’s wrapped up in so many things I can’t think straight.”
Kyle nodded. It wasn’t really the right time to leave Maria on her own when she needed her closest friends the most, but he understood his best friend as well. At some point things built up and became too much to deal with and Guerin was already way past that point from what he could tell. “Go take a break.” He held his fisted hand out in front of him and waited until Michael bumped it with his.
“Yeah.” Sleep wouldn’t come easy, no matter how exhausted he was, but laying down sounded good right now. “Take care.”
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Part 144
Natalie36: Things have to start looking up soon.
Earth2Mama: Lol, aren’t we all?
Kyle definitely needed to hear about Dan from a friend. He wasn’t ready to really talk it out yet though. He’ll get there.
Alex hasn’t gotten away and he isn’t doing very well at the moment. We’ll just have to hope that his luck changes soon.
sarammlover: Lol, that was a horrible place to leave everyone, wasn’t it? Well, maybe this update will be a little lighter.
Eva: Alex’s situation isn’t good, but it’s a good sign that he’s still holding on.
Opening up about his past, even a little bit, will really help Max.
Michael is exhausted in every way possible and he needs rest. Now that he’s spoken with Kyle maybe he’ll be able to get some.
Vacation was wonderful, thank you!
keepsmiling7: Thanks!
Max gets extra points for that one, lol.
We’ll be learning more about Max’s past in coming parts.
kismet: Lol, we haven’t yet found a way to clone Max… stay tuned though. Liz wasn’t willing to part with him, so until we do get that cloning business figured out…
Alex is still hanging on and he won’t give up without a fight.
We’ll see the guys dealing with Dan’s loss in coming parts.
And we may just be seeing more of Blake.
Vacation was great, thank you!
begonia9508: Thanks!
Lol, yeah, Max is definitely one courageous man!
Yeah, Alex isn’t in a good position at the moment.
Michael and Kyle will each be dealing with their loss in coming parts.
Vacation was great… nice and sunny for the most part, thanks!
Roswelllostcause: Well, unfortunately, Liz said you couldn’t have hers. Although there seems to be a huge demand for Max, so we’ll get back to you when we figure out the cloning situation.
CandyliciousLovah: Yeah, Alex is in a bad situation. Kyle needed to hear that news from someone close to him.
Part 144
Female Intuition
“Men are dumb,” Maria slurred as she stared glassy-eyed at the television.
They had been up for too many hours watching movies and taking turns crying about whatever it was that made their lives suck at the moment. They’d drunk too many drinks and downed way too many shots, but they’d finally had enough of them that they’d succeeded in their mission to drown out the pain.
“Not all of them,” Liz said and shook her head. She reached up to stop the motion with both hands and couldn’t figure out why the room kept moving around her.
“Yeah, well,” Isabel pointed at her, lifting a finger from the glass she was holding, “you won the man lottery.”
“He’s sweet, isn’t he?” The brunette shot a goofy look in her boyfriend’s direction. He was sprawled out in one of the armchairs, his long legs stretched out and his booted feet resting on one corner of the coffee table.
Tess wrinkled her nose. “He snores.” She tried to mimic the sounds he was making and only succeeded in snorting, which set off another round of drunken giggles from the four of them.
“It’s cute though.”
Maria rolled her eyes and the motion made the ceiling spin when she dropped her head back to rest against the couch. “S’gotta be love if you think that racket’s cute.”
“I think it’s calming,” she shrugged, her bottom lip sticking out in a pout. It was the truth, since the day Max and she had gotten back together she found the sounds he made during sleep calming and entertaining, simply because he was there because he wanted to be and she wanted him to be.
“Love is in the air,” Tess began to sing.
“Everywhere I look around,” Isabel and Maria set in with a grin.
“Love is in the air every sight and every sound.”
Liz laughed and continued when all of the blonde women started to giggle.
“And I don't know if I'm being foolish
don't know if I'm being wise
but it's something that I must believe in
and it's there when I look in your eyes.”
Their situation was way too serious in too many ways and the only thing that seemed to keep them sane right now was doing childish things, like singing cheesy love songs while being way too drunk.
Maria tapped with her feet against the coffee table while Isabel and Tess used their hands to drum against the cushions of the couch and they all set it for the next verse.
“Love is in the air in the whisper of the trees
love is in the air in the thunder of the sea
and I don't know if I'm just dreaming
don't know if I feel sane
but it's something that I must believe in
and it's there when you call out my name
Love is in the air love is in the air oh oh oh”
Max shifted and cracked one eye open when the racket of four drunken girls singing finally pulled him out of a deep sleep. He chuckled quietly and shook his head before settling deeper into the cushions and heading back for dreamland. He’d been drawn into enough of their debates, rants, and some pretty goofy games throughout the night and the last thing he wanted to do was sing with them. He made a face. He sure as hell wasn’t singing whatever that was!
“What time is it?” Maria asked when they had finished the song.
Isabel leaned forward to check the clock on the microwave in the kitchen. “Half past five.”
“Past time for all good little girls to be in bed,” Max mumbled.
Liz snorted. “We’re past being good girls.”
That drew a laugh from him. “Then it’s definitely past time for you to be in bed.”
“You’re probably right,” she leaned her head against the backrest.
That had gone right over her head, he thought with an internal snort.
Maria was watching him and when she saw him roll his eyes she giggled. “I think he meant getting a bad girl in his bed,” she whispered, or at least in her drunken state she thought it was a whisper.
Tess threw her head back and laughed. “Deluca, she’s nowhere near capable of that in her state.”
She tried to glare at her friend but her face felt funny. “Well, of course not!”
“Ladies, ladies, calm down before you get your panties in a twist,” Max said, waving his hands to get their attention. “It was just a little teasing and right now about the only thing the four of you are gonna be doin’ in a bed is passing out.”
“You’re right,” Maria agreed and sat up. “And that’s what I’m gonna do now!”
He bolted to his feet and nearly tripped over the coffee table in his haste to reach her when she got to her feet too fast and started to stumble. “Let’s take it easy there, huh?”
“I can do it myself,” she denied and brushed his hands off.
“Um-hmm, and when you do a face plant and you’ve gotta explain why you can’t do your next shoot because your nose is all mashed up like a Pug’s?”
Maria snorted, but didn’t say anything when he steadied her again.
“C’mon, let’s get you to bed.”
“You okay on your own?” Tess leaned her head forward to look at her friend.
She nodded. “Unless you have an idea how you can magically beam Michael into it, I think I’m okay.”
“I think we’d need to call Scotty up,” Liz said and snickered.
“Scotty,” Maria frowned and it took her a full three seconds to understand the joke.
“She’s a closet Trekkie,” Max whispered as he guided her to the doorway.
“I’m gonna hit the sheets as well,” Tess decided and tested her stance when she got up. After standing still for several seconds, she nodded to herself and moved to carry the glasses into the kitchen.
Isabel looked around the living room and patted the cushions she was sitting on. The couch was comfortable but once everyone went to bed she’d be all alone out here. And she was used to that, usually even welcomed it, but with everything going on right now she wasn’t so sure she wanted that.
“I got a couch in my room too. Ya wanna crash here or...” Tess asked.
“Well,” the tall blonde said after a moment, “I guess if you don’t wanna be alone I can sleep on your couch.” She got up before Tess could change her mind, weaving for a moment and shooting a grateful smile at Liz when she reached out to steady her.
“I think we’re all gonna need tons of coffee in a few hours.”
“I think I’m gonna need a bottle of aspirin,” Liz mumbled as she slid sideways and landed face-first in the cushions.
“You’re lucky,” Tess called from the kitchen. “We got tons of it.”
Her response was muffled but it was too much of an effort to move.
“G’night, Parker, stay here until your hero gets back and carries you to bed.”
“Mmm’kay.” She tried to raise a hand to let her know she intended to follow that advice but she wasn’t sure she actually achieved that goal.
*****
Tess reached up to shade her eyes, hoping to block even the smallest bit of sunlight from slipping past her sunglasses. It was bright outside and already the mercury was climbing up towards the hundred degree mark. The air was hot and stuffy and she welcomed the cool interior of the hospital as she stepped through the automatic double doors. She rode the elevator up to the floor where Kyle’s room was, leaning back against the wall and listening with half an ear to the solemn conversation between the couple riding in the car with her.
Tony had stopped by to check on them while Max was making himself some breakfast. The girls had all declined the offer of food and sent him off with a warning to stay away from them until he’d finished eating. The firefighter had come in bearing the gift of four large coffees from Starbucks and they had flocked to him. He’d taken a few minutes making sure they were okay and that other than the basic hangover they weren’t suffering any ill effects from their night of drinking.
Then he’d told them about the Chief’s meeting at the station and she’d felt her heart drop into her toes. She knew how close Kyle was to the man he’d been partnered with. Maybe she didn’t completely understand the relationships the firefighters and paramedics shared, but facing death together forged respect even if not a friendship and she knew they’d had both. Michael would be devastated over the loss as well but between Isabel and Maria they’d have him covered. She’d thought about going to see him but she knew he’d want to be left alone so she’d decided to pay Kyle a visit and see how he was doing.
The doors opened on his floor and she stepped out, looking around and thinking how different the halls were during the day. In the evening there were fewer people, the lights were lower, and conversations were hushed. During the day the halls were bustling with activity, the blinds on the windows that lined the hall on one side open to let the sunlight in, and voices weren’t kept quite as low.
She glanced through the open doorway to his room, waiting out in the hallway when she saw the nurse standing there making notations in his chart. She stood there until the woman was finished and nodded with a slight smile when she left the room. “How is he?” she asked quietly.
“Moody,” the other woman replied shortly and went over the things in the cart she had parked in front of the room. “Sorry, busy day. We’re a few people short.”
Tess nodded and slipped into his room, closing the door behind her. He was laying back, his head turned toward the window. It was easy to see by his demeanor that he was deep in thought and she knew they weren’t good thoughts. “Hey,” she said softly, her fingertips ghosting over the outline of his leg beneath the light blanket covering him.
Kyle sighed. He had known it was only a matter of time until one of his friends came to check on him, but he really wasn’t in the mood for it yet.
“I thought I’d come sit here with you for a while if that’s okay.”
So she knows, he realized and stayed frozen in his position. News like that spread like wildfire, so he wasn’t surprised and maybe also a bit relieved that he wasn’t the one who had to tell anyone.
“I mean, we don’t even have to talk or anything if you don’t want to.” She pulled the chair closer to his bed and sank down into it, grateful to be off of her feet.
For several long moments they sat there in silence and all he could hear was her breathing and the sounds out in the hallway. He turned his head in her direction, the movement barely noticeable. “So you came to sit here and say nothing?”
“I don’t know.” And she really didn’t. She just wanted to be there for him and if that meant sitting together in companionable silence then she would do that. But no, apparently he just wanted someone to argue with. No, she would be patient with him. “We can talk if you want.”
“I wouldn’t know about what.”
“Did you know Isabel likes to play pin the tail on the donkey when she’s plastered?”
He had a hard time following her change of topics. “What?”
“Isabel got loaded last night and she wanted to play pin the tail on the donkey. You know, where there’s a picture of a donkey you put up on a wall or whatever and then you blindfold one person and give them the tail and you turn them a few times to get their sense of direction all screwed up and then turn them loose to see if they can pin the tail on the donkey.”
Kyle almost laughed but it ended up in a snort. “Interesting to hear what you girls do on Saturday nights when we guys aren’t around.”
“I didn’t say the rest of us wanted to play. I thought we should have Richard and Trent’s faces put on piñatas and then beat the hell out of them, but that would’ve taken a lot more time than Isabel drawing a really bad picture of a donkey.” She snorted. “Max ended up having to save the day and draw the stupid donkey because she wouldn’t shut up about it.”
“Bet he had his hands full with you all.”
That was probably true. “He does very well at bartending so if he ever decides to switch careers he won’t have to worry about money.”
“So you girls got loaded last night?” He shook his head, wishing he could’ve done just that as well.
“Yeah, we kinda needed it and Max offered to babysit.”
“How’s Maria doing?”
“A little better after last night. Max was great about handling things and he made threats against certain guys at all the right moments. It helped get rid of some of the tension.” Although she had a feeling she wouldn’t wanna be that mugger if Max ever faced off with him.
“Good,” he nodded shortly and turned his head towards the window again.
“What’d the doctor say when he made his rounds this morning? Has he given you a release date yet?”
“Tuesday. Maybe.”
“That’s only a couple more days, that’s great!”
“Yeah, great,” he said, but there was nothing emotional in his voice.
“I’m really sorry about your partner,” she said after a few minutes. She’d never met the man but she’d heard plenty about him.
The muscles along his jaw tightened until he forced them to relax again and he gave her a silent nod. He knew everyone was sorry, but it didn’t bring Dan back and it wasn’t helping the situation at all.
“If there’s anything you need or...” she trailed off. The words were sincere, but what could anyone really do for the person who had suffered a loss? “I’m sorry, I don’t know what to say to make things any better and... Maybe I should just go.”
Kyle bit his bottom lip. He didn’t have a clue what to say to her either, but when he felt her moving, he reached out to place his larger hand over hers before she could retrieve it from the bed. “Let’s just not talk about Dan. I know you’re sorry, but there’s nothing you can do about it.”
She nodded. “So, watch anything good on TV?”
“Any suggestions?” He handed her the remote.
“Well,” she glanced at the time as she turned the TV on, “there’s probably a baseball game on.”
Kyle nodded and moved over on his bed. “Wanna come up?”
It was crazy the way her heart leapt in response to those three little words. “Sure, there’s a better view from where you’re sitting.”
“It sure is,” he agreed.
She climbed up on the bed next to him and reached over to rearrange a few of the wires he was still attached to. She knew they were still monitoring his heart, watching it closely because of the bruising. She settled back next to him, her shoulder brushing against his and warmth spreading through her entire body at the contact.
“Were you able to eat anything yet?” he asked and pointed at the little cart next to his bed. “First drawer’s full of cookies. My mom seems to think it’d be good for me to eat one pack per day.”
“Your mom’s letting you have something you might actually enjoy?” she asked with a snort.
“They’re homemade and I bet they aren’t even a little unhealthy.”
Yeah, and she’d probably paid someone else to make them, she thought. “Well,” she leaned over and grabbed her bag, digging around in it for a moment and pulling out a small bag of chocolate chip cookies. “Here, Liz made these.”
“What is it?”
“Sorry, I keep forgetting. They’re chocolate chip cookies with walnuts.”
“I can see why Evans keeps her around,” he said with a grin and placed them aside since he didn’t feel hungry at the moment.
She rolled her eyes at him. “Yeah, I’m sure that’s one reason.”
He shrugged. “I’ve heard that some men prefer a woman with cooking skills.”
“Um-hmm, and you don’t?”
“There’s always McDonalds,” he joked.
“And Taco Bell,” she added with a smile.
“Oh, yeah, never forget Taco Bell,” he agreed and rested his head against the pillow. Okay, maybe having some company wasn’t that bad.
“And of course there’s Pizza Hut.”
“Burger King.”
“Subway.”
“White Castle.”
“Ohh, good one.” She just loved the tiny little burgers. “Long John Silvers.”
“Don’t forget IHOP.”
“Nope, no one makes better pancakes than IHOP.” She smiled. “Wingstop.” They made the best hot wings.
“Okay,” he lifted his hand. “That’s enough.”
She laughed and nodded. “Hey, some of them have stuff that’s kinda healthy.”
“Yeah, but who really orders it?”
“Well... some people.” She made a face. “Not me.”
“Good girl,” he patted her leg with his hand.
Her eyes locked on his hand. “Well, there’s always the intention to eat better, but really if you’re going out to eat at a fast food restaurant what’s the point? I mean, you’ve already kinda flushed that idea down by going someplace that cooks a meal in under five minutes.” She was babbling and could only hope that he didn’t notice or if he did, that he wouldn’t mention it.
“There’s nothing wrong with unhealthy food now and then if you find a way to get rid of the extra pounds.”
“True, and it’s not like we live on it or anything.”
Well, Michael and he used to live on it a lot, but somehow those times seemed so far away right now.
She rolled her eyes. “Besides, Liz makes us eat a decent meal at least once a day. I think it’s that whole ‘mom’ thing she has from taking care of Aaron.”
“Could be worse, I guess,” he shrugged with his good shoulder.
“She’s a really good cook. You’ll find out soon enough,” she said and nudged him with her shoulder.
“I guess I’m out of cooking an’ all,” he gestured to his eyes. “Unless you’d trust me with a knife right now.”
“Well, you can make sandwiches and chips until your eyes are healed and then we’ll let you cook us a meal.”
“You’re so generous.”
“It’s true,” she sighed. “I’ll get with the girls and we’ll come up with a menu for your return to the world of cooking.” She thought about that for a moment. “Um, you do know how to cook, right?”
He snorted. “Can your brother cook?”
“Well, I guess that really depends on your definition of cooking. If you mean can he open a can of Spaghetti O’s and heat them up in the microwave I guess you could say he can.”
“Then consider me at the same level.”
“We’ll want to do something about that then because I’m not really interested in canned cuisine, Valenti.”
“Who said I was gonna cook for you?” he asked, amused.
“Are you saying you wouldn’t?” she countered.
“I need to think about it.”
She shifted so that she could look at him. “What’s there to think about?”
“Hey, you said you’d cook for me. There was nothin’ in there that said I had to return the favor in exchange for stayin’ with you girls. Maybe I should reconsider my decision.”
“Huh-uh,” she grinned when his teasing tone was obvious. “Not a chance, Valenti.”
*****
Courtney dragged her luggage from the baggage conveyor belt when it passed her and then checked her cell again. There still wasn’t a message from Michael, which was just unnerving. He had said he’d try to change his work schedule to be able to see her and she wouldn’t mind if it hadn’t worked out, but leaving her hanging without so much as an update bothered her. She had tried to call him twice before her short flight back to the city and when he hadn’t picked up, she had texted him the time she would be arriving.
Maybe he’s waiting for me outside, she thought and her mood lightened a notch. Adjusting the hand-bar on her trolley, she started to drag it through LaGuardia Airport. It took a few minutes before she finally reached the exit and she glanced around to see if there was any sign of Michael or his Avalanche, but she couldn’t make out either of them.
“Hey!” she shouted and lifted her free arm when a yellow cab passed on the busy street in front of the airport, but the driver ignored her. “Great,” she muttered and blew her hair out of her face. The humid air in the city wasn’t something she had missed on her short trip; she could feel the drops of sweat that were already building at the back of her neck. Ungh.
“Hey!” she tried again and was relieved when the cab stopped and the driver even hurried out and around to take her luggage from her. “Thanks.”
“No problem, ma’am,” the Puerto Rican man said in his dialect and they both climbed into the car. “Where to?” He looked at her in the rearview mirror.
“Manhattan Midtown,” she told him and got her cell out to check it again, but there was still nothing. Great, she sighed and sank deeper into the seat.
Businesses, people, and cars, it all passed by in a blur as her thoughts stayed on Michael. In spite of the cabbie’s knowledge of the streets and his adept handling of his cab in the traffic that was heavy even for a Sunday, it still seemed to take forever to get to Manhattan. A fire truck raced by, sirens blaring and lights flashing, and she couldn’t stop herself from straightening up and sticking her head out the window in an effort to follow it with her eyes.
She didn’t know why she bothered except a lot of times the paramedic’s truck was racing against time, either right ahead of the fire engine or just behind it. She was shuffling back to take her seat again when something caught her eye and her head snapped back around so fast she’d probably be feeling the effects of the sudden movement later. Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head as her gaze landed on a billboard that she was certain ought to have an adult rating stamped on it somewhere.
It was the pure eroticism of the shot that captured her attention initially, but it scarcely took more than a heartbeat for her face to flush with humiliation and anger when she recognized the couple. Maybe if Michael was a male model and they were dating it would’ve been different; she would’ve been prepared to see the ad. But that wasn’t his job and he didn’t do photo shoots professionally.
Seeing her boyfriend half-naked and pressed up against a practically naked woman would be difficult enough if the woman was some random model. But she wasn’t. The woman in the shot with him was Maria. His best friend who she knew in her heart of hearts had feelings for him that went well beyond the boundaries of friendship. And judging by the hungry look in his features and the possessive way he held her thigh against his hip that photo shoot had triggered a positive response in him.
She dug her phone out of her bag again and punched the call button, waiting impatiently to see if he would answer this time. After seeing that billboard it was no wonder he wasn’t answering, she thought. Had something happened between them? Maybe something he didn’t want her to know about? She chewed on her thumbnail as she waited and waited, listening to the incessant ringing on the other end of the line.
Earth2Mama: Lol, aren’t we all?
Kyle definitely needed to hear about Dan from a friend. He wasn’t ready to really talk it out yet though. He’ll get there.
Alex hasn’t gotten away and he isn’t doing very well at the moment. We’ll just have to hope that his luck changes soon.
sarammlover: Lol, that was a horrible place to leave everyone, wasn’t it? Well, maybe this update will be a little lighter.
Eva: Alex’s situation isn’t good, but it’s a good sign that he’s still holding on.
Opening up about his past, even a little bit, will really help Max.
Michael is exhausted in every way possible and he needs rest. Now that he’s spoken with Kyle maybe he’ll be able to get some.
Vacation was wonderful, thank you!
keepsmiling7: Thanks!
Max gets extra points for that one, lol.
We’ll be learning more about Max’s past in coming parts.
kismet: Lol, we haven’t yet found a way to clone Max… stay tuned though. Liz wasn’t willing to part with him, so until we do get that cloning business figured out…
Alex is still hanging on and he won’t give up without a fight.
We’ll see the guys dealing with Dan’s loss in coming parts.
And we may just be seeing more of Blake.
Vacation was great, thank you!
begonia9508: Thanks!
Lol, yeah, Max is definitely one courageous man!
Yeah, Alex isn’t in a good position at the moment.
Michael and Kyle will each be dealing with their loss in coming parts.
Vacation was great… nice and sunny for the most part, thanks!
Roswelllostcause: Well, unfortunately, Liz said you couldn’t have hers. Although there seems to be a huge demand for Max, so we’ll get back to you when we figure out the cloning situation.
CandyliciousLovah: Yeah, Alex is in a bad situation. Kyle needed to hear that news from someone close to him.
Part 144
Female Intuition
“Men are dumb,” Maria slurred as she stared glassy-eyed at the television.
They had been up for too many hours watching movies and taking turns crying about whatever it was that made their lives suck at the moment. They’d drunk too many drinks and downed way too many shots, but they’d finally had enough of them that they’d succeeded in their mission to drown out the pain.
“Not all of them,” Liz said and shook her head. She reached up to stop the motion with both hands and couldn’t figure out why the room kept moving around her.
“Yeah, well,” Isabel pointed at her, lifting a finger from the glass she was holding, “you won the man lottery.”
“He’s sweet, isn’t he?” The brunette shot a goofy look in her boyfriend’s direction. He was sprawled out in one of the armchairs, his long legs stretched out and his booted feet resting on one corner of the coffee table.
Tess wrinkled her nose. “He snores.” She tried to mimic the sounds he was making and only succeeded in snorting, which set off another round of drunken giggles from the four of them.
“It’s cute though.”
Maria rolled her eyes and the motion made the ceiling spin when she dropped her head back to rest against the couch. “S’gotta be love if you think that racket’s cute.”
“I think it’s calming,” she shrugged, her bottom lip sticking out in a pout. It was the truth, since the day Max and she had gotten back together she found the sounds he made during sleep calming and entertaining, simply because he was there because he wanted to be and she wanted him to be.
“Love is in the air,” Tess began to sing.
“Everywhere I look around,” Isabel and Maria set in with a grin.
“Love is in the air every sight and every sound.”
Liz laughed and continued when all of the blonde women started to giggle.
“And I don't know if I'm being foolish
don't know if I'm being wise
but it's something that I must believe in
and it's there when I look in your eyes.”
Their situation was way too serious in too many ways and the only thing that seemed to keep them sane right now was doing childish things, like singing cheesy love songs while being way too drunk.
Maria tapped with her feet against the coffee table while Isabel and Tess used their hands to drum against the cushions of the couch and they all set it for the next verse.
“Love is in the air in the whisper of the trees
love is in the air in the thunder of the sea
and I don't know if I'm just dreaming
don't know if I feel sane
but it's something that I must believe in
and it's there when you call out my name
Love is in the air love is in the air oh oh oh”
Max shifted and cracked one eye open when the racket of four drunken girls singing finally pulled him out of a deep sleep. He chuckled quietly and shook his head before settling deeper into the cushions and heading back for dreamland. He’d been drawn into enough of their debates, rants, and some pretty goofy games throughout the night and the last thing he wanted to do was sing with them. He made a face. He sure as hell wasn’t singing whatever that was!
“What time is it?” Maria asked when they had finished the song.
Isabel leaned forward to check the clock on the microwave in the kitchen. “Half past five.”
“Past time for all good little girls to be in bed,” Max mumbled.
Liz snorted. “We’re past being good girls.”
That drew a laugh from him. “Then it’s definitely past time for you to be in bed.”
“You’re probably right,” she leaned her head against the backrest.
That had gone right over her head, he thought with an internal snort.
Maria was watching him and when she saw him roll his eyes she giggled. “I think he meant getting a bad girl in his bed,” she whispered, or at least in her drunken state she thought it was a whisper.
Tess threw her head back and laughed. “Deluca, she’s nowhere near capable of that in her state.”
She tried to glare at her friend but her face felt funny. “Well, of course not!”
“Ladies, ladies, calm down before you get your panties in a twist,” Max said, waving his hands to get their attention. “It was just a little teasing and right now about the only thing the four of you are gonna be doin’ in a bed is passing out.”
“You’re right,” Maria agreed and sat up. “And that’s what I’m gonna do now!”
He bolted to his feet and nearly tripped over the coffee table in his haste to reach her when she got to her feet too fast and started to stumble. “Let’s take it easy there, huh?”
“I can do it myself,” she denied and brushed his hands off.
“Um-hmm, and when you do a face plant and you’ve gotta explain why you can’t do your next shoot because your nose is all mashed up like a Pug’s?”
Maria snorted, but didn’t say anything when he steadied her again.
“C’mon, let’s get you to bed.”
“You okay on your own?” Tess leaned her head forward to look at her friend.
She nodded. “Unless you have an idea how you can magically beam Michael into it, I think I’m okay.”
“I think we’d need to call Scotty up,” Liz said and snickered.
“Scotty,” Maria frowned and it took her a full three seconds to understand the joke.
“She’s a closet Trekkie,” Max whispered as he guided her to the doorway.
“I’m gonna hit the sheets as well,” Tess decided and tested her stance when she got up. After standing still for several seconds, she nodded to herself and moved to carry the glasses into the kitchen.
Isabel looked around the living room and patted the cushions she was sitting on. The couch was comfortable but once everyone went to bed she’d be all alone out here. And she was used to that, usually even welcomed it, but with everything going on right now she wasn’t so sure she wanted that.
“I got a couch in my room too. Ya wanna crash here or...” Tess asked.
“Well,” the tall blonde said after a moment, “I guess if you don’t wanna be alone I can sleep on your couch.” She got up before Tess could change her mind, weaving for a moment and shooting a grateful smile at Liz when she reached out to steady her.
“I think we’re all gonna need tons of coffee in a few hours.”
“I think I’m gonna need a bottle of aspirin,” Liz mumbled as she slid sideways and landed face-first in the cushions.
“You’re lucky,” Tess called from the kitchen. “We got tons of it.”
Her response was muffled but it was too much of an effort to move.
“G’night, Parker, stay here until your hero gets back and carries you to bed.”
“Mmm’kay.” She tried to raise a hand to let her know she intended to follow that advice but she wasn’t sure she actually achieved that goal.
*****
Tess reached up to shade her eyes, hoping to block even the smallest bit of sunlight from slipping past her sunglasses. It was bright outside and already the mercury was climbing up towards the hundred degree mark. The air was hot and stuffy and she welcomed the cool interior of the hospital as she stepped through the automatic double doors. She rode the elevator up to the floor where Kyle’s room was, leaning back against the wall and listening with half an ear to the solemn conversation between the couple riding in the car with her.
Tony had stopped by to check on them while Max was making himself some breakfast. The girls had all declined the offer of food and sent him off with a warning to stay away from them until he’d finished eating. The firefighter had come in bearing the gift of four large coffees from Starbucks and they had flocked to him. He’d taken a few minutes making sure they were okay and that other than the basic hangover they weren’t suffering any ill effects from their night of drinking.
Then he’d told them about the Chief’s meeting at the station and she’d felt her heart drop into her toes. She knew how close Kyle was to the man he’d been partnered with. Maybe she didn’t completely understand the relationships the firefighters and paramedics shared, but facing death together forged respect even if not a friendship and she knew they’d had both. Michael would be devastated over the loss as well but between Isabel and Maria they’d have him covered. She’d thought about going to see him but she knew he’d want to be left alone so she’d decided to pay Kyle a visit and see how he was doing.
The doors opened on his floor and she stepped out, looking around and thinking how different the halls were during the day. In the evening there were fewer people, the lights were lower, and conversations were hushed. During the day the halls were bustling with activity, the blinds on the windows that lined the hall on one side open to let the sunlight in, and voices weren’t kept quite as low.
She glanced through the open doorway to his room, waiting out in the hallway when she saw the nurse standing there making notations in his chart. She stood there until the woman was finished and nodded with a slight smile when she left the room. “How is he?” she asked quietly.
“Moody,” the other woman replied shortly and went over the things in the cart she had parked in front of the room. “Sorry, busy day. We’re a few people short.”
Tess nodded and slipped into his room, closing the door behind her. He was laying back, his head turned toward the window. It was easy to see by his demeanor that he was deep in thought and she knew they weren’t good thoughts. “Hey,” she said softly, her fingertips ghosting over the outline of his leg beneath the light blanket covering him.
Kyle sighed. He had known it was only a matter of time until one of his friends came to check on him, but he really wasn’t in the mood for it yet.
“I thought I’d come sit here with you for a while if that’s okay.”
So she knows, he realized and stayed frozen in his position. News like that spread like wildfire, so he wasn’t surprised and maybe also a bit relieved that he wasn’t the one who had to tell anyone.
“I mean, we don’t even have to talk or anything if you don’t want to.” She pulled the chair closer to his bed and sank down into it, grateful to be off of her feet.
For several long moments they sat there in silence and all he could hear was her breathing and the sounds out in the hallway. He turned his head in her direction, the movement barely noticeable. “So you came to sit here and say nothing?”
“I don’t know.” And she really didn’t. She just wanted to be there for him and if that meant sitting together in companionable silence then she would do that. But no, apparently he just wanted someone to argue with. No, she would be patient with him. “We can talk if you want.”
“I wouldn’t know about what.”
“Did you know Isabel likes to play pin the tail on the donkey when she’s plastered?”
He had a hard time following her change of topics. “What?”
“Isabel got loaded last night and she wanted to play pin the tail on the donkey. You know, where there’s a picture of a donkey you put up on a wall or whatever and then you blindfold one person and give them the tail and you turn them a few times to get their sense of direction all screwed up and then turn them loose to see if they can pin the tail on the donkey.”
Kyle almost laughed but it ended up in a snort. “Interesting to hear what you girls do on Saturday nights when we guys aren’t around.”
“I didn’t say the rest of us wanted to play. I thought we should have Richard and Trent’s faces put on piñatas and then beat the hell out of them, but that would’ve taken a lot more time than Isabel drawing a really bad picture of a donkey.” She snorted. “Max ended up having to save the day and draw the stupid donkey because she wouldn’t shut up about it.”
“Bet he had his hands full with you all.”
That was probably true. “He does very well at bartending so if he ever decides to switch careers he won’t have to worry about money.”
“So you girls got loaded last night?” He shook his head, wishing he could’ve done just that as well.
“Yeah, we kinda needed it and Max offered to babysit.”
“How’s Maria doing?”
“A little better after last night. Max was great about handling things and he made threats against certain guys at all the right moments. It helped get rid of some of the tension.” Although she had a feeling she wouldn’t wanna be that mugger if Max ever faced off with him.
“Good,” he nodded shortly and turned his head towards the window again.
“What’d the doctor say when he made his rounds this morning? Has he given you a release date yet?”
“Tuesday. Maybe.”
“That’s only a couple more days, that’s great!”
“Yeah, great,” he said, but there was nothing emotional in his voice.
“I’m really sorry about your partner,” she said after a few minutes. She’d never met the man but she’d heard plenty about him.
The muscles along his jaw tightened until he forced them to relax again and he gave her a silent nod. He knew everyone was sorry, but it didn’t bring Dan back and it wasn’t helping the situation at all.
“If there’s anything you need or...” she trailed off. The words were sincere, but what could anyone really do for the person who had suffered a loss? “I’m sorry, I don’t know what to say to make things any better and... Maybe I should just go.”
Kyle bit his bottom lip. He didn’t have a clue what to say to her either, but when he felt her moving, he reached out to place his larger hand over hers before she could retrieve it from the bed. “Let’s just not talk about Dan. I know you’re sorry, but there’s nothing you can do about it.”
She nodded. “So, watch anything good on TV?”
“Any suggestions?” He handed her the remote.
“Well,” she glanced at the time as she turned the TV on, “there’s probably a baseball game on.”
Kyle nodded and moved over on his bed. “Wanna come up?”
It was crazy the way her heart leapt in response to those three little words. “Sure, there’s a better view from where you’re sitting.”
“It sure is,” he agreed.
She climbed up on the bed next to him and reached over to rearrange a few of the wires he was still attached to. She knew they were still monitoring his heart, watching it closely because of the bruising. She settled back next to him, her shoulder brushing against his and warmth spreading through her entire body at the contact.
“Were you able to eat anything yet?” he asked and pointed at the little cart next to his bed. “First drawer’s full of cookies. My mom seems to think it’d be good for me to eat one pack per day.”
“Your mom’s letting you have something you might actually enjoy?” she asked with a snort.
“They’re homemade and I bet they aren’t even a little unhealthy.”
Yeah, and she’d probably paid someone else to make them, she thought. “Well,” she leaned over and grabbed her bag, digging around in it for a moment and pulling out a small bag of chocolate chip cookies. “Here, Liz made these.”
“What is it?”
“Sorry, I keep forgetting. They’re chocolate chip cookies with walnuts.”
“I can see why Evans keeps her around,” he said with a grin and placed them aside since he didn’t feel hungry at the moment.
She rolled her eyes at him. “Yeah, I’m sure that’s one reason.”
He shrugged. “I’ve heard that some men prefer a woman with cooking skills.”
“Um-hmm, and you don’t?”
“There’s always McDonalds,” he joked.
“And Taco Bell,” she added with a smile.
“Oh, yeah, never forget Taco Bell,” he agreed and rested his head against the pillow. Okay, maybe having some company wasn’t that bad.
“And of course there’s Pizza Hut.”
“Burger King.”
“Subway.”
“White Castle.”
“Ohh, good one.” She just loved the tiny little burgers. “Long John Silvers.”
“Don’t forget IHOP.”
“Nope, no one makes better pancakes than IHOP.” She smiled. “Wingstop.” They made the best hot wings.
“Okay,” he lifted his hand. “That’s enough.”
She laughed and nodded. “Hey, some of them have stuff that’s kinda healthy.”
“Yeah, but who really orders it?”
“Well... some people.” She made a face. “Not me.”
“Good girl,” he patted her leg with his hand.
Her eyes locked on his hand. “Well, there’s always the intention to eat better, but really if you’re going out to eat at a fast food restaurant what’s the point? I mean, you’ve already kinda flushed that idea down by going someplace that cooks a meal in under five minutes.” She was babbling and could only hope that he didn’t notice or if he did, that he wouldn’t mention it.
“There’s nothing wrong with unhealthy food now and then if you find a way to get rid of the extra pounds.”
“True, and it’s not like we live on it or anything.”
Well, Michael and he used to live on it a lot, but somehow those times seemed so far away right now.
She rolled her eyes. “Besides, Liz makes us eat a decent meal at least once a day. I think it’s that whole ‘mom’ thing she has from taking care of Aaron.”
“Could be worse, I guess,” he shrugged with his good shoulder.
“She’s a really good cook. You’ll find out soon enough,” she said and nudged him with her shoulder.
“I guess I’m out of cooking an’ all,” he gestured to his eyes. “Unless you’d trust me with a knife right now.”
“Well, you can make sandwiches and chips until your eyes are healed and then we’ll let you cook us a meal.”
“You’re so generous.”
“It’s true,” she sighed. “I’ll get with the girls and we’ll come up with a menu for your return to the world of cooking.” She thought about that for a moment. “Um, you do know how to cook, right?”
He snorted. “Can your brother cook?”
“Well, I guess that really depends on your definition of cooking. If you mean can he open a can of Spaghetti O’s and heat them up in the microwave I guess you could say he can.”
“Then consider me at the same level.”
“We’ll want to do something about that then because I’m not really interested in canned cuisine, Valenti.”
“Who said I was gonna cook for you?” he asked, amused.
“Are you saying you wouldn’t?” she countered.
“I need to think about it.”
She shifted so that she could look at him. “What’s there to think about?”
“Hey, you said you’d cook for me. There was nothin’ in there that said I had to return the favor in exchange for stayin’ with you girls. Maybe I should reconsider my decision.”
“Huh-uh,” she grinned when his teasing tone was obvious. “Not a chance, Valenti.”
*****
Courtney dragged her luggage from the baggage conveyor belt when it passed her and then checked her cell again. There still wasn’t a message from Michael, which was just unnerving. He had said he’d try to change his work schedule to be able to see her and she wouldn’t mind if it hadn’t worked out, but leaving her hanging without so much as an update bothered her. She had tried to call him twice before her short flight back to the city and when he hadn’t picked up, she had texted him the time she would be arriving.
Maybe he’s waiting for me outside, she thought and her mood lightened a notch. Adjusting the hand-bar on her trolley, she started to drag it through LaGuardia Airport. It took a few minutes before she finally reached the exit and she glanced around to see if there was any sign of Michael or his Avalanche, but she couldn’t make out either of them.
“Hey!” she shouted and lifted her free arm when a yellow cab passed on the busy street in front of the airport, but the driver ignored her. “Great,” she muttered and blew her hair out of her face. The humid air in the city wasn’t something she had missed on her short trip; she could feel the drops of sweat that were already building at the back of her neck. Ungh.
“Hey!” she tried again and was relieved when the cab stopped and the driver even hurried out and around to take her luggage from her. “Thanks.”
“No problem, ma’am,” the Puerto Rican man said in his dialect and they both climbed into the car. “Where to?” He looked at her in the rearview mirror.
“Manhattan Midtown,” she told him and got her cell out to check it again, but there was still nothing. Great, she sighed and sank deeper into the seat.
Businesses, people, and cars, it all passed by in a blur as her thoughts stayed on Michael. In spite of the cabbie’s knowledge of the streets and his adept handling of his cab in the traffic that was heavy even for a Sunday, it still seemed to take forever to get to Manhattan. A fire truck raced by, sirens blaring and lights flashing, and she couldn’t stop herself from straightening up and sticking her head out the window in an effort to follow it with her eyes.
She didn’t know why she bothered except a lot of times the paramedic’s truck was racing against time, either right ahead of the fire engine or just behind it. She was shuffling back to take her seat again when something caught her eye and her head snapped back around so fast she’d probably be feeling the effects of the sudden movement later. Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head as her gaze landed on a billboard that she was certain ought to have an adult rating stamped on it somewhere.
It was the pure eroticism of the shot that captured her attention initially, but it scarcely took more than a heartbeat for her face to flush with humiliation and anger when she recognized the couple. Maybe if Michael was a male model and they were dating it would’ve been different; she would’ve been prepared to see the ad. But that wasn’t his job and he didn’t do photo shoots professionally.
Seeing her boyfriend half-naked and pressed up against a practically naked woman would be difficult enough if the woman was some random model. But she wasn’t. The woman in the shot with him was Maria. His best friend who she knew in her heart of hearts had feelings for him that went well beyond the boundaries of friendship. And judging by the hungry look in his features and the possessive way he held her thigh against his hip that photo shoot had triggered a positive response in him.
She dug her phone out of her bag again and punched the call button, waiting impatiently to see if he would answer this time. After seeing that billboard it was no wonder he wasn’t answering, she thought. Had something happened between them? Maybe something he didn’t want her to know about? She chewed on her thumbnail as she waited and waited, listening to the incessant ringing on the other end of the line.
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Part 145
Natalie36: Unfortunately she’s still in the picture.
Earth2Mama: Lol, so easily forgotten.
Courtney did kinda set herself up. She was so certain there was something there she should’ve waited before jumping in with both feet.
kismet: We’re glad to hear you survived!
Lol, you’re right about Michael – he won’t do clingy well.
Tess and Kyle are taking baby steps, but they’ll get where they need to go.
killjoy: Yeah, he does seem to be dealing with her a lot better.
Lol, tough job.
Alex isn’t having much luck right now.
CandyliciousLovah: Lol, well, that’d certainly have Michael’s attention.
sarammlover: Thanks, it’s good to be back! And thanks again, Kyle and Tess have come so far with this fic and with each other. We’re happy to see them finally getting close to being on the same page. And, um, no, lol. Courtney definitely suspected there was something between them and she still took the risk, so…
begonia9508: Vacation was wonderful, thanks!
Lol, Max definitely had his hands full with a houseful of drunk women.
Tess is making forward movement with Kyle, slowly, but it’s there for sure.
Oh, that really wouldn’t be a good move for Courtney to make. We’ll see what she decides to do soon.
Roswelllostcause: It’s gonna take time, but he’ll get there. Lol, we’ll keep you in the loop on our cloning progress.
LovelyPOM83: Lol, yeah, things like that with your guy can be cute for a while. Max and Liz are definitely stable and they’re getting stronger with every update.
Oh, she really isn’t!
Eva: Yeah, she’s not happy! We’ll check in on Michael today. Any girl in that situation would have some serious questions.
keepsmiling7: Thanks! Lol, we’ll keep that just between us!
Part 145
Shadow
Michael leaned back against the wall and stared out across the city from his position sitting on the concrete balcony off of his apartment. His right foot was raised and braced against the railing, his arm resting on his knee, and a half-empty bottle of beer dangling from his fingertips. He turned his head to the side when he heard the ringtone on his phone, but after listening to it for a few seconds he tuned it out and went back to staring at the city he loved. He couldn’t bring himself to get up and answer the phone, not even knowing it was his girlfriend on the other end.
He’d offered to try and get the evening off from work and he had, but it hadn’t been his decision. The Chief had gone over the duty roster and picked a handful of them out to take the night off. He’d actually been given the next three days off and he had a feeling the man had selected those specific names for a reason. He lifted the bottle to his lips and took a long drink, paying no mind when several drops of ice cold condensation dripped down to land on his bare chest. At any other time that would’ve been just enough of a shock to startle him, but at the moment it didn’t even register.
The phone fell silent and he felt his body lose some of the tension that had accompanied the sound. He knew he should feel bad for ditching Courtney, letting her catch a taxi home, but he couldn’t find it in him to feel anything but empty. When would it stop? It seemed like all they were doing was fighting a losing battle and there was just no end to it. He heard the familiar sound of keys jangling and a lock turning and he ran a hand through his hair, hoping Isabel hadn’t come by to check on him again. She’d come by earlier and he’d heard her moving around inside the apartment, but he’d ducked out on the balcony and shut the doors before she had gotten past the front door so after a few minutes she’d decided he wasn’t home and had left again.
Of course, this time the door was open just a crack and if she snooped around long enough she’d find him. He held his breath and listened as the keys were dropped on the bar between the kitchen and the living room. Then the sound of the refrigerator door opening. He heard Loco chirping and bouncing across the floor as he chased something that had been thrown for him. And then the sound he’d been dreading. The vertical blinds rustled as they were moved out of the way and then the heavier sound of the glass door being slid open. He didn’t bother looking up when a bare foot came into view, just turned his gaze back to the city and took another drink of his beer.
Maria wasn’t surprised at the state she found him in. Whenever things had gotten really heavy in his life he had isolated himself from everything and everyone for whatever time he needed to deal with things. She was pretty much the only one he tolerated in such situations, but right now she wasn’t sure if that still counted. Things had been awkward since the shoot; he had told her he needed time and space to think about stuff, but she couldn’t just stay away while he suffered alone after the death of one of his coworkers.
Wordlessly, she crouched down on the floor, with her back against the railing of the balcony since there wasn’t a second chair outside. Sitting in silence was the only way to approach him because even the slightest hint of pity and condolences would send him right back into hiding.
The minutes passed and he still hadn’t looked at her. Slowly but surely, her feet began to tingle from the uncomfortable position, but she forced herself to bare the pain for a while longer.
There was just a small cringe in his features when his cell started to ring and vibrate over the floor of the balcony. She didn’t look, but she was pretty sure it was Courtney because she recognized the ringtone from the other night in the parking lot behind Max’ studio.
Answering it and telling her that she should just leave them all alone and go back to whatever she did before them was so tempting, but of course she would never do it. If someone told her to go, then it had to be Michael and right now, he wasn’t in any position to do that. He was too lost in grief and everything else that was going on.
The phone fell silent after a minute and he exhaled loudly before he finally turned to look at her. “What do you want me to say, M’ria?” His voice was hoarse and he realized it was the first time he’d used it since he had talked to Kyle.
She frowned at his question. “I don’t want you to say anything if you don’t want to.”
“Then there’s probably no reason for you to waste your time sittin’ around here because there’s nothin’ I wanna say right now.”
“That’s never been any reason for me to bail on you before.”
He didn’t look at her as his thumb picked at the edge of the label. “Yeah, well, things change,” he muttered.
“That’s a pretty shitty thing to say.” She tried to keep the irritation out of her voice because she knew he was having a rough time, but it crept through anyway.
“Yeah, well, I’m in a shitty mood and I didn’t ask you to be part of it.”
“I’m not gonna get into a fight with you, Michael. I just wanted to let you know I’m here if you need me. No matter what else changes, that hasn’t.”
“That’s great,” he growled. “Thanks.” He was irritated, not with her directly, but with so many situations he didn’t know what to do. Although, if he was completely honest with himself, maybe he was irritated with her too. After several heavy minutes he blurted out four words that were guaranteed to push her away. “I’ve got your number.”
Maria’s head snapped around to look at him in disbelief, pure shock, and a lot of hurt. He was sending her away just like that? Her throat suddenly felt way too tight and she had to reach up and soothe it with her hands a few times to get rid of the choking feeling. “Okay,” she muttered to herself and pushed to her feet again.
Take a deep breath! He’ll see it was the wrong thing to say! Her gaze wandered over the busy city and suddenly the balcony seemed to be too small for both of them. There wasn’t really any fresh air since it was another hot day and she couldn’t find anything calming in the view either.
Michael had always been the one to calm her, but now he seemed to have no interest in them taking comfort from each other. NOW! At the time they needed each other the most. He still hadn’t said anything to backpedal nor did he show any sign of regret over what he had just said.
“Fine, I’m going,” she whispered, her tears so close to the surface that she started to move before she could break down in front of him. At the glass door, she hesitated one last time and looked at him, but his stubborn gaze was focused on the streets below them. “My cell was stolen, so if you suddenly feel the need to talk to someone I guess you don’t need to bother trying to call mine.”
He thumped his head back against the glass behind him when the front door closed a few minutes later. She was mad at him now, but worse than that she was hurt. And for the first time in his life he just couldn’t find it in himself to get up and go after her. His mind backtracked to his earlier thought that maybe he was irritated with her and he realized that if he had the energy he would be pissed. Pissed at her, pissed at himself, pissed at the situation. But he was too drained to even get worked up about it.
He looked down when the vertical blinds moved and he saw Loco stick his head out, peering around with interest since he wasn’t allowed out on the balcony. He leaned over and held his hand out, snapping his fingers to get the ferret’s attention. Loco stood up on his hind legs and his upper body stretched, his tiny clawed paws latching onto Michael’s hand and reaching further up until he had a grip on the watch he wore on his wrist.
He lifted the animal up and let him crawl onto his knee, carefully watching him as he crept along his leg to look out at the world. He found it easier to focus solely on Loco, shutting out everything else because it was all just too much to deal with at the moment. He turned his head to the side when his phone began to ring again and he sighed when it continued until it finally went to voicemail. He could just imagine how many messages his girlfriend had left by now.
He knew he should at the very least return her call but he made no move to do so. He stayed where he was with Loco stretched out and balanced on his right leg, content to hide from the world and wishing he could just as effectively hide from his own thoughts.
*****
Max could still hear the humming of the tattoo gun in his ear even though it had already been shut off. His hand hurt from gripping it for the hours it had taken to complete the final session for one of his best customers. “It’s a miracle, but we’re done, Hal,” he said in relief and leaned back to have a look at the large tattoo on the man’s back.
“You earned quittin’ time tonight,” he snorted and got up to have a look at the final product in the mirror. “Nice job, Evans. It’s obvious why everyone I know speaks so highly of you.”
“It turned out good,” Max agreed and flexed his hand a few times to ease the stiff muscles.
“What do I owe you?” Hal asked and grabbed his stuff to walk to the counter.
“That’s another $250 bucks,” he answered when he checked the guy’s payments from earlier sessions.
“And worth every penny.” The smaller man handed him the money. “I’ll see you around, Evans.” They shook hands and Hal made his way to the front door of the shop, holding it open for a woman who was about to enter. “Ma’am,” he greeted with a smirk. “You won’t be disappointed.”
Liz frowned slightly but then smiled. “Thanks, and I already know.”
Max looked up from the cash register when he heard his girlfriend’s voice. “Hey, what’re you doin’ here?” He pushed the drawer closed and walked over to give her a small kiss on the lips. “You didn’t walk here all alone, right?”
Liz chuckled. “No. Tony picked up Ava and Chase and they ate at the restaurant. They offered to drive me over before heading to Brooklyn.”
He made a face. “I’ve still got one customer left, darlin’. It’s a quick deal, last-minute appointment, but you gotta wait for now.”
“That’s okay,” she smiled. “I like to be here and apparently no one’s home at our apartment anyway. Tess and Isabel are still visiting their dad and afterwards they wanted to check with the detective again. And as far as I know, Maria’s spending the night at the hospital.”
“Make yourself at home,” he guided her over to one of the comfortable chairs where customers were tattooed and she relaxed into it. “Heard anything about Michael or Kyle? How they’re dealin’ with their friend’s death?” He pulled a stool on rollers towards him and sat down in front of her as he did when he was tattooing people.
“No, nothing. Tess went to check on Kyle and Maria wanted to pay Michael a visit, but I have no clue how that went down.”
They glanced up when the door opened and the last customer of the day walked in, wearing black jeans and a red shirt with the sleeves rolled up about midway on his upper arms. The bill of a black baseball cap hid most of his face until he pushed it up enough for a better look. “Hey, Shadow,” the man greeted.
“Hawk,” Max nodded.
“Hawk?” Liz asked and looked at her boyfriend. “THE Hawk?”
“The one and only.”
Blake’s gaze bounced between them. “Little unusual for my rep to precede me in the civilian world.”
Max chuckled. “The girl you helped out in the subway? She’s a good friend of ours.”
“Ah, gotcha,” he said and nodded. “Just wish I’d gotten my hands on that little rat bastard. And not just ‘cause she’s a hot girl and I enjoy flexing my muscles for them.” He shrugged and grinned. “I missed him, but not completely. He’s fast, but I got a piece of him.”
“Didn’t hear anything about that.”
“Yeah, well, didn’t say anything about it before.” He dropped down into one of the chairs and took his hat off to run his hand through his short black hair. “No reason to let the cops have all the fun.”
Liz studied the other man and had to admit that he was attractive. “I’m sure he deserved it.”
“He deserved a helluva lot more than he got.” He slouched down and stretched his right leg out. “But, when I track him down he’ll get it. Guy ain’t got no right to be puttin’ a hurt on any girl.”
“Yeah, an’ sure as hell not on one of my friends,” Max muttered and went to get the sketches he had already prepared for Blake.
“Wanna piece of him?”
“Huh-uh,” Liz looked at her boy warningly. He wasn’t in any position to risk anything that could involve the police.
“Cops would never have to know. Hell, that little asshole won’t ever know what hit him.” Blake lifted an eyebrow when the couple exchanged a glance before Evans shook his head. What reason would he have for turning down the chance to kick the ass of the guy who had hurt his friend? “What’s up, Shadow?”
“Can’t do it,” Max answered shortly. He didn’t want to talk about the shit in his life; especially not to someone Liz didn’t know.
“We have some.... issues,” she tried to explain when he didn’t. “Even the smallest risk of having a run-in with the cops is too much right now.”
“Sounds serious.” Blake rested his chin in his hand and tapped his forefinger against his cheek thoughtfully. He nodded in Evans’ direction. “You know you need any help all you gotta do’s make the call.”
“I doubt there’s anything you could do, Hawk,” Max waved him over to one of the chairs.
“Ya never know. Stryker’s in the city visiting family over the summer and he wouldn’t mind havin’ somethin’ to keep him occupied too, so you change your mind, lemme know.” He settled into the chair Evans had indicated. “Guy’s still tryin’ to get his bearings since comin’ home. He’s not really adjustin’ to civilian life very well and his family’s tryin’ to help, but they’re kinda suffocating him. Wouldn’t hurt if you maybe wanted to get together once in a while.” Evans had pulled away from most of his old army buddies after getting a medical discharge, seeing himself as somehow defective and not understanding that the guys from his unit didn’t see it that way.
The other man glanced at his girlfriend briefly. Setting the guys on dick and dick 2 sounded tempting, but the risk was just too high that they might get caught and everything would fall back on him. He waited until Blake had dragged his shirt off and then placed the drawn pattern on the side of his ribcage. It was just lettering, so the tattoo would be done in about an hour. “Maybe we can meet for a beer,” he agreed.
“Cool. I can give Stryker a call; find out what’s good for him.” He snorted. “Guy’s gonna jump at the chance to take a break from all the sympathy and the questions.”
“Sure, let me know.” Max grabbed the tattoo gun and checked it. “Ya ready?”
“Yeah, let’s roll it out.” He glanced at Evans’ girlfriend. “So, I know what this guy does, what about you?”
“I’m just watching,” she told him with a wink.
He chuckled. “Let this guy ink you?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
Max started to work, listening with half an ear as Blake and Liz carried on an easy conversation. But his mind was still on their problems with Trent and now Richard.
“One moment,” the brunette held up her hand when her cell started to ring and she frowned at a number she didn’t recognize.
“Somethin’ wrong?” Max asked when she didn’t pick up immediately.
“Not sure,” she muttered and stood, answering the cell with an uneasy feeling as she walked into the other room.
What now? he thought and stopped the gun for the time she was gone since he couldn’t concentrate.
“What’s goin’ on, Shadow?” Blake asked when the guy stopped working to watch his girlfriend.
“A helluva lotta shit. Maria getting mugged yesterday was just the cherry on top.” He shook his head.
“Well, you decide you need some help...” He let the sentence trail off, not wanting to push. “You’re looking’ a lot better than a few months ago. She the reason?”
“You can count on that,” he nodded and his gaze shot to the door when she walked back in.
“All clear,” Liz told him.
“Thank God,” he relaxed.
“It was just Maria calling from a payphone so I didn’t recognize the number. Her mom’s sending her home and she asked if we can give her a ride when we’re done.”
“She say anything about how Guerin or Valenti are doin’?”
“No, but she didn’t sound happy at all. She’s coming over since her mother and her just grabbed something to eat a couple blocks from here.”
“Maria’s comin’ here?” Blake asked with interest.
Max grinned while he focused back on the tattoo. “Problem?”
“Hell no,” he denied. “She seein’ anyone?”
“Not exactly,” Liz explained. “But she’s interested in someone.”
“Somethin’ serious?”
“Why?” Max looked at him. “Interested in her?” Blake had never been a guy to settle for just one woman and he doubted that had changed. Although he could be wrong; Guerin had never been a one-girl-only guy either.
He shrugged. “Girl’s hot, man, and I just thought maybe she’d be up for hittin’ one of the clubs.”
“Doubtful, the shit in my life involves hers too.”
“All the more reason to get her out for a while,” he said with a confident grin.
Max chuckled. “I won’t keep you from trying.”
“Hey, Blake,” Liz called to get his attention. “Tell me the story about Shadow.”
He turned his attention back to the brunette and gave her a smile. “What kinda story ya want?”
“The story that made him Shadow.”
Max shook his head when Blake laughed. “You wanna be still so I don’t fuck this up?”
“Sorry, man, but she picked a good one.” And he’d just been waiting for her to ask about her boyfriend’s nickname.
“So?” She lifted one eyebrow and got more comfortable in the chair, but before he could start the door swung open and Maria walked in carrying Chinese takeout in her hand.
“Hey, guys,” she greeted and her eyes widened slightly when she recognized the man in the chair next to Max. “Blake.”
“Hey, you’re lookin’ a lot better than you were in the subway. No less hot, but definitely better.”
She glanced down at herself and then back at him. “Well, thank you.” She smiled and realized it was her first today – not counting the ones she’d faked for her little brother.
“Gorgeous smile by the way.”
“Seriously?” Max laughed and shook his head. “That’s your way of flirting with women these days?” He motioned to a few chairs. “Have a seat; we can leave whenever Prince Charming’s done with his session.”
Blake flipped him off. “I was just about to tell Liz how Shadow got his name.”
“Shadow?” Maria frowned and went to sit next to Liz. She hadn’t expected to meet her savior so soon again. In daylight he looked more harmless and downright hot.
“Max’s nickname,” Liz said and then lowered her voice to whisper, “It’s hot, don’t you think?”
“Shadow,” Maria mused and got comfortable with the rest of her dinner. “Bring it on, Blake.”
“Okay, so we came under fire by insurgents when we were out on patrol one day and they had us pinned down. We couldn’t catch a break and I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess neither of you girls has ever been to that corner of the world, but at the peak of the day the temperature can hit 120 degrees and we’re out there in full body armor, carrying close to a hundred pounds of gear in our rucksacks. The insurgents are used to that kinda heat so keepin’ us pinned down didn’t seem to be much of a problem for them. We’d been out there for hours before the sun started to shift enough to throw some shadows.” He shook his head. “We came up with the idea that someone was gonna have to draw their fire so someone else could get into position to get some decent shots off. Well, Tuck an’ Ramrod, a couple guys in our unit, they were gonna draw their fire and me an’ Stryker moved to get into position to take the shots. Things didn’t go the way we were hopin’ they’d go. Shadow, he was keepin’ the insurgents guessin’ about where fire was comin’ from ‘cause he and a couple other guys stayed where we’d been pinned.”
Liz’ eyes widened. “What happened?” she asked as she shifted closer to the edge of her seat.
“One of those bastards got off a round and hit Stryker and pinned us down from our new position.” He nodded at Max. “And then we catch sight of him crawlin’ across the desert floor, huggin’ every rock in sight to avoid bein’ hit. We all start firin’, tryin’ to keep the insurgents from catchin’ sight of his movements until he gets outta the line of fire. And then he hits the shadows bein’ thrown by the cover they were usin’ and he was able to get the drop on them, came up behind ‘em and had ‘em eatin’ sand.” He shook his head and laughed when Max rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath.
“You’re such a hero, Maxie-Max,” Maria teased.
“Thanks a lot, man,” he growled. “It’s just somethin’ that had to be done.”
“True, Maxie,” Blake teased with a snort. That nickname was so far from the man he knew it wasn’t even funny.
“Keep it up and I’ll make sure this lettering says somethin’ completely different than the original idea.”
Liz studied her boyfriend. She could easily picture him in the war, fighting more for his buddies than for any cause. “Are you still in the Army?”
“Yeah,” he shrugged, “it works for me.”
“You’re just on leave or are you stationed close by?” Maria looked up from her food to look at him.
“Fort Hamilton, right at the edge of Brooklyn.”
“That’s cool.”
He grinned. “It keeps me busy.”
Max glanced up at him. “You goin’ after the engineering degree?”
“Uh-huh, once I’ve got that completed I’m set in the military or out of it.”
“Do you have to go back again?” Maria wanted to know.
“It’s possible, but once I have the degree I won’t be goin’ back into a combat situation. I’m gonna be a demolitions expert so I figure that’ll be plenty of adrenaline right there.”
She grinned. “I like guys with cool jobs.” Every one of their male friends had a cool job so Blake fit right in with the rest of them.
“Ever watched a demo at a construction site?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Then you haven’t watched one ‘cause you’d know. I can do this and still stay in the Army if I want to and I’ll have the opportunity to travel so it’s a win-win situation.”
“I’m sorry, but Hawk needs to shut up for a while now,” Max glared at the man. “No movin’ while I’m doin’ the smaller letters.”
“You’re just jealous ‘cause you don’t get to blow anything up.” He shot a smug grin at his old Army buddy.
Oh, he had blown up a lot lately, just not that kind, he thought, frustrated. “Instead I just tat ugly stuff on guys who stretch my nerves.”
“Hey, this’s a great piece of work.”
Max just looked at him warningly and Liz laughed. “I think that means: Shut up, Blake.”
“Yeah, think you’re right.” He winked at the girls. “Shutting up now.”
Liz wiggled around in her chair and turned her head towards Maria. “Did you talk to Michael or Kyle?”
“I talked to Michael,” she said, trying to push down the hurt that arose in response to the memory. “He wasn’t very receptive to talking.”
“He probably just needs some time and a bit of sleep after the last few days, he’ll come along,” she tried to reassure her roommate.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m sure that’s it.” But she wasn’t.
“Weren’t you planning to stay at the hospital tonight?”
“Mom had other plans. She told me to go home.”
“So whatcha wanna do tonight? You feel like just hanging out at the apartment or you wanna go out and do something fun for once?”
“Fun,” Blake whispered. “Say you wanna do somethin’ fun with a guy who knows how to have fun.”
Her first inclination was to just tell them she was going to go to her room, curl up in a ball, and cry herself to sleep, but the hell with it. If Michael suddenly decided to be the same asshole to her that he was to everyone else when he was moody then she wasn’t gonna let it bring her down even more. “We could go out.”
Earth2Mama: Lol, so easily forgotten.
Courtney did kinda set herself up. She was so certain there was something there she should’ve waited before jumping in with both feet.
kismet: We’re glad to hear you survived!
Lol, you’re right about Michael – he won’t do clingy well.
Tess and Kyle are taking baby steps, but they’ll get where they need to go.
killjoy: Yeah, he does seem to be dealing with her a lot better.
Lol, tough job.
Alex isn’t having much luck right now.
CandyliciousLovah: Lol, well, that’d certainly have Michael’s attention.
sarammlover: Thanks, it’s good to be back! And thanks again, Kyle and Tess have come so far with this fic and with each other. We’re happy to see them finally getting close to being on the same page. And, um, no, lol. Courtney definitely suspected there was something between them and she still took the risk, so…
begonia9508: Vacation was wonderful, thanks!
Lol, Max definitely had his hands full with a houseful of drunk women.
Tess is making forward movement with Kyle, slowly, but it’s there for sure.
Oh, that really wouldn’t be a good move for Courtney to make. We’ll see what she decides to do soon.
Roswelllostcause: It’s gonna take time, but he’ll get there. Lol, we’ll keep you in the loop on our cloning progress.
LovelyPOM83: Lol, yeah, things like that with your guy can be cute for a while. Max and Liz are definitely stable and they’re getting stronger with every update.
Oh, she really isn’t!
Eva: Yeah, she’s not happy! We’ll check in on Michael today. Any girl in that situation would have some serious questions.
keepsmiling7: Thanks! Lol, we’ll keep that just between us!
Part 145
Shadow
Michael leaned back against the wall and stared out across the city from his position sitting on the concrete balcony off of his apartment. His right foot was raised and braced against the railing, his arm resting on his knee, and a half-empty bottle of beer dangling from his fingertips. He turned his head to the side when he heard the ringtone on his phone, but after listening to it for a few seconds he tuned it out and went back to staring at the city he loved. He couldn’t bring himself to get up and answer the phone, not even knowing it was his girlfriend on the other end.
He’d offered to try and get the evening off from work and he had, but it hadn’t been his decision. The Chief had gone over the duty roster and picked a handful of them out to take the night off. He’d actually been given the next three days off and he had a feeling the man had selected those specific names for a reason. He lifted the bottle to his lips and took a long drink, paying no mind when several drops of ice cold condensation dripped down to land on his bare chest. At any other time that would’ve been just enough of a shock to startle him, but at the moment it didn’t even register.
The phone fell silent and he felt his body lose some of the tension that had accompanied the sound. He knew he should feel bad for ditching Courtney, letting her catch a taxi home, but he couldn’t find it in him to feel anything but empty. When would it stop? It seemed like all they were doing was fighting a losing battle and there was just no end to it. He heard the familiar sound of keys jangling and a lock turning and he ran a hand through his hair, hoping Isabel hadn’t come by to check on him again. She’d come by earlier and he’d heard her moving around inside the apartment, but he’d ducked out on the balcony and shut the doors before she had gotten past the front door so after a few minutes she’d decided he wasn’t home and had left again.
Of course, this time the door was open just a crack and if she snooped around long enough she’d find him. He held his breath and listened as the keys were dropped on the bar between the kitchen and the living room. Then the sound of the refrigerator door opening. He heard Loco chirping and bouncing across the floor as he chased something that had been thrown for him. And then the sound he’d been dreading. The vertical blinds rustled as they were moved out of the way and then the heavier sound of the glass door being slid open. He didn’t bother looking up when a bare foot came into view, just turned his gaze back to the city and took another drink of his beer.
Maria wasn’t surprised at the state she found him in. Whenever things had gotten really heavy in his life he had isolated himself from everything and everyone for whatever time he needed to deal with things. She was pretty much the only one he tolerated in such situations, but right now she wasn’t sure if that still counted. Things had been awkward since the shoot; he had told her he needed time and space to think about stuff, but she couldn’t just stay away while he suffered alone after the death of one of his coworkers.
Wordlessly, she crouched down on the floor, with her back against the railing of the balcony since there wasn’t a second chair outside. Sitting in silence was the only way to approach him because even the slightest hint of pity and condolences would send him right back into hiding.
The minutes passed and he still hadn’t looked at her. Slowly but surely, her feet began to tingle from the uncomfortable position, but she forced herself to bare the pain for a while longer.
There was just a small cringe in his features when his cell started to ring and vibrate over the floor of the balcony. She didn’t look, but she was pretty sure it was Courtney because she recognized the ringtone from the other night in the parking lot behind Max’ studio.
Answering it and telling her that she should just leave them all alone and go back to whatever she did before them was so tempting, but of course she would never do it. If someone told her to go, then it had to be Michael and right now, he wasn’t in any position to do that. He was too lost in grief and everything else that was going on.
The phone fell silent after a minute and he exhaled loudly before he finally turned to look at her. “What do you want me to say, M’ria?” His voice was hoarse and he realized it was the first time he’d used it since he had talked to Kyle.
She frowned at his question. “I don’t want you to say anything if you don’t want to.”
“Then there’s probably no reason for you to waste your time sittin’ around here because there’s nothin’ I wanna say right now.”
“That’s never been any reason for me to bail on you before.”
He didn’t look at her as his thumb picked at the edge of the label. “Yeah, well, things change,” he muttered.
“That’s a pretty shitty thing to say.” She tried to keep the irritation out of her voice because she knew he was having a rough time, but it crept through anyway.
“Yeah, well, I’m in a shitty mood and I didn’t ask you to be part of it.”
“I’m not gonna get into a fight with you, Michael. I just wanted to let you know I’m here if you need me. No matter what else changes, that hasn’t.”
“That’s great,” he growled. “Thanks.” He was irritated, not with her directly, but with so many situations he didn’t know what to do. Although, if he was completely honest with himself, maybe he was irritated with her too. After several heavy minutes he blurted out four words that were guaranteed to push her away. “I’ve got your number.”
Maria’s head snapped around to look at him in disbelief, pure shock, and a lot of hurt. He was sending her away just like that? Her throat suddenly felt way too tight and she had to reach up and soothe it with her hands a few times to get rid of the choking feeling. “Okay,” she muttered to herself and pushed to her feet again.
Take a deep breath! He’ll see it was the wrong thing to say! Her gaze wandered over the busy city and suddenly the balcony seemed to be too small for both of them. There wasn’t really any fresh air since it was another hot day and she couldn’t find anything calming in the view either.
Michael had always been the one to calm her, but now he seemed to have no interest in them taking comfort from each other. NOW! At the time they needed each other the most. He still hadn’t said anything to backpedal nor did he show any sign of regret over what he had just said.
“Fine, I’m going,” she whispered, her tears so close to the surface that she started to move before she could break down in front of him. At the glass door, she hesitated one last time and looked at him, but his stubborn gaze was focused on the streets below them. “My cell was stolen, so if you suddenly feel the need to talk to someone I guess you don’t need to bother trying to call mine.”
He thumped his head back against the glass behind him when the front door closed a few minutes later. She was mad at him now, but worse than that she was hurt. And for the first time in his life he just couldn’t find it in himself to get up and go after her. His mind backtracked to his earlier thought that maybe he was irritated with her and he realized that if he had the energy he would be pissed. Pissed at her, pissed at himself, pissed at the situation. But he was too drained to even get worked up about it.
He looked down when the vertical blinds moved and he saw Loco stick his head out, peering around with interest since he wasn’t allowed out on the balcony. He leaned over and held his hand out, snapping his fingers to get the ferret’s attention. Loco stood up on his hind legs and his upper body stretched, his tiny clawed paws latching onto Michael’s hand and reaching further up until he had a grip on the watch he wore on his wrist.
He lifted the animal up and let him crawl onto his knee, carefully watching him as he crept along his leg to look out at the world. He found it easier to focus solely on Loco, shutting out everything else because it was all just too much to deal with at the moment. He turned his head to the side when his phone began to ring again and he sighed when it continued until it finally went to voicemail. He could just imagine how many messages his girlfriend had left by now.
He knew he should at the very least return her call but he made no move to do so. He stayed where he was with Loco stretched out and balanced on his right leg, content to hide from the world and wishing he could just as effectively hide from his own thoughts.
*****
Max could still hear the humming of the tattoo gun in his ear even though it had already been shut off. His hand hurt from gripping it for the hours it had taken to complete the final session for one of his best customers. “It’s a miracle, but we’re done, Hal,” he said in relief and leaned back to have a look at the large tattoo on the man’s back.
“You earned quittin’ time tonight,” he snorted and got up to have a look at the final product in the mirror. “Nice job, Evans. It’s obvious why everyone I know speaks so highly of you.”
“It turned out good,” Max agreed and flexed his hand a few times to ease the stiff muscles.
“What do I owe you?” Hal asked and grabbed his stuff to walk to the counter.
“That’s another $250 bucks,” he answered when he checked the guy’s payments from earlier sessions.
“And worth every penny.” The smaller man handed him the money. “I’ll see you around, Evans.” They shook hands and Hal made his way to the front door of the shop, holding it open for a woman who was about to enter. “Ma’am,” he greeted with a smirk. “You won’t be disappointed.”
Liz frowned slightly but then smiled. “Thanks, and I already know.”
Max looked up from the cash register when he heard his girlfriend’s voice. “Hey, what’re you doin’ here?” He pushed the drawer closed and walked over to give her a small kiss on the lips. “You didn’t walk here all alone, right?”
Liz chuckled. “No. Tony picked up Ava and Chase and they ate at the restaurant. They offered to drive me over before heading to Brooklyn.”
He made a face. “I’ve still got one customer left, darlin’. It’s a quick deal, last-minute appointment, but you gotta wait for now.”
“That’s okay,” she smiled. “I like to be here and apparently no one’s home at our apartment anyway. Tess and Isabel are still visiting their dad and afterwards they wanted to check with the detective again. And as far as I know, Maria’s spending the night at the hospital.”
“Make yourself at home,” he guided her over to one of the comfortable chairs where customers were tattooed and she relaxed into it. “Heard anything about Michael or Kyle? How they’re dealin’ with their friend’s death?” He pulled a stool on rollers towards him and sat down in front of her as he did when he was tattooing people.
“No, nothing. Tess went to check on Kyle and Maria wanted to pay Michael a visit, but I have no clue how that went down.”
They glanced up when the door opened and the last customer of the day walked in, wearing black jeans and a red shirt with the sleeves rolled up about midway on his upper arms. The bill of a black baseball cap hid most of his face until he pushed it up enough for a better look. “Hey, Shadow,” the man greeted.
“Hawk,” Max nodded.
“Hawk?” Liz asked and looked at her boyfriend. “THE Hawk?”
“The one and only.”
Blake’s gaze bounced between them. “Little unusual for my rep to precede me in the civilian world.”
Max chuckled. “The girl you helped out in the subway? She’s a good friend of ours.”
“Ah, gotcha,” he said and nodded. “Just wish I’d gotten my hands on that little rat bastard. And not just ‘cause she’s a hot girl and I enjoy flexing my muscles for them.” He shrugged and grinned. “I missed him, but not completely. He’s fast, but I got a piece of him.”
“Didn’t hear anything about that.”
“Yeah, well, didn’t say anything about it before.” He dropped down into one of the chairs and took his hat off to run his hand through his short black hair. “No reason to let the cops have all the fun.”
Liz studied the other man and had to admit that he was attractive. “I’m sure he deserved it.”
“He deserved a helluva lot more than he got.” He slouched down and stretched his right leg out. “But, when I track him down he’ll get it. Guy ain’t got no right to be puttin’ a hurt on any girl.”
“Yeah, an’ sure as hell not on one of my friends,” Max muttered and went to get the sketches he had already prepared for Blake.
“Wanna piece of him?”
“Huh-uh,” Liz looked at her boy warningly. He wasn’t in any position to risk anything that could involve the police.
“Cops would never have to know. Hell, that little asshole won’t ever know what hit him.” Blake lifted an eyebrow when the couple exchanged a glance before Evans shook his head. What reason would he have for turning down the chance to kick the ass of the guy who had hurt his friend? “What’s up, Shadow?”
“Can’t do it,” Max answered shortly. He didn’t want to talk about the shit in his life; especially not to someone Liz didn’t know.
“We have some.... issues,” she tried to explain when he didn’t. “Even the smallest risk of having a run-in with the cops is too much right now.”
“Sounds serious.” Blake rested his chin in his hand and tapped his forefinger against his cheek thoughtfully. He nodded in Evans’ direction. “You know you need any help all you gotta do’s make the call.”
“I doubt there’s anything you could do, Hawk,” Max waved him over to one of the chairs.
“Ya never know. Stryker’s in the city visiting family over the summer and he wouldn’t mind havin’ somethin’ to keep him occupied too, so you change your mind, lemme know.” He settled into the chair Evans had indicated. “Guy’s still tryin’ to get his bearings since comin’ home. He’s not really adjustin’ to civilian life very well and his family’s tryin’ to help, but they’re kinda suffocating him. Wouldn’t hurt if you maybe wanted to get together once in a while.” Evans had pulled away from most of his old army buddies after getting a medical discharge, seeing himself as somehow defective and not understanding that the guys from his unit didn’t see it that way.
The other man glanced at his girlfriend briefly. Setting the guys on dick and dick 2 sounded tempting, but the risk was just too high that they might get caught and everything would fall back on him. He waited until Blake had dragged his shirt off and then placed the drawn pattern on the side of his ribcage. It was just lettering, so the tattoo would be done in about an hour. “Maybe we can meet for a beer,” he agreed.
“Cool. I can give Stryker a call; find out what’s good for him.” He snorted. “Guy’s gonna jump at the chance to take a break from all the sympathy and the questions.”
“Sure, let me know.” Max grabbed the tattoo gun and checked it. “Ya ready?”
“Yeah, let’s roll it out.” He glanced at Evans’ girlfriend. “So, I know what this guy does, what about you?”
“I’m just watching,” she told him with a wink.
He chuckled. “Let this guy ink you?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
Max started to work, listening with half an ear as Blake and Liz carried on an easy conversation. But his mind was still on their problems with Trent and now Richard.
“One moment,” the brunette held up her hand when her cell started to ring and she frowned at a number she didn’t recognize.
“Somethin’ wrong?” Max asked when she didn’t pick up immediately.
“Not sure,” she muttered and stood, answering the cell with an uneasy feeling as she walked into the other room.
What now? he thought and stopped the gun for the time she was gone since he couldn’t concentrate.
“What’s goin’ on, Shadow?” Blake asked when the guy stopped working to watch his girlfriend.
“A helluva lotta shit. Maria getting mugged yesterday was just the cherry on top.” He shook his head.
“Well, you decide you need some help...” He let the sentence trail off, not wanting to push. “You’re looking’ a lot better than a few months ago. She the reason?”
“You can count on that,” he nodded and his gaze shot to the door when she walked back in.
“All clear,” Liz told him.
“Thank God,” he relaxed.
“It was just Maria calling from a payphone so I didn’t recognize the number. Her mom’s sending her home and she asked if we can give her a ride when we’re done.”
“She say anything about how Guerin or Valenti are doin’?”
“No, but she didn’t sound happy at all. She’s coming over since her mother and her just grabbed something to eat a couple blocks from here.”
“Maria’s comin’ here?” Blake asked with interest.
Max grinned while he focused back on the tattoo. “Problem?”
“Hell no,” he denied. “She seein’ anyone?”
“Not exactly,” Liz explained. “But she’s interested in someone.”
“Somethin’ serious?”
“Why?” Max looked at him. “Interested in her?” Blake had never been a guy to settle for just one woman and he doubted that had changed. Although he could be wrong; Guerin had never been a one-girl-only guy either.
He shrugged. “Girl’s hot, man, and I just thought maybe she’d be up for hittin’ one of the clubs.”
“Doubtful, the shit in my life involves hers too.”
“All the more reason to get her out for a while,” he said with a confident grin.
Max chuckled. “I won’t keep you from trying.”
“Hey, Blake,” Liz called to get his attention. “Tell me the story about Shadow.”
He turned his attention back to the brunette and gave her a smile. “What kinda story ya want?”
“The story that made him Shadow.”
Max shook his head when Blake laughed. “You wanna be still so I don’t fuck this up?”
“Sorry, man, but she picked a good one.” And he’d just been waiting for her to ask about her boyfriend’s nickname.
“So?” She lifted one eyebrow and got more comfortable in the chair, but before he could start the door swung open and Maria walked in carrying Chinese takeout in her hand.
“Hey, guys,” she greeted and her eyes widened slightly when she recognized the man in the chair next to Max. “Blake.”
“Hey, you’re lookin’ a lot better than you were in the subway. No less hot, but definitely better.”
She glanced down at herself and then back at him. “Well, thank you.” She smiled and realized it was her first today – not counting the ones she’d faked for her little brother.
“Gorgeous smile by the way.”
“Seriously?” Max laughed and shook his head. “That’s your way of flirting with women these days?” He motioned to a few chairs. “Have a seat; we can leave whenever Prince Charming’s done with his session.”
Blake flipped him off. “I was just about to tell Liz how Shadow got his name.”
“Shadow?” Maria frowned and went to sit next to Liz. She hadn’t expected to meet her savior so soon again. In daylight he looked more harmless and downright hot.
“Max’s nickname,” Liz said and then lowered her voice to whisper, “It’s hot, don’t you think?”
“Shadow,” Maria mused and got comfortable with the rest of her dinner. “Bring it on, Blake.”
“Okay, so we came under fire by insurgents when we were out on patrol one day and they had us pinned down. We couldn’t catch a break and I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess neither of you girls has ever been to that corner of the world, but at the peak of the day the temperature can hit 120 degrees and we’re out there in full body armor, carrying close to a hundred pounds of gear in our rucksacks. The insurgents are used to that kinda heat so keepin’ us pinned down didn’t seem to be much of a problem for them. We’d been out there for hours before the sun started to shift enough to throw some shadows.” He shook his head. “We came up with the idea that someone was gonna have to draw their fire so someone else could get into position to get some decent shots off. Well, Tuck an’ Ramrod, a couple guys in our unit, they were gonna draw their fire and me an’ Stryker moved to get into position to take the shots. Things didn’t go the way we were hopin’ they’d go. Shadow, he was keepin’ the insurgents guessin’ about where fire was comin’ from ‘cause he and a couple other guys stayed where we’d been pinned.”
Liz’ eyes widened. “What happened?” she asked as she shifted closer to the edge of her seat.
“One of those bastards got off a round and hit Stryker and pinned us down from our new position.” He nodded at Max. “And then we catch sight of him crawlin’ across the desert floor, huggin’ every rock in sight to avoid bein’ hit. We all start firin’, tryin’ to keep the insurgents from catchin’ sight of his movements until he gets outta the line of fire. And then he hits the shadows bein’ thrown by the cover they were usin’ and he was able to get the drop on them, came up behind ‘em and had ‘em eatin’ sand.” He shook his head and laughed when Max rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath.
“You’re such a hero, Maxie-Max,” Maria teased.
“Thanks a lot, man,” he growled. “It’s just somethin’ that had to be done.”
“True, Maxie,” Blake teased with a snort. That nickname was so far from the man he knew it wasn’t even funny.
“Keep it up and I’ll make sure this lettering says somethin’ completely different than the original idea.”
Liz studied her boyfriend. She could easily picture him in the war, fighting more for his buddies than for any cause. “Are you still in the Army?”
“Yeah,” he shrugged, “it works for me.”
“You’re just on leave or are you stationed close by?” Maria looked up from her food to look at him.
“Fort Hamilton, right at the edge of Brooklyn.”
“That’s cool.”
He grinned. “It keeps me busy.”
Max glanced up at him. “You goin’ after the engineering degree?”
“Uh-huh, once I’ve got that completed I’m set in the military or out of it.”
“Do you have to go back again?” Maria wanted to know.
“It’s possible, but once I have the degree I won’t be goin’ back into a combat situation. I’m gonna be a demolitions expert so I figure that’ll be plenty of adrenaline right there.”
She grinned. “I like guys with cool jobs.” Every one of their male friends had a cool job so Blake fit right in with the rest of them.
“Ever watched a demo at a construction site?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Then you haven’t watched one ‘cause you’d know. I can do this and still stay in the Army if I want to and I’ll have the opportunity to travel so it’s a win-win situation.”
“I’m sorry, but Hawk needs to shut up for a while now,” Max glared at the man. “No movin’ while I’m doin’ the smaller letters.”
“You’re just jealous ‘cause you don’t get to blow anything up.” He shot a smug grin at his old Army buddy.
Oh, he had blown up a lot lately, just not that kind, he thought, frustrated. “Instead I just tat ugly stuff on guys who stretch my nerves.”
“Hey, this’s a great piece of work.”
Max just looked at him warningly and Liz laughed. “I think that means: Shut up, Blake.”
“Yeah, think you’re right.” He winked at the girls. “Shutting up now.”
Liz wiggled around in her chair and turned her head towards Maria. “Did you talk to Michael or Kyle?”
“I talked to Michael,” she said, trying to push down the hurt that arose in response to the memory. “He wasn’t very receptive to talking.”
“He probably just needs some time and a bit of sleep after the last few days, he’ll come along,” she tried to reassure her roommate.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m sure that’s it.” But she wasn’t.
“Weren’t you planning to stay at the hospital tonight?”
“Mom had other plans. She told me to go home.”
“So whatcha wanna do tonight? You feel like just hanging out at the apartment or you wanna go out and do something fun for once?”
“Fun,” Blake whispered. “Say you wanna do somethin’ fun with a guy who knows how to have fun.”
Her first inclination was to just tell them she was going to go to her room, curl up in a ball, and cry herself to sleep, but the hell with it. If Michael suddenly decided to be the same asshole to her that he was to everyone else when he was moody then she wasn’t gonna let it bring her down even more. “We could go out.”
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
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- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Part 146
sarammlover: Michael is dealing with a lot right now. He’s suffered a loss, one of his best friends has been hospitalized, his sister’s dealing with a stalker ex, and to top it off he’s suddenly faced with his changing relationship with his best friend. There’s a lot of stress there and he’s pushing her away. It’s not that he doesn’t give a shit, and he’ll eventually get to a place where he can deal with things, but right now he’s lost and he’s gotta find his way back.
Earth2Mama: Well, the good news is they’ll eventually get past this.
We’ll catch up with them at the club today. Michael does have some things to work out and given time, we think he’ll get it figured out.
Natalie36: Don’t give up on him.
keepsmiling7: Lol, so does Liz.
We’ll check on Aaron again.
CandyliciousLovah: Lol, looks like that may just happen.
begonia9508: Michael does need some time alone to deal with things. Right now Maria’s part of the issues he’s dealing with and he’s gonna have to find his way out of the place he’s in.
Lol, yeah, that news might not be so welcome.
Roswelllostcause: Thanks! Lol, well, Blake is currently on the market…
Part 146
Tough and Rough
“Cool.”
“Whatcha say, Max?” Liz wanted to know. “Ya up for something as well?”
“We could,” he grunted as he twisted to finish one of the letters.
“Any suggestions?” Maria asked, letting her legs dangle over one armrest of the huge chair she was sitting in.
He glanced at Max, knowing sometimes crowds got to the other man. “How you set for clubs?”
“I’m good,” he replied shortly.
“There’s a club we can hit that’s got a decent cover band on Sunday nights.” He looked at Maria. “You got a Friday or Saturday night free though, I’ll bet you’d love the band that plays those nights.”
“When I’m not doing shots for Maxie, I’m usually free,” she winked at him. What the hell, if this sexy guy was up for some flirting, she was too.
“How ‘bout Friday night?”
“I’m gonna say yes for now, but don’t hate me if I have to bail on you. My life’s not my own right now and lately a lot of things tend to come up.”
“Hey, as long as you’re not ditchin’ me for some other guy.” He grinned and waved his right hand.
Uh-huh, the other guy didn’t want her to be near, she thought. “So what kinda club is it? A girl needs to know to choose her outfit.” She smirked at Liz.
He glanced at Max with a confused look. “It’s a club. Loud music, alcohol, and a dance floor if you’re so inclined.”
The other man snorted and leaned back to have a look at the nearly finished tattoo. “You have no clue, man,” he muttered.
“Apparently.” He shrugged one shoulder. “Anyone wanna clue me in?”
“What kinda music do they play?” Liz asked.
“Rock and alternative, hard and loud.” Blake grinned. “If you like a driving beat you’ll enjoy the bands that play there.”
The girls looked at each other and almost said at the same time: “Hot pants and a tank top.”
“I think I just missed somethin’,” he muttered.
Max laughed and shook his head. “Don’t try to understand it, man. Just be glad we don’t have to figure out what to wear based on the music or whatever the deciding factor was.”
“I guess you guys can go just like you are,” Maria said after running her eyes over their outfits.
“Yeah, definitely one of the great things about bein’ a guy.”
Liz snorted and got up to walk over for a better look. The skin around the tattoo looked irritated, but other than that it was amazing. “How bad does it hurt?”
Maria followed and stood behind her to have a look as well. “Like a bitch I bet.”
“Nah, I’ve been shot so this is nothin’ compared to that.”
“Where?”
“He took shrapnel in the ass from an IED,” Max said and rolled his eyes.
“Ow,” Maria laughed.
“Hey, there was also a very close encounter with a knife blade,” Blake protested.
“Yeah, but you were makin’ a move on a woman who was already spoken for so that’s your own fault.”
“Hell, she never said anything.”
“At all?” Maria teased.
“Well, most of what she was sayin’ wasn’t verbal.”
Max snorted. “That six-foot-eight giant she was with had enough to say for both of ‘em.”
“I’m sure you weren’t totally celibate either,” Liz said with a knowing look at her man.
“I wasn’t makin’ plays for girls dating giants either.”
“How did you avoid getting killed?” Maria wanted to know.
Blake grinned, showing off his perfect teeth. “I’m very good with my hands.”
“I bet you are,” she chuckled and went to the other room to get rid of the empty takeout bag.
Blake shoved Max with his elbow. “Hey, man, why’re you addin’ your two cents in? Shrapnel in the ass and a fight with some guy over his girl,” he muttered.
“Aw,” Liz leaned against her boyfriend’s frame when he had to adjust a new color for the tat, her smile teasing, “I think he’s got it bad for Maria, don’t ya think?”
“Don’t you start too. Shadow doesn’t need any help.”
Max smirked. “Hurt her an’ we know several people who’d come after you.”
“Got a feelin’ you’d be at the top of the list.” He nodded. “The warning’s duly noted.”
“You gonna be done soon?” Maria asked when she came back carrying a bottle of water. “I have the feeling I’ve already spent too much time in your studio this weekend.”
“You do damn good work here,” Blake said with a grin.
She smiled and stood on the other side of the chair to watch. “Hey, Max, you should give him a good price for playing the hero yesterday.”
“You said you’d go out with him tonight, isn’t that enough?”
“Sure as hell is,” the other man muttered.
“Hey, think we should ask Tess an’ Isabel too? Or maybe Tony an’ Ava?” Maria suggested.
“You know, I think that’s a great idea,” Liz said. “They could really use a night out too.”
“Whatcha say, Blake? Wanna meet some friends of ours? You already met Tony.”
“Yeah, why not?”
“You gonna check on them?” Maria looked at Liz. “I already bought a new cell, but it’ll take a few days before they get a new sim card with my old number.”
“Yeah, I’ll make the calls.”
Max swiped the cloth over Blake’s freshly tattooed skin for the last time to get rid of the excess ink and then leaned back. “We’re done.”
He turned to the side to glance down and he nodded in approval. “Looks good.” He got up to check it out in the mirror. “Yep, looks damn good.”
“It does,” Maria agreed, looking at the tat through the mirror and reading the words written there – Death before Dishonor – a total army thing, but it looked hot on his ribcage. She grabbed his red shirt from the chair next to them and threw it at him. “Now dress so we can get outta here, handsome.”
He pulled the shirt on and took his time lining the buttons up and slipping them through the matching holes. “I hope you’re ready for a good time.”
“More than ready. Let’s go.”
*****
As promised the club was loud and the music was pounding, the beat so pronounced that it could be felt vibrating through the walls and the floor. Liz was fascinated at the way the crowd seemed to part, creating a path and giving them plenty of space to make their way to the bar. Nothing had been said, but it was as if Blake could sense Max’ agitation at the press of bodies that had been around them when they first entered. His fist made contact with the one the bartender held out when he noticed him.
“Hey, man, how’s it goin’?”
“It’s decent.” Blake grinned and leaned on the counter. “Think I can get a round?”
“Comin’ right up.” The lights over the bar reflected off of his bald head and the black tee shirt he wore was stretched taut across his muscled chest. “Man, how’d you drag Shadow out into public?”
“You wouldn’t believe the fight I had on my hands.” He rolled his eyes and then shook his head as he turned to motion to the girls. “Ramrod, this’s Maria and Liz.” He nodded at Evans who was hanging back. “The little brunette, she’s Shadow’s girl.” His attention shifted to the girls again. “Girls, this’s Mike ‘Ramrod’ Ryerson. He was in our unit.”
“Hey, Mike,” both girls smiled at him and started to move to the music.
“We’re just gonna forget about all the shit in our lives tonight and enjoy this, alright?” Maria asked close to Liz’ ear so she could hear her.
Liz nodded. “I promise I’m gonna do my best.” She turned to hold a hand out to Max when he didn’t make a move to come any closer.
“C’mon over here and get your ugly mug outta the shadows,” Ramrod hollered. He held a hand up when Max finally took a couple of steps towards the counter. He braced his huge hands on the surface and leaned over it, his features intimidating as his gaze focused on the other man. “Ain’t seen you since they sent me home.”
“I don’t usually hang in Brooklyn,” Max replied shortly.
“Yeah, nothin’ to do with the leg I left over there, right?” It wasn’t unusual for guys to pull away after something like that. Facing an injury like that really brought it home that life was too short and all it took was one wrong step to fuck everything up.
“We all left something over there.”
“Ain’t that the truth. C’mon,” he set a beer on the counter, “have a drink and relax, Shadow. Wasn’t for you I might not be breathin’ now so don’t even think of takin’ your wallet out.” He glanced over at the girls. “This guy pulled me outta the line of fire after I stepped on that mine.”
“Seems like we’re surrounded with heroes,” Maria smiled, but Liz just looked at her boyfriend with a mixture of worry and awe.
Max shifted uncomfortably and waved her comment off. “Just doin’ the job.”
“Don’t be so modest. Let’s drink to it,” the blonde lifted her beer.
“What’re we drinking to?” Tony asked as he and Ava joined them.
“To heroes,” she explained and gave both of them a hug, “and since you’re one yourself, you made it just in time.”
Liz wrapped her arm around her boyfriend’s waist, feeling the tension in him. She rubbed his back, hoping he’d relax a little bit. This was a part of his life that he’d shared so briefly with her and she didn’t know much about it.
“So, what’s your story?” Blake looked at Tony.
“I’m not sure,” he admitted, puzzled.
“Tony’s a firefighter; that makes him a general hero,” Maria explained with a smirk.
“Firefighter, huh?” Ramrod asked with interest.
He nodded. “Can I get a Mojito for the lady?”
Ava lifted an eyebrow as she nodded. “You’re very good.”
“I’ve heard that before,” he looked down at her and grinned.
She laughed. “I’ll just bet you have.”
Maria rolled her eyes. “Too much love in the air, I think I’m gonna hit the dance floor.”
Blake hurried to put his beer down. “Want some company? It might surprise you given my size, but I know how to tear it up on a dance floor.”
“Someone better remind him that knocking out everyone in range isn’t how you tear it up on a dance floor,” Ramrod muttered and turned to take another customer’s order.
The other girls laughed and snuggled against their boyfriends. “As long as he doesn’t knock Maria out.”
“No, it’s usually just everyone around him and his dancing partner,” Max said and leaned back against the counter. “He thinks he can dance and nothin’ anyone’s ever said has convinced him otherwise.”
“Who?” Isabel asked when she and Tess had made their way to the others.
“The subway savior,” Liz said with a laugh as she pointed at Maria and Blake out on the dance floor. His moves weren’t very coordinated, but he looked like he was having a lot of fun and he was making Maria laugh. “Yeah, I don’t think he has a future as a dancer.”
“Oh, that’s Hawk?” Tess stood on her tiptoes, interested.
“That’s him. Oh,” she motioned to the big guy behind the bar, “and that’s Ramrod. You won’t even have to give him your drink order. He’ll take one look at you and know what you drink.”
“Oh, fun,” she looked at the guy. “Make your guess.”
Ramrod studied her for a moment before nodding. “You look like... a Blue Margarita.”
“Oh, what the hell, bring it on,” she shrugged.
He grinned and shot a glance at the tall blonde. “Seven and Seven,” he guessed.
“Good one,” Isabel agreed, thankful that someone had taken the decision from her because after talking to Dad and the detective again, she didn’t feel capable of forming a clear thought on her own.
“How’d things go with your dad?” Liz asked.
“He’s doing what he can,” Tess answered for her older sister.
“Was he mad?” Liz asked.
“No, not mad. Disappointed,” Isabel admitted. Mad she could’ve dealt with, but knowing she’d disappointed him was something else altogether.
“An’ did you talk to Cooper again?” Max leaned forward to get his beer off of the counter.
“A monumental waste of time,” she snapped.
“It wasn’t a waste of time,” Tess negated with a shake of her head. “He’s already started looking into the case. He just hasn’t found anything yet.”
“Monumental. Waste. Of. Time,” Isabel repeated.
“You dealin’ with police?” Ramrod asked.
“He’s okay,” Max said when Isabel’s sharp gaze shifted to the man who had spoken.
“Well, if I’ve learned anything in this city then it’s that you’re stuck if you have to rely on their work alone,” the guy beyond the counter said and went to open up a beer for a customer before he came back. “They do their work alright, but they just don’t have the focus they need with the amount of criminal activity here.”
“And what would you suggest if there was someone who was missing and nothing was being done about it? What if you were certain you knew who was involved but there was no way to implicate them legally?”
Mike snorted. “Then I’d call every one of my fuckin’ Army buddies in town and take care of business myself.”
Her eyebrows lifted in contemplation. “What would something like that cost?”
“Cost? People you served with don’t take your money.”
“Do you have the means to really track someone down?”
“We did that half of our time in Afghanistan or Iraq.”
“And what if there was a dirty cop involved?”
He leaned on the counter, more interested now. “If there is, do we know who it is?”
“Say we do know, what then?”
“Then that’s even more fun. Nothin’ better than bringin’ a corrupt bastard down.”
Isabel was very interested in the possibilities. “And what would you charge for that if it was for someone you hadn’t served with?”
Liz looked at Max. In theory it all sounded good, but what if they made a wrong step somewhere along the way and it cost them Aaron?
He nodded when he saw her worries and knew he had to put a stop to this before it could go too far. “That’s enough, we can’t do that.”
“Sounds like the lady’s got a serious problem,” Mike said as he wiped the counter down. His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied Evans and his girl. “That problem somehow involve you?”
“It does,” he admitted and shot a look at Isabel. “And that’s why we can’t do this illegally.”
“You can’t expect me to just sit here and do nothing when Alex is missing and Richard and Trent are probably both involved with his disappearance,” she hissed.
“And you can’t expect us to agree to something illegal when Aaron’s future depends on it as well,” Liz shot back, annoyed.
Mike didn’t miss the undercurrents of tension radiating out from the small group of people and he looked at Evans again. “You got a kid, Shadow?”
Liz swallowed with difficulty and her heart swelled with love when Max nodded without bothering to correct the man’s assumption. “My brother used to live with us. He’s four and the corrupt cop... he’s my ex.”
His gaze bounced back to the tall blonde. “And this fella Alex? How’s he figure into it?”
“He’s my boyfriend,” she ignored the surprised looks of the others, “and my ex has turned into a stalker. And now it seems like those two,” she gestured between her and Liz, “have decided to work together.”
He leaned his forearms on the counter. “And what’s your ex do? He’s not a cop too, right?”
“No,” she shook her head. “He’s an investor and businessman, concentrates on building and buying buildings and sells or rents ‘em out.”
“And you think he’s somehow connected with the dirty cop and they’ve got your boyfriend?” He nodded when she answered affirmatively. “And what’s the connection between your ex and your kid?” he asked with a look at Liz and Evans.
“He never accepted the fact that I chose to take my brother in when my parents died and he made my life hell from then on. We lived together for a while until I got back together with Max. Now he just wants revenge for whatever reason.”
“There isn’t a reason,” Max growled. “He’s just an asshole.”
“Cop got a name?”
“Listen, I appreciate your help, but it’s-”
“Trent Kennedy,” Isabel told him before Max ended his sentence.
Mike held a hand up in Evans’ direction. “Hey, cop like that don’t get service in my bar.” He motioned to Isabel. “And the businessman? What’s his name?”
“Richard Mathews.”
“And neither will he,” he promised with a wink at Isabel. He had enough information to run it through with Blake and see what he thought.
Max sighed and grabbed the man’s sleeve tightly to bring them nose to nose. “I’ve got cops investigating me because someone drugged me and hid drugs in my car. Liz’s brother lives with my parents now and I’ve got a list of things to work through to get him back. Get involved and bust that plan and I’m gonna kill you, Ramrod.”
“Ease up, Shadow,” the big man growled. “Ain’t nobody gonna fuck your shit up.”
“If you think that makes me feel better, then you’re mistaken,” he growled but let go of him anyway.
“I think you’re wound too tight.”
“He IS wound too tight,” Blake laughed as he and Maria joined them again. “But we all know that’s just the way he’s wired.”
“You okay?” Maria frowned at the tension between Isabel, Max and Liz.
“Yes,” Isabel said with a forced smile. She had a feeling Mike hadn’t just been asking idle questions and if he wanted to look further into the matter she had no intentions of trying to rein him in. Maybe unleashing a highly trained military man or two on her ex and a dirty cop would turn things their way for once.
Maria looked at Tess when she wasn’t convinced, but her friend just shook her head. “Didn’t we say we wanted to have some fun?”
“I’m here to have fun,” the tall blonde insisted as she turned to look at Blake. She’d make it a point to talk to the man behind the bar when she could get a moment of his time without Max and Liz around. Even if it meant coming back another time. “We haven’t been introduced. I’m Isabel Guerin,” she said and held her hand out to the man with Maria.
“Blake Jenson,” he introduced himself and squeezed her hand.
Her eyebrows lifted as she shot a glance at Maria. “Your subway savior?”
“The one and only,” she nodded and laid her head back to look at him with a grin.
“The subway savior?” Mike asked and laughed. “Now there’s a title for you!” He slapped his buddy on the back and went to get him a beer.
“Did you actually save her because you’re nice or because you wanted a piece of her?” Tess asked, amused. The guy’s eyes were fixed on Maria 90 % of the time, he was definitely interested.
“Considering that she was runnin’ from me at the time she was mugged I’d say it’s safe to say it was because I’m a nice guy.”
Max nearly spit out the mouthful of beer he’d just taken and he turned away to force it down so he could cough to clear his throat.
“You were kinda intimidating, ya know?” Maria defended herself.
He grinned and shrugged. “I was so busy starin’ at you and tryin’ to place you that it never occurred to me what I looked like to you.”
“Uh-huh. I’d had a shitty day and I guess that only added to the fact of being stared down by a stranger in a hoodie.”
“No wonder you can’t get a date,” Max said and rolled his eyes.
“She’s here now, isn’t she?” Blake smirked.
Tess shot a look at Maria. Was she going to start something with the guy? He was admittedly hot, but would she when things with Michael had just heated up?
“Let’s see how long that lasts now that she’s seen you cut loose on the dance floor,” Mike rumbled as he made another pass, checking to see who needed a fresh drink and wiping the counter down.
“I think I need to use the ladies room,” Tess said, throwing a meaningful look at her best friend.
Maria sighed, knowing there would be no ducking Tess if she wanted to know something. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t try. “I was thinking of hitting the floor again.”
“Yeah, we’ll do that right after,” the curly blonde agreed and grabbed her hand to drag her away. “Parker, are you coming or what?”
“Um, okay, yeah.” She turned to hand her drink to Max. “Be right back.”
Max snorted and looked at Isabel. “You need to go as well?”
She rolled her eyes. “Hell, no.”
Mike leaned on the counter, his eyes locked on Max. “That problem you mentioned earlier about the drugs, you think your girl’s ex had a hand in that?”
“Definitely,” he grumbled.
He nodded and dropped that subject. “You doin’ okay outside of that?”
“Yeah,” he answered shortly.
“Cool.” He wondered if he was doing as well as he claimed to be doing. For a long time he’d gone around telling everyone he was fine but it wasn’t until he’d finally given in and started seeing a therapist that he’d really started to make any headway in civilian life. “Blake was tellin’ me you’ve got your own business now. Inking people, huh?”
“In Manhattan,” he agreed. “You should come for a cover up,” Max gestured to the ugly ink job on the man’s right hand.
“Yeah, that didn’t come out the way it was supposed to. At the time I was so drunk I could hardly see straight and I thought it looked pretty fuckin’ good.” He made a face as he splayed his fingers to look at it. “If I could remember where I even got it I’d kick that guy’s ass.”
Blake snorted and held out his tattooed arms. “These are real tattoos man, not those dots you got under your skin.”
“Fuck you,” he muttered on a laugh.
“We can fix it,” Max took a sip of his beer. “Just stop by my shop next time you’re in Manhattan and we’ll schedule something.”
Isabel rolled her eyes at the boring conversation. “I wanna dance. Which one of you wants to dance with me?”
Several pairs of male eyes from around them turned their attention towards her and Ava rolled her eyes. “I’ll go with you, sweet sister.”
“Well,” she huffed, “I suppose if you’re the best I can do. Let’s go.”
Blake snorted. “Did ya miss the fifteen other guys?”
“No, but like I said, my sister’s apparently the best I can do tonight.”
“She’s not easy to please, is she?” he muttered when the women were gone.
“If there’s one word I will NEVER use to describe Isabel Guerin, that’s the one,” Max said with a laugh.
Earth2Mama: Well, the good news is they’ll eventually get past this.
We’ll catch up with them at the club today. Michael does have some things to work out and given time, we think he’ll get it figured out.
Natalie36: Don’t give up on him.
keepsmiling7: Lol, so does Liz.
We’ll check on Aaron again.
CandyliciousLovah: Lol, looks like that may just happen.
begonia9508: Michael does need some time alone to deal with things. Right now Maria’s part of the issues he’s dealing with and he’s gonna have to find his way out of the place he’s in.
Lol, yeah, that news might not be so welcome.
Roswelllostcause: Thanks! Lol, well, Blake is currently on the market…
Part 146
Tough and Rough
“Cool.”
“Whatcha say, Max?” Liz wanted to know. “Ya up for something as well?”
“We could,” he grunted as he twisted to finish one of the letters.
“Any suggestions?” Maria asked, letting her legs dangle over one armrest of the huge chair she was sitting in.
He glanced at Max, knowing sometimes crowds got to the other man. “How you set for clubs?”
“I’m good,” he replied shortly.
“There’s a club we can hit that’s got a decent cover band on Sunday nights.” He looked at Maria. “You got a Friday or Saturday night free though, I’ll bet you’d love the band that plays those nights.”
“When I’m not doing shots for Maxie, I’m usually free,” she winked at him. What the hell, if this sexy guy was up for some flirting, she was too.
“How ‘bout Friday night?”
“I’m gonna say yes for now, but don’t hate me if I have to bail on you. My life’s not my own right now and lately a lot of things tend to come up.”
“Hey, as long as you’re not ditchin’ me for some other guy.” He grinned and waved his right hand.
Uh-huh, the other guy didn’t want her to be near, she thought. “So what kinda club is it? A girl needs to know to choose her outfit.” She smirked at Liz.
He glanced at Max with a confused look. “It’s a club. Loud music, alcohol, and a dance floor if you’re so inclined.”
The other man snorted and leaned back to have a look at the nearly finished tattoo. “You have no clue, man,” he muttered.
“Apparently.” He shrugged one shoulder. “Anyone wanna clue me in?”
“What kinda music do they play?” Liz asked.
“Rock and alternative, hard and loud.” Blake grinned. “If you like a driving beat you’ll enjoy the bands that play there.”
The girls looked at each other and almost said at the same time: “Hot pants and a tank top.”
“I think I just missed somethin’,” he muttered.
Max laughed and shook his head. “Don’t try to understand it, man. Just be glad we don’t have to figure out what to wear based on the music or whatever the deciding factor was.”
“I guess you guys can go just like you are,” Maria said after running her eyes over their outfits.
“Yeah, definitely one of the great things about bein’ a guy.”
Liz snorted and got up to walk over for a better look. The skin around the tattoo looked irritated, but other than that it was amazing. “How bad does it hurt?”
Maria followed and stood behind her to have a look as well. “Like a bitch I bet.”
“Nah, I’ve been shot so this is nothin’ compared to that.”
“Where?”
“He took shrapnel in the ass from an IED,” Max said and rolled his eyes.
“Ow,” Maria laughed.
“Hey, there was also a very close encounter with a knife blade,” Blake protested.
“Yeah, but you were makin’ a move on a woman who was already spoken for so that’s your own fault.”
“Hell, she never said anything.”
“At all?” Maria teased.
“Well, most of what she was sayin’ wasn’t verbal.”
Max snorted. “That six-foot-eight giant she was with had enough to say for both of ‘em.”
“I’m sure you weren’t totally celibate either,” Liz said with a knowing look at her man.
“I wasn’t makin’ plays for girls dating giants either.”
“How did you avoid getting killed?” Maria wanted to know.
Blake grinned, showing off his perfect teeth. “I’m very good with my hands.”
“I bet you are,” she chuckled and went to the other room to get rid of the empty takeout bag.
Blake shoved Max with his elbow. “Hey, man, why’re you addin’ your two cents in? Shrapnel in the ass and a fight with some guy over his girl,” he muttered.
“Aw,” Liz leaned against her boyfriend’s frame when he had to adjust a new color for the tat, her smile teasing, “I think he’s got it bad for Maria, don’t ya think?”
“Don’t you start too. Shadow doesn’t need any help.”
Max smirked. “Hurt her an’ we know several people who’d come after you.”
“Got a feelin’ you’d be at the top of the list.” He nodded. “The warning’s duly noted.”
“You gonna be done soon?” Maria asked when she came back carrying a bottle of water. “I have the feeling I’ve already spent too much time in your studio this weekend.”
“You do damn good work here,” Blake said with a grin.
She smiled and stood on the other side of the chair to watch. “Hey, Max, you should give him a good price for playing the hero yesterday.”
“You said you’d go out with him tonight, isn’t that enough?”
“Sure as hell is,” the other man muttered.
“Hey, think we should ask Tess an’ Isabel too? Or maybe Tony an’ Ava?” Maria suggested.
“You know, I think that’s a great idea,” Liz said. “They could really use a night out too.”
“Whatcha say, Blake? Wanna meet some friends of ours? You already met Tony.”
“Yeah, why not?”
“You gonna check on them?” Maria looked at Liz. “I already bought a new cell, but it’ll take a few days before they get a new sim card with my old number.”
“Yeah, I’ll make the calls.”
Max swiped the cloth over Blake’s freshly tattooed skin for the last time to get rid of the excess ink and then leaned back. “We’re done.”
He turned to the side to glance down and he nodded in approval. “Looks good.” He got up to check it out in the mirror. “Yep, looks damn good.”
“It does,” Maria agreed, looking at the tat through the mirror and reading the words written there – Death before Dishonor – a total army thing, but it looked hot on his ribcage. She grabbed his red shirt from the chair next to them and threw it at him. “Now dress so we can get outta here, handsome.”
He pulled the shirt on and took his time lining the buttons up and slipping them through the matching holes. “I hope you’re ready for a good time.”
“More than ready. Let’s go.”
*****
As promised the club was loud and the music was pounding, the beat so pronounced that it could be felt vibrating through the walls and the floor. Liz was fascinated at the way the crowd seemed to part, creating a path and giving them plenty of space to make their way to the bar. Nothing had been said, but it was as if Blake could sense Max’ agitation at the press of bodies that had been around them when they first entered. His fist made contact with the one the bartender held out when he noticed him.
“Hey, man, how’s it goin’?”
“It’s decent.” Blake grinned and leaned on the counter. “Think I can get a round?”
“Comin’ right up.” The lights over the bar reflected off of his bald head and the black tee shirt he wore was stretched taut across his muscled chest. “Man, how’d you drag Shadow out into public?”
“You wouldn’t believe the fight I had on my hands.” He rolled his eyes and then shook his head as he turned to motion to the girls. “Ramrod, this’s Maria and Liz.” He nodded at Evans who was hanging back. “The little brunette, she’s Shadow’s girl.” His attention shifted to the girls again. “Girls, this’s Mike ‘Ramrod’ Ryerson. He was in our unit.”
“Hey, Mike,” both girls smiled at him and started to move to the music.
“We’re just gonna forget about all the shit in our lives tonight and enjoy this, alright?” Maria asked close to Liz’ ear so she could hear her.
Liz nodded. “I promise I’m gonna do my best.” She turned to hold a hand out to Max when he didn’t make a move to come any closer.
“C’mon over here and get your ugly mug outta the shadows,” Ramrod hollered. He held a hand up when Max finally took a couple of steps towards the counter. He braced his huge hands on the surface and leaned over it, his features intimidating as his gaze focused on the other man. “Ain’t seen you since they sent me home.”
“I don’t usually hang in Brooklyn,” Max replied shortly.
“Yeah, nothin’ to do with the leg I left over there, right?” It wasn’t unusual for guys to pull away after something like that. Facing an injury like that really brought it home that life was too short and all it took was one wrong step to fuck everything up.
“We all left something over there.”
“Ain’t that the truth. C’mon,” he set a beer on the counter, “have a drink and relax, Shadow. Wasn’t for you I might not be breathin’ now so don’t even think of takin’ your wallet out.” He glanced over at the girls. “This guy pulled me outta the line of fire after I stepped on that mine.”
“Seems like we’re surrounded with heroes,” Maria smiled, but Liz just looked at her boyfriend with a mixture of worry and awe.
Max shifted uncomfortably and waved her comment off. “Just doin’ the job.”
“Don’t be so modest. Let’s drink to it,” the blonde lifted her beer.
“What’re we drinking to?” Tony asked as he and Ava joined them.
“To heroes,” she explained and gave both of them a hug, “and since you’re one yourself, you made it just in time.”
Liz wrapped her arm around her boyfriend’s waist, feeling the tension in him. She rubbed his back, hoping he’d relax a little bit. This was a part of his life that he’d shared so briefly with her and she didn’t know much about it.
“So, what’s your story?” Blake looked at Tony.
“I’m not sure,” he admitted, puzzled.
“Tony’s a firefighter; that makes him a general hero,” Maria explained with a smirk.
“Firefighter, huh?” Ramrod asked with interest.
He nodded. “Can I get a Mojito for the lady?”
Ava lifted an eyebrow as she nodded. “You’re very good.”
“I’ve heard that before,” he looked down at her and grinned.
She laughed. “I’ll just bet you have.”
Maria rolled her eyes. “Too much love in the air, I think I’m gonna hit the dance floor.”
Blake hurried to put his beer down. “Want some company? It might surprise you given my size, but I know how to tear it up on a dance floor.”
“Someone better remind him that knocking out everyone in range isn’t how you tear it up on a dance floor,” Ramrod muttered and turned to take another customer’s order.
The other girls laughed and snuggled against their boyfriends. “As long as he doesn’t knock Maria out.”
“No, it’s usually just everyone around him and his dancing partner,” Max said and leaned back against the counter. “He thinks he can dance and nothin’ anyone’s ever said has convinced him otherwise.”
“Who?” Isabel asked when she and Tess had made their way to the others.
“The subway savior,” Liz said with a laugh as she pointed at Maria and Blake out on the dance floor. His moves weren’t very coordinated, but he looked like he was having a lot of fun and he was making Maria laugh. “Yeah, I don’t think he has a future as a dancer.”
“Oh, that’s Hawk?” Tess stood on her tiptoes, interested.
“That’s him. Oh,” she motioned to the big guy behind the bar, “and that’s Ramrod. You won’t even have to give him your drink order. He’ll take one look at you and know what you drink.”
“Oh, fun,” she looked at the guy. “Make your guess.”
Ramrod studied her for a moment before nodding. “You look like... a Blue Margarita.”
“Oh, what the hell, bring it on,” she shrugged.
He grinned and shot a glance at the tall blonde. “Seven and Seven,” he guessed.
“Good one,” Isabel agreed, thankful that someone had taken the decision from her because after talking to Dad and the detective again, she didn’t feel capable of forming a clear thought on her own.
“How’d things go with your dad?” Liz asked.
“He’s doing what he can,” Tess answered for her older sister.
“Was he mad?” Liz asked.
“No, not mad. Disappointed,” Isabel admitted. Mad she could’ve dealt with, but knowing she’d disappointed him was something else altogether.
“An’ did you talk to Cooper again?” Max leaned forward to get his beer off of the counter.
“A monumental waste of time,” she snapped.
“It wasn’t a waste of time,” Tess negated with a shake of her head. “He’s already started looking into the case. He just hasn’t found anything yet.”
“Monumental. Waste. Of. Time,” Isabel repeated.
“You dealin’ with police?” Ramrod asked.
“He’s okay,” Max said when Isabel’s sharp gaze shifted to the man who had spoken.
“Well, if I’ve learned anything in this city then it’s that you’re stuck if you have to rely on their work alone,” the guy beyond the counter said and went to open up a beer for a customer before he came back. “They do their work alright, but they just don’t have the focus they need with the amount of criminal activity here.”
“And what would you suggest if there was someone who was missing and nothing was being done about it? What if you were certain you knew who was involved but there was no way to implicate them legally?”
Mike snorted. “Then I’d call every one of my fuckin’ Army buddies in town and take care of business myself.”
Her eyebrows lifted in contemplation. “What would something like that cost?”
“Cost? People you served with don’t take your money.”
“Do you have the means to really track someone down?”
“We did that half of our time in Afghanistan or Iraq.”
“And what if there was a dirty cop involved?”
He leaned on the counter, more interested now. “If there is, do we know who it is?”
“Say we do know, what then?”
“Then that’s even more fun. Nothin’ better than bringin’ a corrupt bastard down.”
Isabel was very interested in the possibilities. “And what would you charge for that if it was for someone you hadn’t served with?”
Liz looked at Max. In theory it all sounded good, but what if they made a wrong step somewhere along the way and it cost them Aaron?
He nodded when he saw her worries and knew he had to put a stop to this before it could go too far. “That’s enough, we can’t do that.”
“Sounds like the lady’s got a serious problem,” Mike said as he wiped the counter down. His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied Evans and his girl. “That problem somehow involve you?”
“It does,” he admitted and shot a look at Isabel. “And that’s why we can’t do this illegally.”
“You can’t expect me to just sit here and do nothing when Alex is missing and Richard and Trent are probably both involved with his disappearance,” she hissed.
“And you can’t expect us to agree to something illegal when Aaron’s future depends on it as well,” Liz shot back, annoyed.
Mike didn’t miss the undercurrents of tension radiating out from the small group of people and he looked at Evans again. “You got a kid, Shadow?”
Liz swallowed with difficulty and her heart swelled with love when Max nodded without bothering to correct the man’s assumption. “My brother used to live with us. He’s four and the corrupt cop... he’s my ex.”
His gaze bounced back to the tall blonde. “And this fella Alex? How’s he figure into it?”
“He’s my boyfriend,” she ignored the surprised looks of the others, “and my ex has turned into a stalker. And now it seems like those two,” she gestured between her and Liz, “have decided to work together.”
He leaned his forearms on the counter. “And what’s your ex do? He’s not a cop too, right?”
“No,” she shook her head. “He’s an investor and businessman, concentrates on building and buying buildings and sells or rents ‘em out.”
“And you think he’s somehow connected with the dirty cop and they’ve got your boyfriend?” He nodded when she answered affirmatively. “And what’s the connection between your ex and your kid?” he asked with a look at Liz and Evans.
“He never accepted the fact that I chose to take my brother in when my parents died and he made my life hell from then on. We lived together for a while until I got back together with Max. Now he just wants revenge for whatever reason.”
“There isn’t a reason,” Max growled. “He’s just an asshole.”
“Cop got a name?”
“Listen, I appreciate your help, but it’s-”
“Trent Kennedy,” Isabel told him before Max ended his sentence.
Mike held a hand up in Evans’ direction. “Hey, cop like that don’t get service in my bar.” He motioned to Isabel. “And the businessman? What’s his name?”
“Richard Mathews.”
“And neither will he,” he promised with a wink at Isabel. He had enough information to run it through with Blake and see what he thought.
Max sighed and grabbed the man’s sleeve tightly to bring them nose to nose. “I’ve got cops investigating me because someone drugged me and hid drugs in my car. Liz’s brother lives with my parents now and I’ve got a list of things to work through to get him back. Get involved and bust that plan and I’m gonna kill you, Ramrod.”
“Ease up, Shadow,” the big man growled. “Ain’t nobody gonna fuck your shit up.”
“If you think that makes me feel better, then you’re mistaken,” he growled but let go of him anyway.
“I think you’re wound too tight.”
“He IS wound too tight,” Blake laughed as he and Maria joined them again. “But we all know that’s just the way he’s wired.”
“You okay?” Maria frowned at the tension between Isabel, Max and Liz.
“Yes,” Isabel said with a forced smile. She had a feeling Mike hadn’t just been asking idle questions and if he wanted to look further into the matter she had no intentions of trying to rein him in. Maybe unleashing a highly trained military man or two on her ex and a dirty cop would turn things their way for once.
Maria looked at Tess when she wasn’t convinced, but her friend just shook her head. “Didn’t we say we wanted to have some fun?”
“I’m here to have fun,” the tall blonde insisted as she turned to look at Blake. She’d make it a point to talk to the man behind the bar when she could get a moment of his time without Max and Liz around. Even if it meant coming back another time. “We haven’t been introduced. I’m Isabel Guerin,” she said and held her hand out to the man with Maria.
“Blake Jenson,” he introduced himself and squeezed her hand.
Her eyebrows lifted as she shot a glance at Maria. “Your subway savior?”
“The one and only,” she nodded and laid her head back to look at him with a grin.
“The subway savior?” Mike asked and laughed. “Now there’s a title for you!” He slapped his buddy on the back and went to get him a beer.
“Did you actually save her because you’re nice or because you wanted a piece of her?” Tess asked, amused. The guy’s eyes were fixed on Maria 90 % of the time, he was definitely interested.
“Considering that she was runnin’ from me at the time she was mugged I’d say it’s safe to say it was because I’m a nice guy.”
Max nearly spit out the mouthful of beer he’d just taken and he turned away to force it down so he could cough to clear his throat.
“You were kinda intimidating, ya know?” Maria defended herself.
He grinned and shrugged. “I was so busy starin’ at you and tryin’ to place you that it never occurred to me what I looked like to you.”
“Uh-huh. I’d had a shitty day and I guess that only added to the fact of being stared down by a stranger in a hoodie.”
“No wonder you can’t get a date,” Max said and rolled his eyes.
“She’s here now, isn’t she?” Blake smirked.
Tess shot a look at Maria. Was she going to start something with the guy? He was admittedly hot, but would she when things with Michael had just heated up?
“Let’s see how long that lasts now that she’s seen you cut loose on the dance floor,” Mike rumbled as he made another pass, checking to see who needed a fresh drink and wiping the counter down.
“I think I need to use the ladies room,” Tess said, throwing a meaningful look at her best friend.
Maria sighed, knowing there would be no ducking Tess if she wanted to know something. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t try. “I was thinking of hitting the floor again.”
“Yeah, we’ll do that right after,” the curly blonde agreed and grabbed her hand to drag her away. “Parker, are you coming or what?”
“Um, okay, yeah.” She turned to hand her drink to Max. “Be right back.”
Max snorted and looked at Isabel. “You need to go as well?”
She rolled her eyes. “Hell, no.”
Mike leaned on the counter, his eyes locked on Max. “That problem you mentioned earlier about the drugs, you think your girl’s ex had a hand in that?”
“Definitely,” he grumbled.
He nodded and dropped that subject. “You doin’ okay outside of that?”
“Yeah,” he answered shortly.
“Cool.” He wondered if he was doing as well as he claimed to be doing. For a long time he’d gone around telling everyone he was fine but it wasn’t until he’d finally given in and started seeing a therapist that he’d really started to make any headway in civilian life. “Blake was tellin’ me you’ve got your own business now. Inking people, huh?”
“In Manhattan,” he agreed. “You should come for a cover up,” Max gestured to the ugly ink job on the man’s right hand.
“Yeah, that didn’t come out the way it was supposed to. At the time I was so drunk I could hardly see straight and I thought it looked pretty fuckin’ good.” He made a face as he splayed his fingers to look at it. “If I could remember where I even got it I’d kick that guy’s ass.”
Blake snorted and held out his tattooed arms. “These are real tattoos man, not those dots you got under your skin.”
“Fuck you,” he muttered on a laugh.
“We can fix it,” Max took a sip of his beer. “Just stop by my shop next time you’re in Manhattan and we’ll schedule something.”
Isabel rolled her eyes at the boring conversation. “I wanna dance. Which one of you wants to dance with me?”
Several pairs of male eyes from around them turned their attention towards her and Ava rolled her eyes. “I’ll go with you, sweet sister.”
“Well,” she huffed, “I suppose if you’re the best I can do. Let’s go.”
Blake snorted. “Did ya miss the fifteen other guys?”
“No, but like I said, my sister’s apparently the best I can do tonight.”
“She’s not easy to please, is she?” he muttered when the women were gone.
“If there’s one word I will NEVER use to describe Isabel Guerin, that’s the one,” Max said with a laugh.
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Part 147
Natalie36: We may just see them in that capacity.
sarammlover: Lol, both of the girls have an agenda. The guys will definitely get what’s coming to them in time. Oh, things are going to be getting very interesting, very soon.
Earth2Mama: The guys wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize Max’ situation.
We’ll see more of that as we move forward.
Eva: Things are definitely heating up.
The guys could end up being a very good addition to the group.
kismet: We’ll be learning more about Max’s time in the military and maybe even more about his Army buddies. Spending some time with them could be a good thing for Max.
Alex is in a bad situation and while we’re still a few parts away from discovering where he is and who’s holding him, he’s holding on.
Lol, our Army boys may just do that.
begonia9508: Thanks!
It could be a very good thing if the guys take a look into Alex’ disappearance.
Lol, NCIS rocks!
You’re so right about the kidnappers having dirt on their hands.
Roswelllostcause: Lol, looks like you’re not the only one with that wish!
keepsmiling7: Lol, that was a pretty fun scene!
Shadow really seems to fit Max, doesn’t it?
Yep, Diane and Philip have definitely gotten very attached to Aaron, and he’s pretty attached to them too.
CandyliciousLovah: Thanks! We’ll catch more glimpses of his past as we move forward.
Part 147
One Night in Brooklyn
Maria sighed when she was pushed into the bathroom lightly and Tess and Liz both went into the stalls while she stayed out and leaned her back against one of the sinks. “So, why have I been dragged in here, Guerin?”
“Um, because I’d like to know what you’re doin’ with the subway savior out there,” she said.
“I was dancing.”
“Let’s just ignore the fact that you know that’s not even close to what I’m talkin’ about. Wasn’t it just last night that you were crying in your beer and going on about Michael? And now you’re flirting and dancing with this guy?”
“So?”
“So?” she echoed as she straightened up. She yelped in surprise when the toilet flushed and she felt several drops of what she could only hope was ice cold water hit the backs of her thighs. She both loved and hated automatic flushing toilets. Loved them because it meant she didn’t have to do gymnastics in the tiny stall in an effort to push the flushing lever with her foot so she didn’t actually have to touch it and hated them because sometimes they managed to assault you before you had time to get away from them.
“Blake’s pretty sexy, why not flirt with him?” Maria asked when her friend came out.
“Are you gonna sleep with him?”
“Maybe.”
“What?! Are you kidding me?” She turned the faucet on as she met Maria’s gaze in the mirror.
“What? Maybe he’s fuckin’ Courtney right at this moment and I should feel bad?”
“Really? That’s what you really think?”
She just shrugged, because she really didn’t want to think about it.
“Do you like Blake that much?” Liz asked as she joined them.
“Like?” Tess snorted. “She doesn’t even know him.” She turned back to Maria. “You don’t even know him!”
Liz rolled her eyes as the complicated situation intensified. “True, so let’s not jump to conclusions.”
“I’m not with anyone,” Maria said stubbornly.
“No, and once Shitney finds out what happened at that photo shoot, Michael won’t be with anyone either!” Her eyes widened at the look Maria shot in her direction and she realized what she’d just said in front of Liz.
The brunette snorted and shook her head. “I don’t know what happened, but it’s pretty obvious something happened, Maria. I may be sidetracked with everything going on, but I’m not blind.”
“He won’t be with me either,” Maria spit out and jerked the door open, shooting another look at her friend. “An’ thanks for being so discreet about things.” With that she left and felt like shit when she did. Normally she wouldn’t have cared if Liz knew or not, but she didn’t want everyone to know about THAT.
Tess screamed in frustration and crossed her arms over her chest when a woman vaulted from one of the stalls, her eyes wide and darting around the room before settling on her. “What?” she snapped.
Liz snickered when the woman ran from the bathroom. “Think someone should let her know her skirt’s tucked in the back of her panty hose and she has toilet paper stuck to her shoe?”
“I doubt it’ll take long for her to find out,” she replied dryly, her thoughts still with Maria.
“Then we’ll hear her screaming as she runs out of the club.” She reached over to rub Tess’ shoulder. “She’ll be okay, Tess.”
“Yeah, I just hope she’s not doing something she’ll regret later.”
“Does Maria usually sleep with a guy she’s just met?”
“She’s done it once or twice, but she prefers guys she knows.”
“Whatever happened between her and Michael probably has her more than a little rattled.”
“And more likely to do something she’ll regret later.”
“You’re worried she might do something reckless because she’s upset?”
“Not because she’s upset, I think Michael did something to piss her off.”
She dried her hands on a paper towel and leaned back against the sink. “Oh. When she went to see him earlier?”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“Does Michael pull away from everyone when he’s under a lot of stress?”
“Yeah, at least for a while. But he’s normally more open with her.”
“But something happened between them during the shoot.” She tapped her forefinger against her lip thoughtfully. “Do you think he could be pushing her away too?”
“That’s most likely what happened,” Tess agreed.
“Considering their relationship in the time that I’ve known them, that could be a very bad thing. Their connection runs so deep, it’s like they need each other, ya know?”
“I know, you know, most of the world knows, but they’re so fucking stubborn.”
“Is there anything we can do to help?”
“Doubtful.” Tess sighed. “But maybe we can prevent her from having sex with Blake.
Liz laughed. “Think we need a plan or should we just play it by ear?”
“Let’s see if she comes to her senses on her own first.”
“Got any advice for handling the other situation? Ya know, you spilling the beans about something happening between her and Michael? I mean, I already suspected that something had happened, but I didn’t know for sure until you confirmed it.”
“I have a feeling she’ll come to you for further explanation. Don’t talk to Max about it.”
“Don’t worry about that. Max has enough on his plate right now.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s all a big mess and I can’t wait until we all get some peace again.”
“You and me both.”
The girls went back to the others and Tess was well aware of the glare she got from Maria. “What’d you do?” Tony wanted to know.
“Nothin’, Carter.”
“Let’s dance, Blake,” Maria said, wanting to be anywhere but where she was at the moment.
“Hell yeah,” he agreed and followed her.
“She seems to be in a...” Max frowned. “An interesting mood.”
“Interesting alright,” Tess snorted. “Put the brakes on your friend, will ya?”
He lifted an eyebrow at her comment. “Say what?”
“Tell Blake to take it down a notch or two. He’s hardly able to keep his hands to himself.”
“She doesn’t look like she’s got a problem with where he’s puttin’ his hands.” He shrugged. “Pretty sure she’s capable of tellin’ him to back off if he goes too far. He won’t do anything she doesn’t want.”
“Yeah, well, that’s the problem. She doesn’t know what she wants.”
He looked out at Maria, seeing nothing out of place. She hadn’t had too much to drink and she seemed to be in possession of all her faculties. “She’s just out there havin’ a good time.” He’d already warned Blake about hurting her and the fact that she was a friend of his would keep the guy in check with her.
Tess exhaled through her nose, frustrated. Fine, she would keep an eye on things though.
“Max, let’s dance,” Liz said, tugging on his hand before Tess could say anything else. He didn’t know what was going on so there was only so much they could expect him to do.
“Shadow’s dancing?” Ramrod snorted at the thought, but lifted one eyebrow when the man willingly went with his girlfriend.
“Surprised?” Tess asked.
“That’s a hell yes!”
She smirked at his answer. “Guess you’ve never really seen him with a girl?”
“I’ve seen him with girls, but not with someone he cared for.”
“It does make a difference,” Tony said as he took a drink of his beer.
“It does?” Ava leaned against his side with a smirk.
“Yeah,” he said and draped an arm around her shoulders. “A guy doesn’t get out there like that and make a fool of himself for just anyone.”
“Uh-huh, every guy but Blake,” Mike snorted.
“Well, okay, that and guys who’re lookin’ to get laid,” Tony agreed.
Tess rolled her eyes. “See? My point exactly.”
“Leave her alone,” he gave her a light shove. “She knows what she’s doing.” He was sure of it. Maria wasn’t a girl who made reckless decisions and when she had set her mind on something, she couldn’t be convinced otherwise anyway.
“Yeah, that’s what worries me.”
“We’ll keep an eye on her,” Isabel said. “So relax. They won’t go far,”
Yeah, and if you knew what I know you’d be a little more concerned, she thought with an annoyed scowl.
“So about your friends,” the tall blonde leaned on the counter to get Ramrod’s attention back.
He glanced at her and nodded. “Yep.”
“Think you could do something for my friend? Discreetly?”
“I would never suggest intentionally going outside the boundaries of the law.” He winked at her and said again, “Intentionally.”
“Of course,” she smirked. “What could you do?”
“I’d need the whole story before I could do anything.”
“Whatcha wanna know?”
“You tell the cops everything?”
“Not about the part that Richard and Trent are working together. Or at least that they’ve called each other a few times.”
“Uh-huh, and nothin’ else? No others involved?”
“We don’t know. It’s doubtful either of them will do the dirty work themselves and there was definitely someone else who drugged Max at Tony’s party. We’ve got a picture of him, but no name.”
“So there’s no way this whole mess isn’t connected. You’ve got the douche ex comin’ between Shadow an’ his girl an’ threatening their custody of their kid and then there’s your asshat of an ex makin’ threats and stalkin’ you, and from the sounds of it both of them are usin’ a third party to do their dirty work.” He scratched his chin. “Can I get that picture or a copy of it?”
“My brother has it. I’ll talk to him about it,” she agreed, but she wasn’t sure how soon Michael would be willing.
“What about phone records? You said there had been contact between them.”
“I wouldn’t know how to get them.”
“So you don’t have proof.”
Tony shrugged. “What we’ve got is a list given to Alex by a friend of his who obtained the information... outside of the boundaries of the law.”
“And could we ask this friend to do more?”
Isabel shook her head. “We don’t know who he is.”
“How long’s he been missing?”
“Since Friday night.”
“Which means the cops are only just now getting involved.” He frowned. He could see why they kept running up against brick walls.
“Liz is right to be worried about outside involvement,” Ava spoke up, feeling that someone needed to remind them that a wrong step could cost the other woman custody of her little brother.
Ramrod flashed a smile in her direction. “We’ll be discreet.” He turned back to Isabel. “You got an idea where he was when he disappeared?”
“I think he was on his way back from the facility where his sister’s being cared for.” She gave him the address. “The nurses there said he was there until late that evening. He was probably riding his mountain bike.”
“Is it a heavily traveled route?”
She snorted. “It’s New York, so it couldn’t have died down completely.”
“And of course no one saw anything. Does the facility have a direct route or are there multiple directions he could’ve taken?”
“There’s only one direct route, I’m sure he took it.”
“Sounds to me like we’ve got a place to start then.”
“No grifting,” Isabel warned him. As much as she wanted Alex to be safe she couldn’t risk Max’ or Liz’ futures either.
“Don’t you worry about that. We know all about covert ops.”
“Alright,” she relaxed against the bar and sipped on her drink.
Tess rolled her eyes and turned to watch the dance floor when the bartender’s gaze stayed on her older sister for a while before he was called away to fill an order. “I think you have an admirer,” she said.
Isabel looked over her shoulder briefly and then shrugged.
“Really? A hot ex-military guy and that’s all the interest he gets? You must really like Alex.”
“A hot military man with only one leg,” she whispered into her sister’s ear, but she wouldn’t have been interested in him with two legs either. Her worries just blurred everything right now.
“He doesn’t strike me as the type to let that keep him down.” She knew her sister wasn’t that superficial, which meant that she was saying whatever came into her head that might make her drop the subject.
“Seems like they’re done with the ass grabbing,” Isabel nodded towards the dancing crowd when Maria and Blake as well as Max and Liz came back.
Tess smirked. She had a feeling Max and Liz were far from being done with the ass grabbing, and she could only hope to avoid being witness to Blake or Maria playing that particular game.
“Did ya finally chill out?” her best friend asked when she passed her on her way to the bar.
“Did you?” she countered coolly.
“I’m all chilled out.”
“Good, me too.” She leaned back against the bar and continued to stare out at the crowd.
Maria shook her head slightly. It was all so fucked up, even on a night out it seemed like things were strained to a certain degree.
“So, Kyle should be released early this week,” Tess said, trying to find something to talk about that wouldn’t turn into an argument or an uncomfortable silence. “I was thinking we’re gonna need to go shopping and then raid his apartment for some of his things to help him be more comfortable while he’s staying with us.”
“You go and get it,” Maria agreed. “Liz an’ I can do the shopping.” There was no way she’d crawl back into that hole after the dismissal today.
She nodded. “I’ll help you put the list together ‘cause there’s a few things I know he’ll really want.”
“What are you, his mother?” Isabel snorted. Her little sister was really putting an effort into this and she only hoped she wouldn’t get hurt again because things hadn’t looked that good before the accident.
“No, if I was his mother I’d be trying to smother him, force feed him healthy food without giving him a break, and cramming my advice down his throat.”
“Uh-huh, so ya working against his mom?” she teased. “That won’t make you a good daughter-in-law in the future.”
“You know what, his mom’s driving him nuts, and all it’s doing is working against his recovery. I’m not sayin’ she doesn’t have the occasional good point, but she ruins it with everything else.”
“Easy Tess,” Max tried to calm her.
She jerked around to look at him, her mouth already opening to snap at him, but she caught the expression of concern on his face and she shut up and grabbed Liz’ hand instead. “Let’s dance.”
“I just came back,” she protested half-heartedly but went with her anyway.
“What’re the two of you fightin’ about?” Max murmured as he braced his forearms on the bar and turned his head to look at Maria.
“We didn’t have a fight. We just disagreed about something.”
“Um-hmm, must’ve been a pretty personal disagreement ‘cause she seems to be takin’ it pretty rough.”
“She’s just not minding her own business,” she growled. Tess was just worried, she knew that, but she didn’t want to worry about anything right now because there was just too much going on and no one knew where to start.
He snorted. “When does Tess ever mind her own business?” He bumped her shoulder with his.
“Just one time and we all know how that went,” Maria rolled her eyes.
“You’ve obviously decided to let whatever it is go, so get out there and make her believe it before the two of you end up in an ongoing feud again.”
“You are too uptight, Maxie,” she squeezed his cheek.
He rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”
Maria sighed. She’d have to tell her about the talk she’d had with Michael. Or rather the non-talk. But it wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have in a club.
“Okay, I’m ready to go again,” Blake said as he came up behind them. “Well, that is if ol’ Maxie can survive without your company.”
“Huh-uh,” Maria smirked. She knew she had to talk to the man and soon. She had been sending mixed signals all night and he needed to know that her heart was set on someone else and she couldn’t just betray it. “Think we can talk for a moment?”
And the warning bells went off. “Talk?” He cleared his throat and then shrugged one shoulder carelessly. “Yeah, sure.”
“Let’s get some air,” she suggested.
Uh-oh, not just a ‘let’s talk’ thing, but a ‘let’s talk somewhere quiet’ thing. He had a feeling she was about to tell him something he didn’t want to hear.
Maria started to walk out at first and only stopped when they reached the little atrium at the center of the club. It was full of people, but the music was quieter and after a moment she found an unoccupied spot at the low wall that was built up about halfway around a small pool.
“What’s up?” he asked, not really wanting to know.
Where to start this conversation, she wondered and after a too-long silence, she just rolled her eyes. “I guess there’s really no good way to say it and I hope you don’t think I’ve been playing games with you, it’s just... I’m pretty sure I gave the impression that I’m up for more tonight, but there’s a problem.”
“You’re up for a good time, hangin’ out, dancin’, but it’s not gonna go any farther than that,” he guessed.
“Yeah,” she sighed and looked into his ice blue eyes. “And now you’re gonna get that stupid it’s not you, it’s me speech, ya know? But I mean it. You’re my type, Blake. Visually you’re really fuckin’ all I’d like, but the thing is, I’m into someone else and right now everything’s fucked up with this someone.”
“I’ve heard it said the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.” He waggled his eyebrows playfully.
She laughed. “Maybe that’s true, but the problem is I don’t wanna get over him yet. I’m still hoping for a chance.”
“So what you’re tellin’ me is we can be friends,” he said with a nod.
“That’s lame, isn’t it?” She looked out over the pool. “You probably don’t need any more friends.”
He dropped his head forward and sighed but a moment later he chuckled and straightened up to meet her apologetic gaze. “A guy can never have too many friends, especially when he’s as selective as I am.” He reached out and patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, Maria. I was warned that there was someone else, but you can’t blame a guy for hoping.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Who warned you?”
“Shadow’s girl.”
“Of course,” she chuckled. Could have been any of her friends for all she knew. “Yeah, the guy I’m into is my best friend, really complicated situation.”
“That is complicated,” he agreed.
“Yep, and he’s even more complicated. I just don’t have a clear head right now and the incident yesterday was just the cherry on top.”
“The incident?”
“The mugger?”
“Ah, yeah, that would rattle things a bit. So...” he scratched his chin, “the guy wouldn’t happen to be the one in the ad with you, would he?”
Maria shrugged one shoulder with a slight smirk.
“Okay, I wasn’t at that shoot, but damn, girl! You can’t tell me you were all over each other like that and then he just went home and took a cold shower.”
“Not just that,” she agreed. “But that’s between us, alright?” He didn’t know Michael and somehow that made it easier to admit it.
He nodded. “You’ve got it. I sure wouldn’t be tellin’ anyone else about a conversation that blew my chances outta the water.”
“Blake, I think half the females in this club want a piece of you,” she shook her head. “And I don’t think you saw me as your chance for true love?” She lifted an eyebrow.
“No guy sees a hot girl and goes after her for that reason,” he said with a snort.
“Right,” she chuckled. “Couldn’t you have just come into my life a few weeks earlier?”
“I wish I had.” He smiled and shook his head.
Yeah, me too, she thought. Maybe things would’ve gone completely different then. Maybe she would’ve been able to see him as someone or something more because her heart had been free at that time. Or hadn’t it and she had just never listened? “Wanna go back in?”
“Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute,” he said and rolled his shoulders.
“Okay,” she pushed herself from the wall, hoping he really had meant what he had said and wasn’t only playing it cool.
“Well, if a girl’s gonna put the brakes on, better now than later,” Mike muttered as he ambled up next to his buddy.
Blake turned in his direction. “You heard that?” Ungh, great.
“Like I’m so bored I need to listen to a hot chick blowin’ you off,” he said and rolled his eyes. “Fuck, no. Shadow gave me the lowdown an’ I figured I’d swing by and see if you needed a drink.”
“I’m a big boy, I can deal with a woman turning me down,” he waved it off, but he had to admit it bothered him.
Mike nodded, not bothering to comment on the fact that from the right angle she kinda resembled Hawk’s ex. That bitch had done a number on the guy and he only hoped someone had trampled all over her the same way even if Blake had never said a single negative word after receiving that letter. “Well, you’ve never had a chick who was a friend, now you can find out what it’s all about,” he said and slapped his friend on the back.
“Yeah,” he agreed halfheartedly and ran a hand through his short black hair. This was just his luck.
“Look, get your mind off the girl. I think I’ve got a job for us.”
“What kind?”
“That dickwad that’s fuckin’ with Shadow and the centerfold over there.”
Blake nodded. “He definitely picked to wrong people to mess with.”
“We’ll have to tread carefully, but I say we start pokin’ around and see what we can find out.”
“Yeah, agreed, corrupt cops make a lot more mistakes than they’re aware of.”
“So do little rich boys who think their money can hide their sins.”
“Ever wondered why they don’t send those fuckin’ bastards to war? They could always be the vanguard.”
“I’ll drink to that. Let the enemy take out the trash rather than gunning down good men.”
“Cheers,” Blake tapped his bottle on the wall since Mike wasn’t carrying a drink with him.
“Okay, think you’re ready to get back in there now?”
“Yeah, yeah, let’s go,” he agreed.
“Maybe we oughta pull Stryker in, huh? We’ll get a plan of action together and find somethin’ for him to do.” Feeling useful would go a long way in helping their friend.
“Yeah, let’s track these assholes down and make them eat dirt.”
Mike grinned and knocked his fist against Blake’s. “If we need any info on this side Legs will help us out. She’s more than willing to share information and bring us in on it.”
“True enough,” he let his eyes wander over the dancing crowd in the club, deciding that he needed a distraction from a certain woman.
He punched his friend in the arm when he spotted two girls dancing together, their eyes constantly searching the patrons and talking between themselves. “Check it out. Three o’clock. We’ve got twins and they’re on the prowl.”
“Twins, huh?” Blake grinned. “I’ll see you later.”
“Hey, you score I want in on the action.”
He made a face. “That sounded gay, dude.”
“Fuck you,” he laughed. “You can’t handle two chicks between the sheets.”
“Watch me,” Blake winked.
“Now THAT sounded gay,” Mike threw back at him.
He flipped him off with an amused grin and then went to have a look at the twins from a closer angle. Maybe the night could still turn out good, he mused as the girls focused on him. They weren’t as hot as Maria and while he would’ve bothered to talk to her beyond sex, he knew whatever happened with the two blondes in front of him would be over in the daylight.
The bartender made his way back over to the bar, shoving past the swinging waist-high door at the end and getting right back into the swing of things without missing a beat.
sarammlover: Lol, both of the girls have an agenda. The guys will definitely get what’s coming to them in time. Oh, things are going to be getting very interesting, very soon.
Earth2Mama: The guys wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize Max’ situation.
We’ll see more of that as we move forward.
Eva: Things are definitely heating up.
The guys could end up being a very good addition to the group.
kismet: We’ll be learning more about Max’s time in the military and maybe even more about his Army buddies. Spending some time with them could be a good thing for Max.
Alex is in a bad situation and while we’re still a few parts away from discovering where he is and who’s holding him, he’s holding on.
Lol, our Army boys may just do that.
begonia9508: Thanks!
It could be a very good thing if the guys take a look into Alex’ disappearance.
Lol, NCIS rocks!
You’re so right about the kidnappers having dirt on their hands.
Roswelllostcause: Lol, looks like you’re not the only one with that wish!
keepsmiling7: Lol, that was a pretty fun scene!
Shadow really seems to fit Max, doesn’t it?
Yep, Diane and Philip have definitely gotten very attached to Aaron, and he’s pretty attached to them too.
CandyliciousLovah: Thanks! We’ll catch more glimpses of his past as we move forward.
Part 147
One Night in Brooklyn
Maria sighed when she was pushed into the bathroom lightly and Tess and Liz both went into the stalls while she stayed out and leaned her back against one of the sinks. “So, why have I been dragged in here, Guerin?”
“Um, because I’d like to know what you’re doin’ with the subway savior out there,” she said.
“I was dancing.”
“Let’s just ignore the fact that you know that’s not even close to what I’m talkin’ about. Wasn’t it just last night that you were crying in your beer and going on about Michael? And now you’re flirting and dancing with this guy?”
“So?”
“So?” she echoed as she straightened up. She yelped in surprise when the toilet flushed and she felt several drops of what she could only hope was ice cold water hit the backs of her thighs. She both loved and hated automatic flushing toilets. Loved them because it meant she didn’t have to do gymnastics in the tiny stall in an effort to push the flushing lever with her foot so she didn’t actually have to touch it and hated them because sometimes they managed to assault you before you had time to get away from them.
“Blake’s pretty sexy, why not flirt with him?” Maria asked when her friend came out.
“Are you gonna sleep with him?”
“Maybe.”
“What?! Are you kidding me?” She turned the faucet on as she met Maria’s gaze in the mirror.
“What? Maybe he’s fuckin’ Courtney right at this moment and I should feel bad?”
“Really? That’s what you really think?”
She just shrugged, because she really didn’t want to think about it.
“Do you like Blake that much?” Liz asked as she joined them.
“Like?” Tess snorted. “She doesn’t even know him.” She turned back to Maria. “You don’t even know him!”
Liz rolled her eyes as the complicated situation intensified. “True, so let’s not jump to conclusions.”
“I’m not with anyone,” Maria said stubbornly.
“No, and once Shitney finds out what happened at that photo shoot, Michael won’t be with anyone either!” Her eyes widened at the look Maria shot in her direction and she realized what she’d just said in front of Liz.
The brunette snorted and shook her head. “I don’t know what happened, but it’s pretty obvious something happened, Maria. I may be sidetracked with everything going on, but I’m not blind.”
“He won’t be with me either,” Maria spit out and jerked the door open, shooting another look at her friend. “An’ thanks for being so discreet about things.” With that she left and felt like shit when she did. Normally she wouldn’t have cared if Liz knew or not, but she didn’t want everyone to know about THAT.
Tess screamed in frustration and crossed her arms over her chest when a woman vaulted from one of the stalls, her eyes wide and darting around the room before settling on her. “What?” she snapped.
Liz snickered when the woman ran from the bathroom. “Think someone should let her know her skirt’s tucked in the back of her panty hose and she has toilet paper stuck to her shoe?”
“I doubt it’ll take long for her to find out,” she replied dryly, her thoughts still with Maria.
“Then we’ll hear her screaming as she runs out of the club.” She reached over to rub Tess’ shoulder. “She’ll be okay, Tess.”
“Yeah, I just hope she’s not doing something she’ll regret later.”
“Does Maria usually sleep with a guy she’s just met?”
“She’s done it once or twice, but she prefers guys she knows.”
“Whatever happened between her and Michael probably has her more than a little rattled.”
“And more likely to do something she’ll regret later.”
“You’re worried she might do something reckless because she’s upset?”
“Not because she’s upset, I think Michael did something to piss her off.”
She dried her hands on a paper towel and leaned back against the sink. “Oh. When she went to see him earlier?”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“Does Michael pull away from everyone when he’s under a lot of stress?”
“Yeah, at least for a while. But he’s normally more open with her.”
“But something happened between them during the shoot.” She tapped her forefinger against her lip thoughtfully. “Do you think he could be pushing her away too?”
“That’s most likely what happened,” Tess agreed.
“Considering their relationship in the time that I’ve known them, that could be a very bad thing. Their connection runs so deep, it’s like they need each other, ya know?”
“I know, you know, most of the world knows, but they’re so fucking stubborn.”
“Is there anything we can do to help?”
“Doubtful.” Tess sighed. “But maybe we can prevent her from having sex with Blake.
Liz laughed. “Think we need a plan or should we just play it by ear?”
“Let’s see if she comes to her senses on her own first.”
“Got any advice for handling the other situation? Ya know, you spilling the beans about something happening between her and Michael? I mean, I already suspected that something had happened, but I didn’t know for sure until you confirmed it.”
“I have a feeling she’ll come to you for further explanation. Don’t talk to Max about it.”
“Don’t worry about that. Max has enough on his plate right now.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s all a big mess and I can’t wait until we all get some peace again.”
“You and me both.”
The girls went back to the others and Tess was well aware of the glare she got from Maria. “What’d you do?” Tony wanted to know.
“Nothin’, Carter.”
“Let’s dance, Blake,” Maria said, wanting to be anywhere but where she was at the moment.
“Hell yeah,” he agreed and followed her.
“She seems to be in a...” Max frowned. “An interesting mood.”
“Interesting alright,” Tess snorted. “Put the brakes on your friend, will ya?”
He lifted an eyebrow at her comment. “Say what?”
“Tell Blake to take it down a notch or two. He’s hardly able to keep his hands to himself.”
“She doesn’t look like she’s got a problem with where he’s puttin’ his hands.” He shrugged. “Pretty sure she’s capable of tellin’ him to back off if he goes too far. He won’t do anything she doesn’t want.”
“Yeah, well, that’s the problem. She doesn’t know what she wants.”
He looked out at Maria, seeing nothing out of place. She hadn’t had too much to drink and she seemed to be in possession of all her faculties. “She’s just out there havin’ a good time.” He’d already warned Blake about hurting her and the fact that she was a friend of his would keep the guy in check with her.
Tess exhaled through her nose, frustrated. Fine, she would keep an eye on things though.
“Max, let’s dance,” Liz said, tugging on his hand before Tess could say anything else. He didn’t know what was going on so there was only so much they could expect him to do.
“Shadow’s dancing?” Ramrod snorted at the thought, but lifted one eyebrow when the man willingly went with his girlfriend.
“Surprised?” Tess asked.
“That’s a hell yes!”
She smirked at his answer. “Guess you’ve never really seen him with a girl?”
“I’ve seen him with girls, but not with someone he cared for.”
“It does make a difference,” Tony said as he took a drink of his beer.
“It does?” Ava leaned against his side with a smirk.
“Yeah,” he said and draped an arm around her shoulders. “A guy doesn’t get out there like that and make a fool of himself for just anyone.”
“Uh-huh, every guy but Blake,” Mike snorted.
“Well, okay, that and guys who’re lookin’ to get laid,” Tony agreed.
Tess rolled her eyes. “See? My point exactly.”
“Leave her alone,” he gave her a light shove. “She knows what she’s doing.” He was sure of it. Maria wasn’t a girl who made reckless decisions and when she had set her mind on something, she couldn’t be convinced otherwise anyway.
“Yeah, that’s what worries me.”
“We’ll keep an eye on her,” Isabel said. “So relax. They won’t go far,”
Yeah, and if you knew what I know you’d be a little more concerned, she thought with an annoyed scowl.
“So about your friends,” the tall blonde leaned on the counter to get Ramrod’s attention back.
He glanced at her and nodded. “Yep.”
“Think you could do something for my friend? Discreetly?”
“I would never suggest intentionally going outside the boundaries of the law.” He winked at her and said again, “Intentionally.”
“Of course,” she smirked. “What could you do?”
“I’d need the whole story before I could do anything.”
“Whatcha wanna know?”
“You tell the cops everything?”
“Not about the part that Richard and Trent are working together. Or at least that they’ve called each other a few times.”
“Uh-huh, and nothin’ else? No others involved?”
“We don’t know. It’s doubtful either of them will do the dirty work themselves and there was definitely someone else who drugged Max at Tony’s party. We’ve got a picture of him, but no name.”
“So there’s no way this whole mess isn’t connected. You’ve got the douche ex comin’ between Shadow an’ his girl an’ threatening their custody of their kid and then there’s your asshat of an ex makin’ threats and stalkin’ you, and from the sounds of it both of them are usin’ a third party to do their dirty work.” He scratched his chin. “Can I get that picture or a copy of it?”
“My brother has it. I’ll talk to him about it,” she agreed, but she wasn’t sure how soon Michael would be willing.
“What about phone records? You said there had been contact between them.”
“I wouldn’t know how to get them.”
“So you don’t have proof.”
Tony shrugged. “What we’ve got is a list given to Alex by a friend of his who obtained the information... outside of the boundaries of the law.”
“And could we ask this friend to do more?”
Isabel shook her head. “We don’t know who he is.”
“How long’s he been missing?”
“Since Friday night.”
“Which means the cops are only just now getting involved.” He frowned. He could see why they kept running up against brick walls.
“Liz is right to be worried about outside involvement,” Ava spoke up, feeling that someone needed to remind them that a wrong step could cost the other woman custody of her little brother.
Ramrod flashed a smile in her direction. “We’ll be discreet.” He turned back to Isabel. “You got an idea where he was when he disappeared?”
“I think he was on his way back from the facility where his sister’s being cared for.” She gave him the address. “The nurses there said he was there until late that evening. He was probably riding his mountain bike.”
“Is it a heavily traveled route?”
She snorted. “It’s New York, so it couldn’t have died down completely.”
“And of course no one saw anything. Does the facility have a direct route or are there multiple directions he could’ve taken?”
“There’s only one direct route, I’m sure he took it.”
“Sounds to me like we’ve got a place to start then.”
“No grifting,” Isabel warned him. As much as she wanted Alex to be safe she couldn’t risk Max’ or Liz’ futures either.
“Don’t you worry about that. We know all about covert ops.”
“Alright,” she relaxed against the bar and sipped on her drink.
Tess rolled her eyes and turned to watch the dance floor when the bartender’s gaze stayed on her older sister for a while before he was called away to fill an order. “I think you have an admirer,” she said.
Isabel looked over her shoulder briefly and then shrugged.
“Really? A hot ex-military guy and that’s all the interest he gets? You must really like Alex.”
“A hot military man with only one leg,” she whispered into her sister’s ear, but she wouldn’t have been interested in him with two legs either. Her worries just blurred everything right now.
“He doesn’t strike me as the type to let that keep him down.” She knew her sister wasn’t that superficial, which meant that she was saying whatever came into her head that might make her drop the subject.
“Seems like they’re done with the ass grabbing,” Isabel nodded towards the dancing crowd when Maria and Blake as well as Max and Liz came back.
Tess smirked. She had a feeling Max and Liz were far from being done with the ass grabbing, and she could only hope to avoid being witness to Blake or Maria playing that particular game.
“Did ya finally chill out?” her best friend asked when she passed her on her way to the bar.
“Did you?” she countered coolly.
“I’m all chilled out.”
“Good, me too.” She leaned back against the bar and continued to stare out at the crowd.
Maria shook her head slightly. It was all so fucked up, even on a night out it seemed like things were strained to a certain degree.
“So, Kyle should be released early this week,” Tess said, trying to find something to talk about that wouldn’t turn into an argument or an uncomfortable silence. “I was thinking we’re gonna need to go shopping and then raid his apartment for some of his things to help him be more comfortable while he’s staying with us.”
“You go and get it,” Maria agreed. “Liz an’ I can do the shopping.” There was no way she’d crawl back into that hole after the dismissal today.
She nodded. “I’ll help you put the list together ‘cause there’s a few things I know he’ll really want.”
“What are you, his mother?” Isabel snorted. Her little sister was really putting an effort into this and she only hoped she wouldn’t get hurt again because things hadn’t looked that good before the accident.
“No, if I was his mother I’d be trying to smother him, force feed him healthy food without giving him a break, and cramming my advice down his throat.”
“Uh-huh, so ya working against his mom?” she teased. “That won’t make you a good daughter-in-law in the future.”
“You know what, his mom’s driving him nuts, and all it’s doing is working against his recovery. I’m not sayin’ she doesn’t have the occasional good point, but she ruins it with everything else.”
“Easy Tess,” Max tried to calm her.
She jerked around to look at him, her mouth already opening to snap at him, but she caught the expression of concern on his face and she shut up and grabbed Liz’ hand instead. “Let’s dance.”
“I just came back,” she protested half-heartedly but went with her anyway.
“What’re the two of you fightin’ about?” Max murmured as he braced his forearms on the bar and turned his head to look at Maria.
“We didn’t have a fight. We just disagreed about something.”
“Um-hmm, must’ve been a pretty personal disagreement ‘cause she seems to be takin’ it pretty rough.”
“She’s just not minding her own business,” she growled. Tess was just worried, she knew that, but she didn’t want to worry about anything right now because there was just too much going on and no one knew where to start.
He snorted. “When does Tess ever mind her own business?” He bumped her shoulder with his.
“Just one time and we all know how that went,” Maria rolled her eyes.
“You’ve obviously decided to let whatever it is go, so get out there and make her believe it before the two of you end up in an ongoing feud again.”
“You are too uptight, Maxie,” she squeezed his cheek.
He rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”
Maria sighed. She’d have to tell her about the talk she’d had with Michael. Or rather the non-talk. But it wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have in a club.
“Okay, I’m ready to go again,” Blake said as he came up behind them. “Well, that is if ol’ Maxie can survive without your company.”
“Huh-uh,” Maria smirked. She knew she had to talk to the man and soon. She had been sending mixed signals all night and he needed to know that her heart was set on someone else and she couldn’t just betray it. “Think we can talk for a moment?”
And the warning bells went off. “Talk?” He cleared his throat and then shrugged one shoulder carelessly. “Yeah, sure.”
“Let’s get some air,” she suggested.
Uh-oh, not just a ‘let’s talk’ thing, but a ‘let’s talk somewhere quiet’ thing. He had a feeling she was about to tell him something he didn’t want to hear.
Maria started to walk out at first and only stopped when they reached the little atrium at the center of the club. It was full of people, but the music was quieter and after a moment she found an unoccupied spot at the low wall that was built up about halfway around a small pool.
“What’s up?” he asked, not really wanting to know.
Where to start this conversation, she wondered and after a too-long silence, she just rolled her eyes. “I guess there’s really no good way to say it and I hope you don’t think I’ve been playing games with you, it’s just... I’m pretty sure I gave the impression that I’m up for more tonight, but there’s a problem.”
“You’re up for a good time, hangin’ out, dancin’, but it’s not gonna go any farther than that,” he guessed.
“Yeah,” she sighed and looked into his ice blue eyes. “And now you’re gonna get that stupid it’s not you, it’s me speech, ya know? But I mean it. You’re my type, Blake. Visually you’re really fuckin’ all I’d like, but the thing is, I’m into someone else and right now everything’s fucked up with this someone.”
“I’ve heard it said the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.” He waggled his eyebrows playfully.
She laughed. “Maybe that’s true, but the problem is I don’t wanna get over him yet. I’m still hoping for a chance.”
“So what you’re tellin’ me is we can be friends,” he said with a nod.
“That’s lame, isn’t it?” She looked out over the pool. “You probably don’t need any more friends.”
He dropped his head forward and sighed but a moment later he chuckled and straightened up to meet her apologetic gaze. “A guy can never have too many friends, especially when he’s as selective as I am.” He reached out and patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, Maria. I was warned that there was someone else, but you can’t blame a guy for hoping.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Who warned you?”
“Shadow’s girl.”
“Of course,” she chuckled. Could have been any of her friends for all she knew. “Yeah, the guy I’m into is my best friend, really complicated situation.”
“That is complicated,” he agreed.
“Yep, and he’s even more complicated. I just don’t have a clear head right now and the incident yesterday was just the cherry on top.”
“The incident?”
“The mugger?”
“Ah, yeah, that would rattle things a bit. So...” he scratched his chin, “the guy wouldn’t happen to be the one in the ad with you, would he?”
Maria shrugged one shoulder with a slight smirk.
“Okay, I wasn’t at that shoot, but damn, girl! You can’t tell me you were all over each other like that and then he just went home and took a cold shower.”
“Not just that,” she agreed. “But that’s between us, alright?” He didn’t know Michael and somehow that made it easier to admit it.
He nodded. “You’ve got it. I sure wouldn’t be tellin’ anyone else about a conversation that blew my chances outta the water.”
“Blake, I think half the females in this club want a piece of you,” she shook her head. “And I don’t think you saw me as your chance for true love?” She lifted an eyebrow.
“No guy sees a hot girl and goes after her for that reason,” he said with a snort.
“Right,” she chuckled. “Couldn’t you have just come into my life a few weeks earlier?”
“I wish I had.” He smiled and shook his head.
Yeah, me too, she thought. Maybe things would’ve gone completely different then. Maybe she would’ve been able to see him as someone or something more because her heart had been free at that time. Or hadn’t it and she had just never listened? “Wanna go back in?”
“Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute,” he said and rolled his shoulders.
“Okay,” she pushed herself from the wall, hoping he really had meant what he had said and wasn’t only playing it cool.
“Well, if a girl’s gonna put the brakes on, better now than later,” Mike muttered as he ambled up next to his buddy.
Blake turned in his direction. “You heard that?” Ungh, great.
“Like I’m so bored I need to listen to a hot chick blowin’ you off,” he said and rolled his eyes. “Fuck, no. Shadow gave me the lowdown an’ I figured I’d swing by and see if you needed a drink.”
“I’m a big boy, I can deal with a woman turning me down,” he waved it off, but he had to admit it bothered him.
Mike nodded, not bothering to comment on the fact that from the right angle she kinda resembled Hawk’s ex. That bitch had done a number on the guy and he only hoped someone had trampled all over her the same way even if Blake had never said a single negative word after receiving that letter. “Well, you’ve never had a chick who was a friend, now you can find out what it’s all about,” he said and slapped his friend on the back.
“Yeah,” he agreed halfheartedly and ran a hand through his short black hair. This was just his luck.
“Look, get your mind off the girl. I think I’ve got a job for us.”
“What kind?”
“That dickwad that’s fuckin’ with Shadow and the centerfold over there.”
Blake nodded. “He definitely picked to wrong people to mess with.”
“We’ll have to tread carefully, but I say we start pokin’ around and see what we can find out.”
“Yeah, agreed, corrupt cops make a lot more mistakes than they’re aware of.”
“So do little rich boys who think their money can hide their sins.”
“Ever wondered why they don’t send those fuckin’ bastards to war? They could always be the vanguard.”
“I’ll drink to that. Let the enemy take out the trash rather than gunning down good men.”
“Cheers,” Blake tapped his bottle on the wall since Mike wasn’t carrying a drink with him.
“Okay, think you’re ready to get back in there now?”
“Yeah, yeah, let’s go,” he agreed.
“Maybe we oughta pull Stryker in, huh? We’ll get a plan of action together and find somethin’ for him to do.” Feeling useful would go a long way in helping their friend.
“Yeah, let’s track these assholes down and make them eat dirt.”
Mike grinned and knocked his fist against Blake’s. “If we need any info on this side Legs will help us out. She’s more than willing to share information and bring us in on it.”
“True enough,” he let his eyes wander over the dancing crowd in the club, deciding that he needed a distraction from a certain woman.
He punched his friend in the arm when he spotted two girls dancing together, their eyes constantly searching the patrons and talking between themselves. “Check it out. Three o’clock. We’ve got twins and they’re on the prowl.”
“Twins, huh?” Blake grinned. “I’ll see you later.”
“Hey, you score I want in on the action.”
He made a face. “That sounded gay, dude.”
“Fuck you,” he laughed. “You can’t handle two chicks between the sheets.”
“Watch me,” Blake winked.
“Now THAT sounded gay,” Mike threw back at him.
He flipped him off with an amused grin and then went to have a look at the twins from a closer angle. Maybe the night could still turn out good, he mused as the girls focused on him. They weren’t as hot as Maria and while he would’ve bothered to talk to her beyond sex, he knew whatever happened with the two blondes in front of him would be over in the daylight.
The bartender made his way back over to the bar, shoving past the swinging waist-high door at the end and getting right back into the swing of things without missing a beat.
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Re: TIC TAC - (CC,AU,Adult) - Part 147 - 7/6/14
begonia9508: Thanks!
Lol, isn’t that the truth? Blake took it as well as he could.
Natalie36: Maria can’t just ignore what her heart wants. They may be swinging into action soon.
Eva: Maria definitely has the ability to speak her mind and even when she might want to lie to herself she just can’t do it.
keepsmiling7: There’s a lot of potential for the Army guys to be a help.
Maria knew she just couldn’t let things go any farther.
Earth2Mama: It must be! It definitely sounds like they’re gonna be looking.
sarammlover: Thanks! Maria’s heart just wasn’t in it, seeing as how it does belong to someone else and all, lol. Yeah, she couldn’t just ignore that little fact.
CandyliciousLovah: Thanks! Maria does have a pretty kickass group of guy friends.
kismet: Thanks!
The guys definitely bonded through their experiences.
We’re glad you’re loving the new characters. We have a feeling they’re gonna be fun.
Roswelllostcause: Yes, he does!
Part 148
Up All Night
Max stood at the window facing the street, his body hidden in the shadows. He had come home with Liz after leaving the club and he’d left her sleeping about an hour ago, driven from bed by the thoughts that kept his mind too active to rest. Spending the occasional hour or two with Hawk while he was inking him was one thing; spending hours in a social setting with Hawk and Ramrod was something altogether different. And then there was the invitation he’d accepted. An invitation to go out for a beer with a few of his old Army buddies. One of whom was in a potentially bad place as he tried to assimilate back into civilian life. It brought back memories that he wasn’t ready to deal with but he was trying to sort through them a piece at a time without just shutting them down cold.
He shifted to the side, craning his neck to look down into the small backyard. He wanted to put up a swing set or maybe build a tree house with Aaron’s help. He pictured himself doing things like that and it calmed something inside of him. He could remember doing that very thing with his own dad and it brought a smile to his face. His features relaxed as he thought about being seven years old, following his dad around the hardware store as they purchased supplies to begin their big project. He’d been so excited when Dad had presented him with his very own tool belt and then they’d purchased tools to fill up the slots.
He smiled and shook his head. He’d proudly worn that tool belt and the matching hardhat for months after they had completed construction on the tree house. Looking back on it now he realized he hadn’t done much to help with it. Oh, he’d handed Dad tools and picked up nails and screws that had fallen while he was working, but most of the time he’d played around on the ground, hammering boards together and contributing very little to the overall project. But Dad hadn’t complained one time about his lack of help; he’d just smiled and patiently showed him the proper way to hold the hammer and then stood back and let him hammer nails to his little heart’s content.
He thought about the recent visit he and Liz had made to his parents’ home. His parents and Aaron had adopted each other and they were building a strong bond. He had watched them as they interacted, recalling so many similar moments from his own childhood. They were good, decent, hardworking people, and being around them with Aaron as a buffer was taking some of the edge off of his relationship with his dad. He hadn’t reached the point where he could talk openly or objectively about the situation that had sent him into the Army and overseas. It had caused a few awkward moments but they’d managed to get past the discomfort and move on.
He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard the quiet slap of feet against the floor and the even quieter rustle of material. He turned his head, watching from his vantage point as one of the girls moved through the living room and made her way into the kitchen. It wasn’t until she opened the refrigerator door and the interior light flooded the immediate area that he realized it was Maria. She looked like she was having a rough night and he started to say something but then thought better of it.
He continued to watch her, hating the dejected slump to her shoulders as she finally selected a bottle of water and then shoved the door shut. She turned and braced her forearms on the counter, leaning forward and resting her forehead against the cold bottle she held between her hands. He heard her sigh, heard the slight hitch in her breathing, and even in the darkness he could see the slight tremble in her shoulders. Time to call in reinforcements, he decided as he slipped away unnoticed.
Liz was peacefully sleeping when he stepped into her bedroom and loathe as he was to wake her he wasn’t sure Maria and Tess had made up from their earlier argument or fight or whatever. He sat on the side of the bed and leaned over to shake her gently. “Liz, hey, darlin’, you need to wake up for me.” He chuckled and had to move quickly to keep her from rolling over and burrowing deeper into the covers.
“Max…” The complaint trailed off as she easily slipped right back into sleep.
“Oh, no, you don’t.” He tugged on her hand and wasn’t surprised when the jostling elicited an annoyed growl from her. “C’mon, darlin’, Maria needs you.”
“Wha…?”
Well, that wasn’t coherent, but at least it was an attempt, he thought. “Maria’s up and I think maybe she needs someone to talk to.”
It took everything Liz had in addition to Max pulling her up and refusing to let her snuggle back into the pillows to wake her up. “What’s wrong with M’ria?” she mumbled.
“Probably somethin’ Michael-related,” he guessed. “She’s in the kitchen and she seemed to be pretty upset.”
“You didn’t talk to her?”
“No, I figured it’d be better if one of you girls did it and since things with her an’ Tess were a little strained that left you. She doesn’t know I saw her and I didn’t wanna scare the crap out of her by walkin’ up on her while she was in a vulnerable state.”
Liz reached over and rubbed his arm. “You couldn’t sleep?” It hadn’t taken long to realize that he didn’t sleep much but he also didn’t like to talk about it.
He shook his head. “I’ll give it another shot while you’re talkin’ to Maria.”
She cupped his face in her hands, her thumbs stroking over his goatee as she watched him for a moment before leaning in to kiss him. “I’ll be wide awake after talkin’ to Maria, so if you’re still awake…”
Max grinned when she didn’t pry about his insomnia and instead turned it into something suggestive. “With an offer like that who needs sleep?”
She laughed quietly and pushed him down on the bed. “You do and you’d better try to get some.” She got up and grabbed one of his old Army tee shirts that she’d stolen from his closet, pulling it on before slipping out of her room and heading to the kitchen. She paused in the archway over the stairs, her eyes searching Maria out in the darkness and finally locating her at the counter. “Hey, girl, what’re you doing up at this hour?” she asked as she slowly crossed the rooms, giving Maria time to pull herself together if she felt she needed to.
“I was just thirsty,” the reply was short and hoarse.
She gave it a minute, waiting to see if she would say more and when she didn’t offer anything else Liz moved around her to get a bottle of water for herself. “Things are pretty crazy here lately, huh?” she said as she hopped up to sit on the counter so Maria could have space if she needed it.
The blonde cleared her throat and took a few sips of her water as well. “I think crazy is the understatement of the year.”
“Yeah, probably true. I could use a little less of the crazy and a lot more of just plain old normal myself.”
Maria snorted. “Sounds totally unrealistic. I’m not sure why people complain about everyday life.”
“Yeah, me either.” She played with the cap on the bottle, unscrewing it and screwing it back on again. “What’s wrong with things just going along like normal?”
“Nothin’, seems like that just doesn’t happen to us.”
“We’ll get there eventually, Maria. We have to,” she insisted. She had to hold onto that belief; if she didn’t she’d go crazy.
“Yeah, true,” she agreed. “I’m just not sure how much I’ll like that normal then.”
“What kinda normal would you like?”
“A normal that would still include Cody and Michael for a start.”
Liz knew Cody’s situation was uncertain; so much of the weight of his condition rested on whether or not he received a new heart. She wasn’t sure what it would take to bring Michael back into the realm of normal. “You sound like you’ve already lost them.” She held a hand up when Maria turned to look at her. “I know how much is riding on Cody getting a transplant and I know something happened between you and Michael the other night, but the two of you have such a strong relationship, Maria. I can’t imagine that ending.”
“Yeah, I couldn’t either,” she replied bitterly.
“You think that’s changed?” she asked softly.
“Yes, it did.”
“Has it changed so much that you think you can’t go back?”
“I don’t wanna go back. I mean, I want to have that connection back, but I doubt I could just be friends with him again.”
“Do you think what happened between you has pushed him away?”
Maria looked at Liz with searching eyes. “How much did Tess tell you?”
“The extent of my knowledge only goes so far as what Tess said in the bathroom. She never told me anything else.”
She nodded dumbly and considered how much she wanted the brunette girl to know. It wasn’t like she didn’t trust her; she just wanted to save the others the drama. “It’s not like I’d have a problem with you knowing, Liz.”
“But it’s private.” She nodded. “I understand that, Maria, and if you’d rather not tell me, that’s okay.”
“I just don’t want you to feel the need to choose sides.”
Liz smiled and took a drink of her water. “I can understand that too. You and Michael have both become very good friends and if I were to choose sides...” she shook her head. “I’m not willing to lose either of you. I’ll have an opinion, but I’m not gonna pick a side because I have no interest in being in the middle.”
“Right now there’s no middle, he doesn’t even want to see me,” Maria admitted and slouched down to the cool floor, her back against the kitchen cupboards.
“I imagine he’s in a pretty dark place right now.”
“Yeah, he is.”
“So he’s probably pushing even harder than he normally does.”
“He’s a stubborn prick.”
Well, that was a little harsh, she thought. “He’s never pushed you away though, has he?”
“Not this much,” she confessed.
“So he pushed you away and he pushed hard enough that you’re questioning where you stand with him now.”
Maria sighed and let her hand hang. “He wouldn’t have pushed me away if we hadn’t... made out the day of the shoot.”
Her eyebrows shot up at the admission but she didn’t make it the focus of her next comment. “Have you ever dealt with him after he’s lost a friend or coworker in the line of duty?”
“Not as close as Dan, but I dealt with him when he lost his brother.”
“I guess the two of you didn’t have a chance to really talk about what happened before he found out about Dan.”
“We did talk and at that point I thought we could maybe figure things out, but...” she sighed, “I don’t know, maybe I interpreted it wrong or maybe it’s just too much right now.”
“Michael doesn’t strike me as the kinda guy who handles change very well. He kinda has his own boundaries and unless he initiates change – which he probably does very rarely, he doesn’t know what to do with it. It just throws everything around him into a tailspin.”
“But no matter what happened, I’m still his friend and he’s treating me like I’m just one of the others.”
“Yeah, you’re still his friend, but Maria, his world revolves around you. You’re the constant in his life. He has his family and he’s obviously close to them, but you, you’re the one he turns to when he shuts the entire world out. And suddenly, you’re like this giant question mark and he probably doesn’t know how to handle this change that’s occurred between you. The only way he can deal with it in the middle of facing the loss of a friend is to withdraw from everyone including you.”
“You can be so rational, Parker.”
She smiled slightly and slipped off of the counter to sit on the floor next to Maria. “It’s easy to be rational when you’re on the outside of a situation.”
“Guess that’s true,” she leaned her head against her friend’s shoulder. “I wish I had my phone.”
“You want my phone?”
“No, he wouldn’t read to the end to find out it’s me.”
“You could call and leave him a voicemail, let him know you’re gonna be texting from my phone.”
Maria bit her lip while she considered it, but then shook her head finally. Everything was shaken up, it was the middle of the night, and her heart really couldn’t take another rejection.
“Are you worried that he might do something stupid?” Liz asked after several minutes.
“No, he wouldn’t do that to his family.”
“Maybe if you give him a little time and then try to talk to him again it’ll help.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that,” she agreed and they both stayed silent for a while. “Thanks, Liz.”
The brunette smiled. “What’re friends for? Besides, if it wasn’t for you and the others I’d have lost my sanity long before now.”
“Glad we could help, “Maria chuckled.
She shifted to the side and nudged Maria. “That’s what we do, right?”
“Right!”
Liz chuckled quietly. “We’re gonna be okay, Maria. We’re gonna get through this nightmare and we’re gonna be okay.”
“Can you promise?”
“We’re gonna survive this,” she promised.
Survive yes, but how, she wondered. “You should probably go back to your man. I’m okay now.”
“If there’s any such thing as luck he’ll be sleeping.”
“Tough day for him, huh?”
“Yeah, I think being around guys he served with was a little stressful.”
“They seem to be okay though. They definitely still stick together.”
She nodded. “I think he sees his medical discharge as some kind of weakness, ya know?”
“Yeah, I figured as much.”
“I just hope the therapist he’s seeing can help him with that because he needs to understand that it’s not weak.” She shrugged one shoulder. “I know there are people who think like that, I’ve heard comments made before, and they’re small-minded, but if he can’t get it through his thick head that it’s not true then it’ll just continue to eat away at him when things like that come up.”
“Yeah, your mind can do funny things to you.”
“Yeah,” she laughed, “it can seriously mess with you.”
Maria nudged her. “What’re you waiting for? Go on an’ snuggle up with your man.”
“You’re sure you’re okay?”
“I will be. Promise.”
“Okay, then I’ll see you in the morning.” She laughed quietly. “Well, I guess technically it’s already morning, isn’t it?” She leaned over and hugged her friend before getting up. “Try and get a little sleep, Maria.”
“Yeah, I will.”
Liz shook her head and gave her a smile that said she didn’t believe her but she left her alone with her thoughts and headed back to bed.
*****
Tess ran a hand through her unruly blonde hair as she took her time walking down the stairs to head into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. She could smell it all the way upstairs and once her eyes had opened there had been no way to ignore the tantalizing scent. She paused in the living room when she saw Maria through the kitchen window. She was sitting on the porch swing Tony and Max had put up for them after they’d moved in, her left leg pulled up and bent at the knee as she kept the swing in motion with her other foot.
She watched her best friend for a moment before she finally inhaled deeply, held the breath for a moment before slowly releasing it, and then forced her feet to carry her to the back door. She stepped out on the porch, her hand twisting the screen door handle back and forth nervously when Maria looked up and met her gaze.
“You don’t look like you slept much last night,” she commented.
Maria shrugged and rested her chin on her knee as she turned her gaze back to the yard. “I don’t wanna argue, Tess.” I can’t take much more right now.
“You wanna go out for breakfast?”
That wasn’t the response she’d expected. “What?”
“Breakfast, let’s go out to eat. Pancakes sound good, don’t you think?”
She shrugged again, but her stomach growled in agreement. “Yeah, maybe.”
Tess grinned. “That sounds more like a ‘yeah, definitely’ to me. Let me get dressed and we can take the train back over to Manhattan.”
“I don’t know, Tess.”
She frowned at the response and then realized that the last time Maria had taken the subway she’d been mugged. “I know it’s scary, but I’ll be with you, and that mugger only attacks people who are alone. Probably because he’s scared he’ll get his ass kicked otherwise. C’mon, I’ve got mace and pepper spray. I’ll even give you one as long as you promise to not point it at me.”
“No guarantees. Will you stop your pushy attitude?” Maria asked with a wink.
“No guarantees on that either.”
“Go get dressed. I’m starving,” she waved her off and got up to look around for a pair of flip flops to wear.
“Cool, be right back.” She turned and hurried back inside, letting the screen door slam shut with a loud bang. “Sorry!” she yelled over her shoulder.
“Sorry,” the other girl mocked and carried her mug to the sink. “You’re paying by the way,” she yelled upstairs.
Tess rolled her eyes and hung over the railing. “Fine, but if I’m paying you’re eating everything on your plate.”
“Easy enough to do.”
She plowed through her closet, finding a pair of cutoff jean shorts that she liked and then heading to Maria’s room to scrounge up a top to wear. Once she’d unearthed an olive green tank top she pulled it on and hurried back to her own room to run a brush through her hair and put it into some semblance of order. That achieved, she pounded back downstairs to find the sandals she’d left there the night before. “Okay, I’m ready.”
“That’s my top.”
“Well, you weren’t wearing it.”
“Obviously,” her friend rolled her eyes. “Next laundry day is yours, babe.”
Tess wrinkled her nose and wondered what the chances were that Liz could be talked into doing the laundry. “Let’s go.”
They walked the short way to the subway station in the early morning and the temperatures were still comfortable. “I wouldn’t mind if it was like this all day. I like these temperatures.”
“Yeah, it feels good out.” She glanced up at the cloudless sky. “But I have a feeling it’s gonna be another hot one.”
“Yeah, no doubt. I wish we could just go back to the beach house and forget the rest of the world exists.”
“We should do that. I’ll bet Kyle wouldn’t mind getting out of the city for a couple of days once he gets settled.”
“I can’t,” Maria denied.
“Because of Michael,” she sighed.
“No, because of Cody.”
Tess nodded and mentally kicked herself. “Hey, we could bring him breakfast. My shift doesn’t start until 10am.”
“Better not, half the things I brought last time he wasn’t allowed to eat and it only makes him sad.”
“That sucks.” She reached over and rubbed Maria’s arm. “Seems like everything’s screwed up right now, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
“Anything we can do to change that?”
“Doubtful. Most of the situations are just working themselves out as time passes.”
“Yeah. So, what’d you think of Max’s friends last night?”
“I didn’t do anything with Blake, alright?” Maria groaned.
“That’s good to know. I kinda meant the whole Army-guys-wanna-help-out thing though.”
“I’m afraid I didn’t hear much of it, but if they wanna help they should check with Max first so they’re not digging him any deeper.”
“I’m sure they won’t do anything to put his situation in jeopardy.”
“Did they say what they wanna do?”
“No, not really, but Mike asked a lot of questions and Isabel was only too happy to answer all of them.”
“Yeah, well, she’s only focused on Alex, so that’s understandable.”
“She’s really worried about him.”
“I am too.”
“Do you think something bad’s happened to him?” Not that it could be anything good if Trent and Dick were working together the way they were so certain they were.
“I don’t wanna think about it,” Maria mumbled. “I really don’t wanna think about any of the shit going on.”
“Okay, so you pick the topic.”
Lol, isn’t that the truth? Blake took it as well as he could.
Natalie36: Maria can’t just ignore what her heart wants. They may be swinging into action soon.
Eva: Maria definitely has the ability to speak her mind and even when she might want to lie to herself she just can’t do it.
keepsmiling7: There’s a lot of potential for the Army guys to be a help.
Maria knew she just couldn’t let things go any farther.
Earth2Mama: It must be! It definitely sounds like they’re gonna be looking.
sarammlover: Thanks! Maria’s heart just wasn’t in it, seeing as how it does belong to someone else and all, lol. Yeah, she couldn’t just ignore that little fact.
CandyliciousLovah: Thanks! Maria does have a pretty kickass group of guy friends.
kismet: Thanks!
The guys definitely bonded through their experiences.
We’re glad you’re loving the new characters. We have a feeling they’re gonna be fun.
Roswelllostcause: Yes, he does!
Part 148
Up All Night
Max stood at the window facing the street, his body hidden in the shadows. He had come home with Liz after leaving the club and he’d left her sleeping about an hour ago, driven from bed by the thoughts that kept his mind too active to rest. Spending the occasional hour or two with Hawk while he was inking him was one thing; spending hours in a social setting with Hawk and Ramrod was something altogether different. And then there was the invitation he’d accepted. An invitation to go out for a beer with a few of his old Army buddies. One of whom was in a potentially bad place as he tried to assimilate back into civilian life. It brought back memories that he wasn’t ready to deal with but he was trying to sort through them a piece at a time without just shutting them down cold.
He shifted to the side, craning his neck to look down into the small backyard. He wanted to put up a swing set or maybe build a tree house with Aaron’s help. He pictured himself doing things like that and it calmed something inside of him. He could remember doing that very thing with his own dad and it brought a smile to his face. His features relaxed as he thought about being seven years old, following his dad around the hardware store as they purchased supplies to begin their big project. He’d been so excited when Dad had presented him with his very own tool belt and then they’d purchased tools to fill up the slots.
He smiled and shook his head. He’d proudly worn that tool belt and the matching hardhat for months after they had completed construction on the tree house. Looking back on it now he realized he hadn’t done much to help with it. Oh, he’d handed Dad tools and picked up nails and screws that had fallen while he was working, but most of the time he’d played around on the ground, hammering boards together and contributing very little to the overall project. But Dad hadn’t complained one time about his lack of help; he’d just smiled and patiently showed him the proper way to hold the hammer and then stood back and let him hammer nails to his little heart’s content.
He thought about the recent visit he and Liz had made to his parents’ home. His parents and Aaron had adopted each other and they were building a strong bond. He had watched them as they interacted, recalling so many similar moments from his own childhood. They were good, decent, hardworking people, and being around them with Aaron as a buffer was taking some of the edge off of his relationship with his dad. He hadn’t reached the point where he could talk openly or objectively about the situation that had sent him into the Army and overseas. It had caused a few awkward moments but they’d managed to get past the discomfort and move on.
He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard the quiet slap of feet against the floor and the even quieter rustle of material. He turned his head, watching from his vantage point as one of the girls moved through the living room and made her way into the kitchen. It wasn’t until she opened the refrigerator door and the interior light flooded the immediate area that he realized it was Maria. She looked like she was having a rough night and he started to say something but then thought better of it.
He continued to watch her, hating the dejected slump to her shoulders as she finally selected a bottle of water and then shoved the door shut. She turned and braced her forearms on the counter, leaning forward and resting her forehead against the cold bottle she held between her hands. He heard her sigh, heard the slight hitch in her breathing, and even in the darkness he could see the slight tremble in her shoulders. Time to call in reinforcements, he decided as he slipped away unnoticed.
Liz was peacefully sleeping when he stepped into her bedroom and loathe as he was to wake her he wasn’t sure Maria and Tess had made up from their earlier argument or fight or whatever. He sat on the side of the bed and leaned over to shake her gently. “Liz, hey, darlin’, you need to wake up for me.” He chuckled and had to move quickly to keep her from rolling over and burrowing deeper into the covers.
“Max…” The complaint trailed off as she easily slipped right back into sleep.
“Oh, no, you don’t.” He tugged on her hand and wasn’t surprised when the jostling elicited an annoyed growl from her. “C’mon, darlin’, Maria needs you.”
“Wha…?”
Well, that wasn’t coherent, but at least it was an attempt, he thought. “Maria’s up and I think maybe she needs someone to talk to.”
It took everything Liz had in addition to Max pulling her up and refusing to let her snuggle back into the pillows to wake her up. “What’s wrong with M’ria?” she mumbled.
“Probably somethin’ Michael-related,” he guessed. “She’s in the kitchen and she seemed to be pretty upset.”
“You didn’t talk to her?”
“No, I figured it’d be better if one of you girls did it and since things with her an’ Tess were a little strained that left you. She doesn’t know I saw her and I didn’t wanna scare the crap out of her by walkin’ up on her while she was in a vulnerable state.”
Liz reached over and rubbed his arm. “You couldn’t sleep?” It hadn’t taken long to realize that he didn’t sleep much but he also didn’t like to talk about it.
He shook his head. “I’ll give it another shot while you’re talkin’ to Maria.”
She cupped his face in her hands, her thumbs stroking over his goatee as she watched him for a moment before leaning in to kiss him. “I’ll be wide awake after talkin’ to Maria, so if you’re still awake…”
Max grinned when she didn’t pry about his insomnia and instead turned it into something suggestive. “With an offer like that who needs sleep?”
She laughed quietly and pushed him down on the bed. “You do and you’d better try to get some.” She got up and grabbed one of his old Army tee shirts that she’d stolen from his closet, pulling it on before slipping out of her room and heading to the kitchen. She paused in the archway over the stairs, her eyes searching Maria out in the darkness and finally locating her at the counter. “Hey, girl, what’re you doing up at this hour?” she asked as she slowly crossed the rooms, giving Maria time to pull herself together if she felt she needed to.
“I was just thirsty,” the reply was short and hoarse.
She gave it a minute, waiting to see if she would say more and when she didn’t offer anything else Liz moved around her to get a bottle of water for herself. “Things are pretty crazy here lately, huh?” she said as she hopped up to sit on the counter so Maria could have space if she needed it.
The blonde cleared her throat and took a few sips of her water as well. “I think crazy is the understatement of the year.”
“Yeah, probably true. I could use a little less of the crazy and a lot more of just plain old normal myself.”
Maria snorted. “Sounds totally unrealistic. I’m not sure why people complain about everyday life.”
“Yeah, me either.” She played with the cap on the bottle, unscrewing it and screwing it back on again. “What’s wrong with things just going along like normal?”
“Nothin’, seems like that just doesn’t happen to us.”
“We’ll get there eventually, Maria. We have to,” she insisted. She had to hold onto that belief; if she didn’t she’d go crazy.
“Yeah, true,” she agreed. “I’m just not sure how much I’ll like that normal then.”
“What kinda normal would you like?”
“A normal that would still include Cody and Michael for a start.”
Liz knew Cody’s situation was uncertain; so much of the weight of his condition rested on whether or not he received a new heart. She wasn’t sure what it would take to bring Michael back into the realm of normal. “You sound like you’ve already lost them.” She held a hand up when Maria turned to look at her. “I know how much is riding on Cody getting a transplant and I know something happened between you and Michael the other night, but the two of you have such a strong relationship, Maria. I can’t imagine that ending.”
“Yeah, I couldn’t either,” she replied bitterly.
“You think that’s changed?” she asked softly.
“Yes, it did.”
“Has it changed so much that you think you can’t go back?”
“I don’t wanna go back. I mean, I want to have that connection back, but I doubt I could just be friends with him again.”
“Do you think what happened between you has pushed him away?”
Maria looked at Liz with searching eyes. “How much did Tess tell you?”
“The extent of my knowledge only goes so far as what Tess said in the bathroom. She never told me anything else.”
She nodded dumbly and considered how much she wanted the brunette girl to know. It wasn’t like she didn’t trust her; she just wanted to save the others the drama. “It’s not like I’d have a problem with you knowing, Liz.”
“But it’s private.” She nodded. “I understand that, Maria, and if you’d rather not tell me, that’s okay.”
“I just don’t want you to feel the need to choose sides.”
Liz smiled and took a drink of her water. “I can understand that too. You and Michael have both become very good friends and if I were to choose sides...” she shook her head. “I’m not willing to lose either of you. I’ll have an opinion, but I’m not gonna pick a side because I have no interest in being in the middle.”
“Right now there’s no middle, he doesn’t even want to see me,” Maria admitted and slouched down to the cool floor, her back against the kitchen cupboards.
“I imagine he’s in a pretty dark place right now.”
“Yeah, he is.”
“So he’s probably pushing even harder than he normally does.”
“He’s a stubborn prick.”
Well, that was a little harsh, she thought. “He’s never pushed you away though, has he?”
“Not this much,” she confessed.
“So he pushed you away and he pushed hard enough that you’re questioning where you stand with him now.”
Maria sighed and let her hand hang. “He wouldn’t have pushed me away if we hadn’t... made out the day of the shoot.”
Her eyebrows shot up at the admission but she didn’t make it the focus of her next comment. “Have you ever dealt with him after he’s lost a friend or coworker in the line of duty?”
“Not as close as Dan, but I dealt with him when he lost his brother.”
“I guess the two of you didn’t have a chance to really talk about what happened before he found out about Dan.”
“We did talk and at that point I thought we could maybe figure things out, but...” she sighed, “I don’t know, maybe I interpreted it wrong or maybe it’s just too much right now.”
“Michael doesn’t strike me as the kinda guy who handles change very well. He kinda has his own boundaries and unless he initiates change – which he probably does very rarely, he doesn’t know what to do with it. It just throws everything around him into a tailspin.”
“But no matter what happened, I’m still his friend and he’s treating me like I’m just one of the others.”
“Yeah, you’re still his friend, but Maria, his world revolves around you. You’re the constant in his life. He has his family and he’s obviously close to them, but you, you’re the one he turns to when he shuts the entire world out. And suddenly, you’re like this giant question mark and he probably doesn’t know how to handle this change that’s occurred between you. The only way he can deal with it in the middle of facing the loss of a friend is to withdraw from everyone including you.”
“You can be so rational, Parker.”
She smiled slightly and slipped off of the counter to sit on the floor next to Maria. “It’s easy to be rational when you’re on the outside of a situation.”
“Guess that’s true,” she leaned her head against her friend’s shoulder. “I wish I had my phone.”
“You want my phone?”
“No, he wouldn’t read to the end to find out it’s me.”
“You could call and leave him a voicemail, let him know you’re gonna be texting from my phone.”
Maria bit her lip while she considered it, but then shook her head finally. Everything was shaken up, it was the middle of the night, and her heart really couldn’t take another rejection.
“Are you worried that he might do something stupid?” Liz asked after several minutes.
“No, he wouldn’t do that to his family.”
“Maybe if you give him a little time and then try to talk to him again it’ll help.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that,” she agreed and they both stayed silent for a while. “Thanks, Liz.”
The brunette smiled. “What’re friends for? Besides, if it wasn’t for you and the others I’d have lost my sanity long before now.”
“Glad we could help, “Maria chuckled.
She shifted to the side and nudged Maria. “That’s what we do, right?”
“Right!”
Liz chuckled quietly. “We’re gonna be okay, Maria. We’re gonna get through this nightmare and we’re gonna be okay.”
“Can you promise?”
“We’re gonna survive this,” she promised.
Survive yes, but how, she wondered. “You should probably go back to your man. I’m okay now.”
“If there’s any such thing as luck he’ll be sleeping.”
“Tough day for him, huh?”
“Yeah, I think being around guys he served with was a little stressful.”
“They seem to be okay though. They definitely still stick together.”
She nodded. “I think he sees his medical discharge as some kind of weakness, ya know?”
“Yeah, I figured as much.”
“I just hope the therapist he’s seeing can help him with that because he needs to understand that it’s not weak.” She shrugged one shoulder. “I know there are people who think like that, I’ve heard comments made before, and they’re small-minded, but if he can’t get it through his thick head that it’s not true then it’ll just continue to eat away at him when things like that come up.”
“Yeah, your mind can do funny things to you.”
“Yeah,” she laughed, “it can seriously mess with you.”
Maria nudged her. “What’re you waiting for? Go on an’ snuggle up with your man.”
“You’re sure you’re okay?”
“I will be. Promise.”
“Okay, then I’ll see you in the morning.” She laughed quietly. “Well, I guess technically it’s already morning, isn’t it?” She leaned over and hugged her friend before getting up. “Try and get a little sleep, Maria.”
“Yeah, I will.”
Liz shook her head and gave her a smile that said she didn’t believe her but she left her alone with her thoughts and headed back to bed.
*****
Tess ran a hand through her unruly blonde hair as she took her time walking down the stairs to head into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. She could smell it all the way upstairs and once her eyes had opened there had been no way to ignore the tantalizing scent. She paused in the living room when she saw Maria through the kitchen window. She was sitting on the porch swing Tony and Max had put up for them after they’d moved in, her left leg pulled up and bent at the knee as she kept the swing in motion with her other foot.
She watched her best friend for a moment before she finally inhaled deeply, held the breath for a moment before slowly releasing it, and then forced her feet to carry her to the back door. She stepped out on the porch, her hand twisting the screen door handle back and forth nervously when Maria looked up and met her gaze.
“You don’t look like you slept much last night,” she commented.
Maria shrugged and rested her chin on her knee as she turned her gaze back to the yard. “I don’t wanna argue, Tess.” I can’t take much more right now.
“You wanna go out for breakfast?”
That wasn’t the response she’d expected. “What?”
“Breakfast, let’s go out to eat. Pancakes sound good, don’t you think?”
She shrugged again, but her stomach growled in agreement. “Yeah, maybe.”
Tess grinned. “That sounds more like a ‘yeah, definitely’ to me. Let me get dressed and we can take the train back over to Manhattan.”
“I don’t know, Tess.”
She frowned at the response and then realized that the last time Maria had taken the subway she’d been mugged. “I know it’s scary, but I’ll be with you, and that mugger only attacks people who are alone. Probably because he’s scared he’ll get his ass kicked otherwise. C’mon, I’ve got mace and pepper spray. I’ll even give you one as long as you promise to not point it at me.”
“No guarantees. Will you stop your pushy attitude?” Maria asked with a wink.
“No guarantees on that either.”
“Go get dressed. I’m starving,” she waved her off and got up to look around for a pair of flip flops to wear.
“Cool, be right back.” She turned and hurried back inside, letting the screen door slam shut with a loud bang. “Sorry!” she yelled over her shoulder.
“Sorry,” the other girl mocked and carried her mug to the sink. “You’re paying by the way,” she yelled upstairs.
Tess rolled her eyes and hung over the railing. “Fine, but if I’m paying you’re eating everything on your plate.”
“Easy enough to do.”
She plowed through her closet, finding a pair of cutoff jean shorts that she liked and then heading to Maria’s room to scrounge up a top to wear. Once she’d unearthed an olive green tank top she pulled it on and hurried back to her own room to run a brush through her hair and put it into some semblance of order. That achieved, she pounded back downstairs to find the sandals she’d left there the night before. “Okay, I’m ready.”
“That’s my top.”
“Well, you weren’t wearing it.”
“Obviously,” her friend rolled her eyes. “Next laundry day is yours, babe.”
Tess wrinkled her nose and wondered what the chances were that Liz could be talked into doing the laundry. “Let’s go.”
They walked the short way to the subway station in the early morning and the temperatures were still comfortable. “I wouldn’t mind if it was like this all day. I like these temperatures.”
“Yeah, it feels good out.” She glanced up at the cloudless sky. “But I have a feeling it’s gonna be another hot one.”
“Yeah, no doubt. I wish we could just go back to the beach house and forget the rest of the world exists.”
“We should do that. I’ll bet Kyle wouldn’t mind getting out of the city for a couple of days once he gets settled.”
“I can’t,” Maria denied.
“Because of Michael,” she sighed.
“No, because of Cody.”
Tess nodded and mentally kicked herself. “Hey, we could bring him breakfast. My shift doesn’t start until 10am.”
“Better not, half the things I brought last time he wasn’t allowed to eat and it only makes him sad.”
“That sucks.” She reached over and rubbed Maria’s arm. “Seems like everything’s screwed up right now, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
“Anything we can do to change that?”
“Doubtful. Most of the situations are just working themselves out as time passes.”
“Yeah. So, what’d you think of Max’s friends last night?”
“I didn’t do anything with Blake, alright?” Maria groaned.
“That’s good to know. I kinda meant the whole Army-guys-wanna-help-out thing though.”
“I’m afraid I didn’t hear much of it, but if they wanna help they should check with Max first so they’re not digging him any deeper.”
“I’m sure they won’t do anything to put his situation in jeopardy.”
“Did they say what they wanna do?”
“No, not really, but Mike asked a lot of questions and Isabel was only too happy to answer all of them.”
“Yeah, well, she’s only focused on Alex, so that’s understandable.”
“She’s really worried about him.”
“I am too.”
“Do you think something bad’s happened to him?” Not that it could be anything good if Trent and Dick were working together the way they were so certain they were.
“I don’t wanna think about it,” Maria mumbled. “I really don’t wanna think about any of the shit going on.”
“Okay, so you pick the topic.”
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Part 149
Earth2Mama: They’re in a bad place right now and it’s gonna take time for them to find their way out of it. Hopefully that happens before it’s too late.
sarammlover: Max has been a tower of strength for the girls and spending time with them has been good for him too. Tess knows if she wants Maria to talk to her she has to approach it from a neutral angle.
Natalie36: Things are pretty messed up, but we’ll start seeing some change soon.
keepsmiling7: That little project would be good for both of them.
Having Aaron around has certainly given Max and his dad a buffer.
kismet: Aaron has been so good for Max and he’s made a big difference in his life. Max is very good at finding solutions and it’s something that really works well for the women in his life.
Maria’s situation is a tough one, but we may see some change there soon.
Alex is holding on.
Eva: No, the dark moments in life are just a part of it, but they shouldn’t be the biggest part. They won’t be the biggest part for our gang either. Michael isn’t at a point where he can even think of laughing just yet, but maybe Tess will be able to lighten Maria’s mood a bit.
CandyliciousLovah: The girls are doing well with Max’ support and it’s helping him too.
Roswelllostcause: Yes, they are!
begonia9508: Thanks!
Aaron is definitely an important piece of that puzzle.
Insomnia is the worst. A decent night’s sleep is something that’s taken for granted until you realize just how bad it is to not have it.
Michael’s trying to figure things out, but he’s been hit with a lot of stuff all at once so it’s taking some time.
Part 149
Helpless
They walked into the restaurant and Maria went straight to a small table at the end of the room. “I was wondering if I should give my room some color. Whatcha think about one violet wall?”
“That’d be a good color,” Tess agreed.
“Yeah it’s friendly and warm. I think white walls just come across too much like a hospital.”
She nodded. “We definitely don’t need that.”
“I’m gonna buy some paint later.”
“Are you gonna do the painting or talk one of the guys into it?”
“I’ll just do it on my own, shouldn’t be that hard.”
“Definitely easier than wallpapering.” She picked up a menu, browsing through it even though she had left the apartment with the express intention of ordering a stack of pancakes with a side of sausage.
“You wanna add some color to your room as well?”
“Maybe light blue. It’s a good color.”
“It’s a cold color.”
“It is not! Light blue is a good color and it symbolizes tranquility.”
“If you say so.”
Tess rolled her eyes. “I do say so. And it’s a fact. Isabel has this book on decorating and it lists the colors and what they signify.” She held her hands out in a ‘there you have it’ gesture.
“That’s why her walls are all grey or sandy colored?” Maria rolled her eyes.
“Well, maybe she hasn’t read the book.”
The waitress stopped by and they both ordered coffee and pancakes. “What’re your plans for the week?”
“Um, well, Kyle should be released in a few days, so getting him home and settled in.” She shrugged. “Other than that it’s just regular stuff. Would you care if I brought Leo over maybe on the weekend? I thought maybe having that drool monster around would cheer him up a little bit.”
“Have you checked the lease to see if pets are allowed?” She loved the dog, but if he could get them into trouble she wasn’t willing to risk their new awesome apartment.
Tess stuck her tongue out at her. “Yes, I’ve checked that. Like I’m about to do anything that would get us kicked out of our apartment. And it’s not like he’d be moving in with us or anything, it’d just be for the weekend.”
“I’m okay with it then,” she agreed and sipped on her coffee when it arrived almost too quickly. “Kyle will be in a hell of a mood, so anything that works to cheer him up will be appreciated.”
“Yeah, he’s probably gonna be cranky for a while.” She knew a lot of it would be him trying to deal with the loss of his friend and coworker and he’d try to bury the pain but instead it would come out as anger. She had prepared herself for that, but having a backup plan was always a good thing.
“Cranky is too nice a word I believe.”
“Well, I don’t wanna kick him while he’s down.”
“Sometimes they just deserve to be kicked,” Maria muttered while she looked out the window. Obviously she was no longer talking about Kyle.
“Sometimes they do,” Tess agreed. “Wanna talk about it?”
“No,” was the immediate reply, but she knew her friend would pry anyway and she would give in eventually.
“You know I’m only gonna pester you about it until you finally spit it out just to shut me up,” she warned as she reached for her coffee and began to add sugar to it.
“I’d be surprised if you didn’t,” she countered with a half smirk.
She shrugged. “So tell me what I wanna know and put us both out of our misery.”
“It’s just your brother being an ass.”
“What’s new about that?”
“Yeah,” Maria snorted. “Right?”
“He wouldn’t talk to you?”
“No, he ignored me at first and then pretty much kicked me out.”
“Ouch.” No need to point out how much that had to hurt, she thought. “I’m not making excuses for him, Maria, but he’s in a bad place right now and he probably has no idea where he stands with you after what happened.”
She shrugged. “Doesn’t mean he’s allowed to treat me like shit.”
“Welcome to the rest of the world.” She nudged Maria under the table. “That’s what the rest of us have always gotten when we’ve approached him in one of his wounded bear moods.”
“I was never the rest of you,” she denied. “And I’m not gonna be treated like that no matter how wounded he is. I’m wounded too, but does that mean I’m gonna make him feel worse? No.”
“He’s not thinking clearly, Maria.” She held her hands up. “Not that it’s an excuse and I’m not saying you should accept it without a fight. I’m just sayin’ that unlike you, he doesn’t think before he reacts when he’s like this.”
“He can kiss my ass!”
That made Tess laugh. “Does that mean you’re just gonna give up on him?”
“No, but I won’t be the one to go after him either. He wanted time? Well, he can have it.”
“You don’t mean that.” She shook her head. “Since when do you give up on anything, especially him, without a fight?”
Maria let her head hang. “My heart can’t take another rejection, Tess.”
She chewed on her bottom lip and nodded. She could understand that. “He’s gotta be really confused right now. Everything he knows has just been knocked outta whack. You want me to talk to him?”
“No. Just stay outta this, Tess.”
“Well, what’re you gonna do? You can’t just sit back and do nothing, that’s not you.”
“Why not? He asked me to give him space and that’s what I’m gonna do. I’ve tried to be there for him, but he doesn’t want me around and I’m not gonna beg, especially not when I have so much shit on my own plate. He’s still with Courtney, no clue if he’s planning to tell her what happened between us, and I just don’t want any more drama. I want peace of mind!”
Tess sighed and sat back, watching her friend’s miserable features for several moments before she spoke. “Okay, tell me what I can do.”
“Nothing.” Maria shook her head. “Nothing at all.”
She looked up and smiled at the waitress when she brought their plates over and slid them on the table before them. Once she was assured they didn’t need anything else she disappeared again. “I hate to see you like this, Maria.” And she hated that there didn’t seem to be anything she could do to make it better for her friend.
“I don’t like my life either, but there’s nothing to do about it.”
“Then we need to focus on something else.”
“Like?”
“Like, I don’t know. We just need a new project or something that’ll shift our focus to something else. And since Kyle’s gonna be staying with us we can include him and maybe it’ll help keep his mind occupied and out of that dark place.”
“Any suggestions?”
“Um... well, nothing that immediately comes to mind, but I’m sure there’s something.”
“Well, tell me when you do know. I’m up for any fun distraction.”
“Maybe we could help Liz with Aaron’s room?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Or we could do something else if you think maybe she wouldn’t wanna do that.”
Maria sighed, exhausted. “Yeah, whatever. I’m too tired to think about stuff, Tess. I want all this shit to be over.”
She fell silent as she cut into her pancakes and drowned them in warm syrup. She didn’t know what to do to help other than maybe smack the shit out of her brother.
They both ate in silence for a while. Maria wasn’t hungry at all, but she had promised to clean her plate and she kept it, although she had to force the last bites down.
“What’s your schedule like for this week?” Tess asked finally.
“Not sure, I’ll check with my boss later and then go see Cody and Kyle.”
“I’m gonna stop in to visit Kyle after work.” She rolled her eyes. “And hopefully I won’t run into his mother.”
“Don’t like ‘er, huh?”
“She’s just too pushy about what she thinks is best.”
“Uh-huh... pushy?”
“Yeah, pushy. Like Kyle’s not a grown man. She treats him like he’s five, Maria!”
“She’s probably just really worried. I can see how that’d stretch his nerves though.”
“Okay, well, worry about him without treating him like a child.”
“I’m not sure she’ll appreciate that advice from you.”
“Yeah, well, appreciated or not, if she keeps it up she’s gonna get it.”
“Just warn me before so I can hide out in another room.”
“Where’s the fun in that? Man, can you imagine having to put up with her all the damn time? The other day she was in there trying to give him vitamins. I’m telling you, she does not look at her son and see a grown man.”
“A lot of mothers don’t, especially not when an accident almost takes their kids from them, Tess. She’s probably still in shock.”
“Don’t try to make me feel sympathetic towards her,” she grumbled.
“Just saying,” Maria shrugged. “Mothers can be weird.”
“Well, that much is true and if there’s an award for that, she’s gonna be up for it.”
“Shut up.”
Tess laughed and shrugged one shoulder as she looked outside. “I think this’s been the hottest summer I can remember.”
“It sure is. I’ve never looked forward to fall this much.”
“Will you be taking on a full course load when school starts up again?”
“I don’t know. I was planning to when summer started, but with Cody being in the hospital I might take it easier.”
“Yeah. I haven’t really decided what I wanna do. I guess I’ll need to decide pretty soon, but I just don’t know.”
“Not even a thought?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “How am I supposed to take classes when I don’t even know what I wanna do?”
“Really good question,” Maria said, amused. “I’ve got a list of classes they offer. An’ I think they even offer an online test, where you can answer questions about your interests and stuff to find out which direction might work for you.”
“Sometimes I wish there was just some moment that affected me so strongly that I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Some people have a plan and some people just fall into whatever plan their parents have for them but I just have a big fat zero in that area.”
“You poor, poor girl, wanna trade?” Maria mocked.
“Not the modeling type, thanks.”
“Yeah, you’re too short.”
“Thanks for that. I love you too.” She stuck her tongue out at Maria and sat back, pushing her plate away.
“You could be a nurse, it would fit the rest of you Guerins.”
“I don’t think I’m cut out for that. I thought about the paramedic thing but I don’t know if I’d be good at it or not.”
“It’s tough,” Maria agreed.
“Yeah.” She had seen the toll working in the medical field had taken on both Michael and Isabel. It wore them down physically, emotionally, and mentally. It was a tough job and it was no wonder people in those careers shut down and didn’t seem to have very successful relationships. “If I was gonna go into something like that I’d probably be better at like being a shrink or somethin’.”
“A shrink?” Maria laughed at the thought. “Aren’t they supposed to make people sane?”
Tess frowned at her. “You don’t think I could do that?”
“Um, no. No offense, babe, but you’re just too crazy for that.”
“Oh, well... I’m sure there’s something I’ll be good at.”
“Yeah, no doubt. Why not something like fashion? You love clothes and stuff.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Designing might be kinda cool.”
“I could be your model,” Maria grinned, suddenly excited about the idea. “We’d be a good team.”
“I do pretty good with sketching and stuff.” She smiled slightly and bit her bottom lip as some of Maria’s excitement began to rub off on her. “And I have designed some of my own clothes.”
“An’ we know Graham. He’ll put everything in just the perfect light for a catalog.”
“I’d have to sketch out some designs and they’d have to be put together...” She looked at her friend. “Do you really think I could do it?”
“Sure,” she sipped on her coffee. “It’d fit you well.”
“And we are in New York City.”
“Fashion City.” Maria winked at her friend. “Thank me later for this awesome idea.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that.”
*****
“Keep the change,” Isabel told the cab driver and got out of the car.
“Thanks, Miss,” he said, but she barely heard it because she was already on her way directly to the police station. The huge glass double doors at the entry were closed to keep the heat outside and when she was about to shove them open, a familiar face came into view on the other side.
Quickly, she let go of the door and turned around again, hair in her face and concentrating on her cell phone like it was the most important thing in the world.
Laughter caught her ear and she had to suppress the shiver when Kennedy and another officer walked down the few steps to the street. She lifted her gaze when the men had their backs to her and watched as they climbed into their cruiser.
She turned around again to hide her face from them and finally went into the station. Tons of police officers walked with her or towards her, coming from the opposite direction, most of them greeting her politely with a nod, a few of them even with an appreciative smile.
The hallway opened into a wide room with lots of desks and computers in it. “Damn it,” she muttered when Detective Cooper’s desk was unoccupied.
“Are you looking for me, Miss Guerin?” someone said from behind her.
“Yeah, actually I am,” she admitted when the man she was looking for kept walking to his desk, coffee pot in hand.
“Follow me then, I was just taking my lunch break.”
“At three in the afternoon?” She raised an eyebrow when he sat down.
Cooper gave her a half-hearted shrug. “No such thing as a set lunch time, gotta grab it when you can. I had to take care of some kids bothering an old lady in Central Park,” he shook his head and sipped on his coffee. “Have a seat,” he gestured at the empty chair next to his desk and moved a huge stack of files away to look at her properly. “What can I do for you?”
“I just wanted to check in with you and find out if you’d discovered anything about Alex,” she said as she settled into the chair.
“I’m afraid I don’t have anything concrete at this point,” he answered apologetically.
“Does that mean you have nothing or...?” she asked hopefully. Alex had been gone for almost three days now. There was no doubt now that something bad had happened to him.
“I spoke with a Carolyn Roberts at the facility where Mr. Whitman’s sister resides and she indicated that he was upset when she last saw him on Friday evening. Apparently his sister’s taken a turn for the worse. I also spoke with a Nora Powell, the nurse on duty in the evening who cares for Miss Whitman and she said that while he was upset he’s also realistic and he’s been prepared for this turn for a while now.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “Under other circumstances I might think he’d gone off on a bender, but nothing about Mr. Whitman indicates a penchant for drinking.”
“He wouldn’t do anything irresponsible,” she muttered angrily. “You’re wasting your time with stuff like that. There was a crime, Detective, you have to believe that!”
“Miss Guerin, I don’t believe he’s gone off and done anything irresponsible, but it’s my job to rule those things out. If I don’t then I’m not covering all the bases.”
She released a frustrated breath. “Yeah, yeah, I know. I just don’t want time wasted on the wrong things.”
He chuckled but the sound held little humor. “I’m aware of that. I’ve retraced his path several times and I have feelers out in case someone spotted anything suspicious on the night in question.”
“What’re you doing about Richard?”
“At this point the investigation into Mr. Mathews is still ongoing. He’s careful, but that’s to be expected for a man in his position. He’s not the type to do his dirty work himself, he’d be paying someone else so I’m looking into that. I’m also of the opinion that someone else is involved, someone other than the heavy hitter working for him, but so far nothing’s turned up.” He lifted an eyebrow. “What do you think about that?”
“I think he’s a manipulating asshole,” she said honestly. “How do you think he’d contact an accomplice?”
“I’m running his phone records, hoping something turns up. There’s always the possibility that he’s arrogant enough to believe he’s above suspicion and in that case he could’ve slipped up.”
If they checked his phone calls they’d find a connection to Trent, right? Isabel sucked on her bottom lip while she thought about something. “I saw that Officer Kennedy works here?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “You know him?”
“Not at all,” she denied. “But I don’t like him. He’s an ex of a friend.”
“Oh.” He turned to check his computer when a new email came through. “He do somethin’ to make you not like him or is it just that he’s the ex?” he asked curiously.
How much should she tell him? “Well, of course I only know her side, but it appears he didn’t really treat her little kid right. And he’s an ass because he can’t seem to stop bothering her even though they’re long done and she’s got someone new.”
“She file a complaint against him?”
“No, I don’t think so. He’s just annoying I guess,” Isabel shrugged, but hoped he would remember this conversation when they found a Richard-Trent connection.
He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “He ever hurt your friend or her kid?”
“Physically probably not, but mentally and emotionally I’d say he did a job on them.”
“Sorry to hear that.” He pulled up the Whitman file and glanced over his notes. “I don’t have much to go on with this case, but I want you to know that I’m doin’ everything I can. I’m hoping that something pops with the phone records.”
“Yeah, me too,” she said honestly.
“I’ll keep working and if anything comes up I’ll let you know.”
“Alright,” she took her bag and stood. “I know Alex, Detective. And he’s in danger.”
He shook her hand and watched her walk away. He leaned back in his chair and his eyes focused on his monitor, scanning over his notes before exhaling slowly. He needed a break in the case because as it stood right now he had no leads and nothing to go on.
Isabel stepped out into the hot afternoon and flagged down a cab. She was stunned to see the same driver in the car as the one she had left earlier. “No way,” she chuckled and the man grinned at her.
“Where to this time, Miss?”
She gave him her brother’s address and they arrived just a few minutes later. “Keep your money, your last tip covered a lot more than this short drive.”
“You sure?” she asked.
He nodded. “Have a good time and if you get in my cab again today, you’re gonna have to go out to dinner with me.”
“Agreed,” she laughed and got out. There was no way that would happen a third time, so it was a safe bet.
sarammlover: Max has been a tower of strength for the girls and spending time with them has been good for him too. Tess knows if she wants Maria to talk to her she has to approach it from a neutral angle.
Natalie36: Things are pretty messed up, but we’ll start seeing some change soon.
keepsmiling7: That little project would be good for both of them.
Having Aaron around has certainly given Max and his dad a buffer.
kismet: Aaron has been so good for Max and he’s made a big difference in his life. Max is very good at finding solutions and it’s something that really works well for the women in his life.
Maria’s situation is a tough one, but we may see some change there soon.
Alex is holding on.
Eva: No, the dark moments in life are just a part of it, but they shouldn’t be the biggest part. They won’t be the biggest part for our gang either. Michael isn’t at a point where he can even think of laughing just yet, but maybe Tess will be able to lighten Maria’s mood a bit.
CandyliciousLovah: The girls are doing well with Max’ support and it’s helping him too.
Roswelllostcause: Yes, they are!
begonia9508: Thanks!
Aaron is definitely an important piece of that puzzle.
Insomnia is the worst. A decent night’s sleep is something that’s taken for granted until you realize just how bad it is to not have it.
Michael’s trying to figure things out, but he’s been hit with a lot of stuff all at once so it’s taking some time.
Part 149
Helpless
They walked into the restaurant and Maria went straight to a small table at the end of the room. “I was wondering if I should give my room some color. Whatcha think about one violet wall?”
“That’d be a good color,” Tess agreed.
“Yeah it’s friendly and warm. I think white walls just come across too much like a hospital.”
She nodded. “We definitely don’t need that.”
“I’m gonna buy some paint later.”
“Are you gonna do the painting or talk one of the guys into it?”
“I’ll just do it on my own, shouldn’t be that hard.”
“Definitely easier than wallpapering.” She picked up a menu, browsing through it even though she had left the apartment with the express intention of ordering a stack of pancakes with a side of sausage.
“You wanna add some color to your room as well?”
“Maybe light blue. It’s a good color.”
“It’s a cold color.”
“It is not! Light blue is a good color and it symbolizes tranquility.”
“If you say so.”
Tess rolled her eyes. “I do say so. And it’s a fact. Isabel has this book on decorating and it lists the colors and what they signify.” She held her hands out in a ‘there you have it’ gesture.
“That’s why her walls are all grey or sandy colored?” Maria rolled her eyes.
“Well, maybe she hasn’t read the book.”
The waitress stopped by and they both ordered coffee and pancakes. “What’re your plans for the week?”
“Um, well, Kyle should be released in a few days, so getting him home and settled in.” She shrugged. “Other than that it’s just regular stuff. Would you care if I brought Leo over maybe on the weekend? I thought maybe having that drool monster around would cheer him up a little bit.”
“Have you checked the lease to see if pets are allowed?” She loved the dog, but if he could get them into trouble she wasn’t willing to risk their new awesome apartment.
Tess stuck her tongue out at her. “Yes, I’ve checked that. Like I’m about to do anything that would get us kicked out of our apartment. And it’s not like he’d be moving in with us or anything, it’d just be for the weekend.”
“I’m okay with it then,” she agreed and sipped on her coffee when it arrived almost too quickly. “Kyle will be in a hell of a mood, so anything that works to cheer him up will be appreciated.”
“Yeah, he’s probably gonna be cranky for a while.” She knew a lot of it would be him trying to deal with the loss of his friend and coworker and he’d try to bury the pain but instead it would come out as anger. She had prepared herself for that, but having a backup plan was always a good thing.
“Cranky is too nice a word I believe.”
“Well, I don’t wanna kick him while he’s down.”
“Sometimes they just deserve to be kicked,” Maria muttered while she looked out the window. Obviously she was no longer talking about Kyle.
“Sometimes they do,” Tess agreed. “Wanna talk about it?”
“No,” was the immediate reply, but she knew her friend would pry anyway and she would give in eventually.
“You know I’m only gonna pester you about it until you finally spit it out just to shut me up,” she warned as she reached for her coffee and began to add sugar to it.
“I’d be surprised if you didn’t,” she countered with a half smirk.
She shrugged. “So tell me what I wanna know and put us both out of our misery.”
“It’s just your brother being an ass.”
“What’s new about that?”
“Yeah,” Maria snorted. “Right?”
“He wouldn’t talk to you?”
“No, he ignored me at first and then pretty much kicked me out.”
“Ouch.” No need to point out how much that had to hurt, she thought. “I’m not making excuses for him, Maria, but he’s in a bad place right now and he probably has no idea where he stands with you after what happened.”
She shrugged. “Doesn’t mean he’s allowed to treat me like shit.”
“Welcome to the rest of the world.” She nudged Maria under the table. “That’s what the rest of us have always gotten when we’ve approached him in one of his wounded bear moods.”
“I was never the rest of you,” she denied. “And I’m not gonna be treated like that no matter how wounded he is. I’m wounded too, but does that mean I’m gonna make him feel worse? No.”
“He’s not thinking clearly, Maria.” She held her hands up. “Not that it’s an excuse and I’m not saying you should accept it without a fight. I’m just sayin’ that unlike you, he doesn’t think before he reacts when he’s like this.”
“He can kiss my ass!”
That made Tess laugh. “Does that mean you’re just gonna give up on him?”
“No, but I won’t be the one to go after him either. He wanted time? Well, he can have it.”
“You don’t mean that.” She shook her head. “Since when do you give up on anything, especially him, without a fight?”
Maria let her head hang. “My heart can’t take another rejection, Tess.”
She chewed on her bottom lip and nodded. She could understand that. “He’s gotta be really confused right now. Everything he knows has just been knocked outta whack. You want me to talk to him?”
“No. Just stay outta this, Tess.”
“Well, what’re you gonna do? You can’t just sit back and do nothing, that’s not you.”
“Why not? He asked me to give him space and that’s what I’m gonna do. I’ve tried to be there for him, but he doesn’t want me around and I’m not gonna beg, especially not when I have so much shit on my own plate. He’s still with Courtney, no clue if he’s planning to tell her what happened between us, and I just don’t want any more drama. I want peace of mind!”
Tess sighed and sat back, watching her friend’s miserable features for several moments before she spoke. “Okay, tell me what I can do.”
“Nothing.” Maria shook her head. “Nothing at all.”
She looked up and smiled at the waitress when she brought their plates over and slid them on the table before them. Once she was assured they didn’t need anything else she disappeared again. “I hate to see you like this, Maria.” And she hated that there didn’t seem to be anything she could do to make it better for her friend.
“I don’t like my life either, but there’s nothing to do about it.”
“Then we need to focus on something else.”
“Like?”
“Like, I don’t know. We just need a new project or something that’ll shift our focus to something else. And since Kyle’s gonna be staying with us we can include him and maybe it’ll help keep his mind occupied and out of that dark place.”
“Any suggestions?”
“Um... well, nothing that immediately comes to mind, but I’m sure there’s something.”
“Well, tell me when you do know. I’m up for any fun distraction.”
“Maybe we could help Liz with Aaron’s room?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Or we could do something else if you think maybe she wouldn’t wanna do that.”
Maria sighed, exhausted. “Yeah, whatever. I’m too tired to think about stuff, Tess. I want all this shit to be over.”
She fell silent as she cut into her pancakes and drowned them in warm syrup. She didn’t know what to do to help other than maybe smack the shit out of her brother.
They both ate in silence for a while. Maria wasn’t hungry at all, but she had promised to clean her plate and she kept it, although she had to force the last bites down.
“What’s your schedule like for this week?” Tess asked finally.
“Not sure, I’ll check with my boss later and then go see Cody and Kyle.”
“I’m gonna stop in to visit Kyle after work.” She rolled her eyes. “And hopefully I won’t run into his mother.”
“Don’t like ‘er, huh?”
“She’s just too pushy about what she thinks is best.”
“Uh-huh... pushy?”
“Yeah, pushy. Like Kyle’s not a grown man. She treats him like he’s five, Maria!”
“She’s probably just really worried. I can see how that’d stretch his nerves though.”
“Okay, well, worry about him without treating him like a child.”
“I’m not sure she’ll appreciate that advice from you.”
“Yeah, well, appreciated or not, if she keeps it up she’s gonna get it.”
“Just warn me before so I can hide out in another room.”
“Where’s the fun in that? Man, can you imagine having to put up with her all the damn time? The other day she was in there trying to give him vitamins. I’m telling you, she does not look at her son and see a grown man.”
“A lot of mothers don’t, especially not when an accident almost takes their kids from them, Tess. She’s probably still in shock.”
“Don’t try to make me feel sympathetic towards her,” she grumbled.
“Just saying,” Maria shrugged. “Mothers can be weird.”
“Well, that much is true and if there’s an award for that, she’s gonna be up for it.”
“Shut up.”
Tess laughed and shrugged one shoulder as she looked outside. “I think this’s been the hottest summer I can remember.”
“It sure is. I’ve never looked forward to fall this much.”
“Will you be taking on a full course load when school starts up again?”
“I don’t know. I was planning to when summer started, but with Cody being in the hospital I might take it easier.”
“Yeah. I haven’t really decided what I wanna do. I guess I’ll need to decide pretty soon, but I just don’t know.”
“Not even a thought?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “How am I supposed to take classes when I don’t even know what I wanna do?”
“Really good question,” Maria said, amused. “I’ve got a list of classes they offer. An’ I think they even offer an online test, where you can answer questions about your interests and stuff to find out which direction might work for you.”
“Sometimes I wish there was just some moment that affected me so strongly that I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Some people have a plan and some people just fall into whatever plan their parents have for them but I just have a big fat zero in that area.”
“You poor, poor girl, wanna trade?” Maria mocked.
“Not the modeling type, thanks.”
“Yeah, you’re too short.”
“Thanks for that. I love you too.” She stuck her tongue out at Maria and sat back, pushing her plate away.
“You could be a nurse, it would fit the rest of you Guerins.”
“I don’t think I’m cut out for that. I thought about the paramedic thing but I don’t know if I’d be good at it or not.”
“It’s tough,” Maria agreed.
“Yeah.” She had seen the toll working in the medical field had taken on both Michael and Isabel. It wore them down physically, emotionally, and mentally. It was a tough job and it was no wonder people in those careers shut down and didn’t seem to have very successful relationships. “If I was gonna go into something like that I’d probably be better at like being a shrink or somethin’.”
“A shrink?” Maria laughed at the thought. “Aren’t they supposed to make people sane?”
Tess frowned at her. “You don’t think I could do that?”
“Um, no. No offense, babe, but you’re just too crazy for that.”
“Oh, well... I’m sure there’s something I’ll be good at.”
“Yeah, no doubt. Why not something like fashion? You love clothes and stuff.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Designing might be kinda cool.”
“I could be your model,” Maria grinned, suddenly excited about the idea. “We’d be a good team.”
“I do pretty good with sketching and stuff.” She smiled slightly and bit her bottom lip as some of Maria’s excitement began to rub off on her. “And I have designed some of my own clothes.”
“An’ we know Graham. He’ll put everything in just the perfect light for a catalog.”
“I’d have to sketch out some designs and they’d have to be put together...” She looked at her friend. “Do you really think I could do it?”
“Sure,” she sipped on her coffee. “It’d fit you well.”
“And we are in New York City.”
“Fashion City.” Maria winked at her friend. “Thank me later for this awesome idea.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that.”
*****
“Keep the change,” Isabel told the cab driver and got out of the car.
“Thanks, Miss,” he said, but she barely heard it because she was already on her way directly to the police station. The huge glass double doors at the entry were closed to keep the heat outside and when she was about to shove them open, a familiar face came into view on the other side.
Quickly, she let go of the door and turned around again, hair in her face and concentrating on her cell phone like it was the most important thing in the world.
Laughter caught her ear and she had to suppress the shiver when Kennedy and another officer walked down the few steps to the street. She lifted her gaze when the men had their backs to her and watched as they climbed into their cruiser.
She turned around again to hide her face from them and finally went into the station. Tons of police officers walked with her or towards her, coming from the opposite direction, most of them greeting her politely with a nod, a few of them even with an appreciative smile.
The hallway opened into a wide room with lots of desks and computers in it. “Damn it,” she muttered when Detective Cooper’s desk was unoccupied.
“Are you looking for me, Miss Guerin?” someone said from behind her.
“Yeah, actually I am,” she admitted when the man she was looking for kept walking to his desk, coffee pot in hand.
“Follow me then, I was just taking my lunch break.”
“At three in the afternoon?” She raised an eyebrow when he sat down.
Cooper gave her a half-hearted shrug. “No such thing as a set lunch time, gotta grab it when you can. I had to take care of some kids bothering an old lady in Central Park,” he shook his head and sipped on his coffee. “Have a seat,” he gestured at the empty chair next to his desk and moved a huge stack of files away to look at her properly. “What can I do for you?”
“I just wanted to check in with you and find out if you’d discovered anything about Alex,” she said as she settled into the chair.
“I’m afraid I don’t have anything concrete at this point,” he answered apologetically.
“Does that mean you have nothing or...?” she asked hopefully. Alex had been gone for almost three days now. There was no doubt now that something bad had happened to him.
“I spoke with a Carolyn Roberts at the facility where Mr. Whitman’s sister resides and she indicated that he was upset when she last saw him on Friday evening. Apparently his sister’s taken a turn for the worse. I also spoke with a Nora Powell, the nurse on duty in the evening who cares for Miss Whitman and she said that while he was upset he’s also realistic and he’s been prepared for this turn for a while now.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “Under other circumstances I might think he’d gone off on a bender, but nothing about Mr. Whitman indicates a penchant for drinking.”
“He wouldn’t do anything irresponsible,” she muttered angrily. “You’re wasting your time with stuff like that. There was a crime, Detective, you have to believe that!”
“Miss Guerin, I don’t believe he’s gone off and done anything irresponsible, but it’s my job to rule those things out. If I don’t then I’m not covering all the bases.”
She released a frustrated breath. “Yeah, yeah, I know. I just don’t want time wasted on the wrong things.”
He chuckled but the sound held little humor. “I’m aware of that. I’ve retraced his path several times and I have feelers out in case someone spotted anything suspicious on the night in question.”
“What’re you doing about Richard?”
“At this point the investigation into Mr. Mathews is still ongoing. He’s careful, but that’s to be expected for a man in his position. He’s not the type to do his dirty work himself, he’d be paying someone else so I’m looking into that. I’m also of the opinion that someone else is involved, someone other than the heavy hitter working for him, but so far nothing’s turned up.” He lifted an eyebrow. “What do you think about that?”
“I think he’s a manipulating asshole,” she said honestly. “How do you think he’d contact an accomplice?”
“I’m running his phone records, hoping something turns up. There’s always the possibility that he’s arrogant enough to believe he’s above suspicion and in that case he could’ve slipped up.”
If they checked his phone calls they’d find a connection to Trent, right? Isabel sucked on her bottom lip while she thought about something. “I saw that Officer Kennedy works here?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “You know him?”
“Not at all,” she denied. “But I don’t like him. He’s an ex of a friend.”
“Oh.” He turned to check his computer when a new email came through. “He do somethin’ to make you not like him or is it just that he’s the ex?” he asked curiously.
How much should she tell him? “Well, of course I only know her side, but it appears he didn’t really treat her little kid right. And he’s an ass because he can’t seem to stop bothering her even though they’re long done and she’s got someone new.”
“She file a complaint against him?”
“No, I don’t think so. He’s just annoying I guess,” Isabel shrugged, but hoped he would remember this conversation when they found a Richard-Trent connection.
He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “He ever hurt your friend or her kid?”
“Physically probably not, but mentally and emotionally I’d say he did a job on them.”
“Sorry to hear that.” He pulled up the Whitman file and glanced over his notes. “I don’t have much to go on with this case, but I want you to know that I’m doin’ everything I can. I’m hoping that something pops with the phone records.”
“Yeah, me too,” she said honestly.
“I’ll keep working and if anything comes up I’ll let you know.”
“Alright,” she took her bag and stood. “I know Alex, Detective. And he’s in danger.”
He shook her hand and watched her walk away. He leaned back in his chair and his eyes focused on his monitor, scanning over his notes before exhaling slowly. He needed a break in the case because as it stood right now he had no leads and nothing to go on.
Isabel stepped out into the hot afternoon and flagged down a cab. She was stunned to see the same driver in the car as the one she had left earlier. “No way,” she chuckled and the man grinned at her.
“Where to this time, Miss?”
She gave him her brother’s address and they arrived just a few minutes later. “Keep your money, your last tip covered a lot more than this short drive.”
“You sure?” she asked.
He nodded. “Have a good time and if you get in my cab again today, you’re gonna have to go out to dinner with me.”
“Agreed,” she laughed and got out. There was no way that would happen a third time, so it was a safe bet.
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Part 150
Natalie36: Lol, Isabel isn’t likely to agree to anything with anyone right now.
keepsmiling7: Hmm, think something’s up with the cabbie?
Earth2Mama: Lol, looks like most everyone’s suspicious of the cabbie.
Oh, Tess is about to be busy enough with Kyle underfoot. She won’t be confronting her brother.
Eva: Looks like another vote for the suspicious cabbie.
begonia9508: Yep, there’s definitely a very fine line between a mom caring and being overbearing about it.
Michael does have some decisions to make, but right now his mind’s pretty overloaded and it may take some time.
Isabel won’t stop doing whatever she can to make sure the investigation’s continuing.
Roswelllostcause: Lol, he got to you too, huh?
CandyliciousLovah: It looks like you’re definitely in the minority on this one… but it has yet to be seen if our cabbie’s part of something bigger or if it was simply a random meeting. Tess and Maria are really back together where they should be.
cjeb: Perhaps we’ll find out in time. Thanks for reading!
Part 150
Unpleased
Michael was slouched down on the couch when someone knocked on the door and he didn’t bother even looking at it. Instead he picked up a balled-up sock and threw it across the room so Loco could chase after it. He ignored it until the third time the person knocked and he shoved himself to his feet, stalking across the room, and jerking the door open. “What do you want?” he growled when he saw his older sister standing there.
“Hello to you too, Michael.” She rolled her eyes slightly.
“Sorry,” he muttered and stepped back. “C’mon in, just don’t expect me to be a barrel of laughs today.”
She ignored his moody behavior and walked past him into the room, sniffing and wrinkling her nose when she saw that the place looked like shit. “I was wondering if you were up for an early dinner.”
He shrugged, not missing the looks or her assessment of the apartment. “Not really hungry.”
“Really?” She walked through to the kitchen and glanced into his refrigerator. “You’re pretty much out of everything.”
“Yeah, well, haven’t been out in a couple days.”
“Obviously,” she mused. “I was just talking to Detective Cooper, but there’s still no news about Alex. They’re not doing enough!”
“They need to make a connection between Dick and Kennedy.”
“Hopefully soon. Cooper said they’re checking his phone calls and guess who walked out of the station when I arrived.”
“Well, it’s not that surprising,” he said, knowing who she was talking about. “Kennedy is a cop.”
“Yeah, but it’s not like that’s the only station in the city,” she snorted. “I may have dropped a hint about not liking him.”
“Good. And if they’re checkin’ his phone records they’re gonna make the connection. That dumbass made the calls from his own phone.”
“I really hope that’s enough to make them look further into it,” she rested her back against the kitchen counter.
“The guy you went to seems to be making an effort.” He rolled his shoulders. “Once he connects Kennedy and Dick they’re gonna know something’s up.”
“Yeah...” she agreed. “Some of Max’s friends might help as well.”
“Evans has friends?”
“Who’d have thought that, huh?” She chuckled. “Some old army friends.”
“Where’d you meet them?”
“Blake... the guy that helped Maria in the subway, he’s actually one of them. He was at Max’s studio yesterday an’ we all went to a club and met more of them there.”
“And how’re they involved?”
“Not sure. They just said they’d look into all the Richard-Trent shit discreetly. Ramrod was pretty eager to help and Blake...” she smirked to herself, “I guess he has a thing for Maria and that makes him eager to help as well.”
He frowned at that. “What do you mean, he has a thing for Maria?” Maybe he wasn’t sure what the hell was going on and he was still mad at her, but that didn’t mean he wanted some G.I. Joe slobbering all over her.
“He’s obviously pretty interested in her. Guess it was his reason in the first place for helping her. Ya know, we girls like heroes.”
“Great, that’s just what she needs.”
“He seems to be okay.”
He shrugged. “Whatever.”
Ungh, Isabel rolled her eyes when he wasn’t looking at her. “Have you talked to your girlfriend?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he snapped.
She lifted her hands. “Just wondering because, ya know... she’s probably worried if she hasn’t heard from you.”
“What do you care?”
“I wasn’t trying to pick a fight, Michael!”
“Why all the sudden concern about Courtney? You didn’t give a fuck about her before.”
“I don’t have any concern for her, but I do worry about you. Shocker! I know how much you like to pull into your own little world when bad things happen and I was just wondering if you’d let her in enough to take some comfort. Sorry for worrying about you,” she snapped back at his defensive response.
“I pull into myself because there’s no reason for everyone around me to have to suffer just because I’m dealin’ with something.”
“Maybe that’s true, but you have to realize that your friends and girlfriend probably suffer from being left on the outside.”
He shook his head. “I’m better off dealin’ with things myself. It doesn’t have anything to do with anyone else.”
“That the advice you give your friends when they’re dealing with shit?” She snorted. “Come on, Michael. Let your friends be there for you too.”
“Everyone’s got their own shit to deal with and the last thing they need is for me to dump on them.” He scrubbed his hands through his hair.
“There’s a wise saying: A problem shared is a problem halved.”
“Get that out of a fortune cookie?” He shook his head and opened the refrigerator just to have something to do.
“It won’t magically refill.”
He slammed the door shut and reached for Loco’s food bag, shaking it to get the ferret’s attention and sighing when he realized it was nearly empty. He grabbed the bowl off of the floor and washed it out before dumping the last of the food into it and sliding it across the floor where it landed next to the water dish. He watched as a few pieces of food bounced out and slid across the floor, quickly snatched up by Loco when he came running into the room and slid to a stop near the bowls.
Isabel made a face, but she bit her lip before she could make a rude comment about the rat.
“I don’t say anything about the rats you keep around,” he muttered when he caught the look she shot at his pet.
“Rats?”
“I’d say Dick qualifies.”
“I think you said plenty about him,” she rolled her eyes. “Come on, Michael. Let’s go out for dinner somewhere.”
He sighed and shook his head. “I don’t feel like goin’ out.” He looked down at himself. “Haven’t showered and...” he shrugged. “Just don’t feel like it.”
“You can’t hide in here forever.”
“Just because I wanna be left alone doesn’t mean I’m hiding,” he bit out.
“Uh-huh, it’s pretty much the same.”
“Believe what you want to, Iz.”
“So no dinner, fine! When can we dare to call you again and expect you to actually pick up?”
He sighed in resignation. “Look, if it’s that fuckin’ important for us to get somethin’ to eat I’ll go change my clothes!”
She smiled at her win. “Okay, I’ll wait.”
He rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He wanted to sit at home and ignore the rest of the world, but he couldn’t forget the fact that she was being targeted by her ass of a boyfriend and somehow Liz’s ex was involved and between the two of them something had happened to Alex. He couldn’t in good conscience have her wandering the streets alone. “Gimme a few minutes.”
“Sure, take your time, I’ve got nothing to do for the rest of the day.”
Great, he’d probably be stuck with her the rest of the night now, he thought as he waved over his shoulder on his way to his bedroom. Not that he normally minded his sister’s company. He just wasn’t in the mood for company.
*****
The station was buzzing with activity as Courtney approached the building. The wide garage doors were rolled up and letting what little breeze there was circulate through the open bays. She could see several EMS trucks lined up in one bay, and two fire engines in the other bays, one of them in the process of being hosed down. She let her gaze rove over the men as they moved back and forth, carrying out their tasks while they waited for the next emergency call.
She watched a few of them appreciatively as they washed the truck, their uniform pants decorated with wet patches where the water from the hoses had sprayed them as they worked. A couple of them, in deference to the heat, had stripped off their uniform shirts, their upper bodies bisected by the suspenders attached to their waistbands. There were a couple of women working with and around them, but it was easy to see it was still a field dominated by men.
“Can I help you, ma’am?”
She turned her head to look at the man who had spoken, noting the five stars that indicated his rank… and meant nothing to her. Thankfully, before she could say something stupid he held his hand out to her and smiled.
“I’m Chief McCoy, Miss…?”
“Oh, sorry, I’m Courtney Banks. I was just hoping to find Michael Guerin on duty?”
He lifted one bushy eyebrow. “Is he a friend of yours?” He had met quite a few of the young people Michael spent time with off the clock, but he couldn’t recall ever meeting her.
“I’ve got this, Chief.”
She turned her head at the new voice, surprised to see Michael’s friend Tony stepping up. She forced a smile when he finally succeeded in sending the Chief off after assuring the man he’d handle the situation. Why did she have the feeling that she was about to be fed a line of bull? She brushed that thought off and met the man’s gaze directly. “I was hoping to talk to Michael.” It had been three days since she had gotten home and she hadn’t seen or heard from him in spite of his plans to pick her up at the airport on Sunday night. She couldn’t get the image on that billboard out of her head or the thought that it was somehow related to why he was avoiding her.
Tony scratched the back of his neck. “You tried callin’ him?”
“No, I just came here because that didn’t occur to me,” she rolled her eyes but sighed when the man’s expression became annoyed. “Sorry, I’m not trying to be a bitch. I just wanna know what the hell is goin’ on and why he’s ignoring me.”
Yeah, well, you wouldn’t have to try hard, he thought in response to her attitude. “He’s pretty much ignoring everybody,” he said with a shrug.
“But why?” She frowned.
“When’s the last time you talked to him?”
“Friday night while you guys were at the photo shoot. He said he might call later or pick me up from the airport, but he didn’t do either one and now he’s ignoring my phone calls.”
“We found out Saturday night that Kyle’s partner Dan passed away from the injuries he sustained during the explosion. He’s kinda isolated himself since then.”
Courtney frowned. “Why? I wouldn’t make him talk about it or anything. I just wanna know what’s wrong. He’s been ignoring me for days and he has to know that I’m worried out of my mind.”
“Look, you’ve gotta understand that this’s just the way Michael is. There’s no malicious intent behind his behavior, it’s just how he deals with things like this.”
“And you’re sure that’s the only reason?” Somehow it didn’t seem enough to make him hide.
“Excuse me?”
“Did something else happen?”
“Isn’t that enough?” he asked with a frown.
“It’s bad, but he knew he was in bad shape and I understand that he’s grieving, but... I don’t know. I guess I don’t want him to completely shut me out.”
“Well, you’re gonna have to join the club on that one because no matter how much you wish him to be different in this area, it’s just part of who he is.” He glanced around the station. Even though the guys were joking around and laughing while they worked, there was a heaviness hanging over them. “You lose someone in this line of work and whether you like the person or not, it’s like losin’ someone in your own family. It cuts that deep.”
“So what am I supposed to do?” she asked helplessly. “Just wait until he pulls himself outta this again?”
He hooked his thumbs in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “I’m not really sure what to tell you, Courtney. Michael may not react well if you push to get him to let you in right now.”
“I can’t even push him when he’s hiding from me,” she muttered and didn’t know how to feel about the news. On the one hand she was relieved that her worst nightmares of him being together with Maria after the shoot were wrong, but how much better was this option?
“I’d suggest you give him some room.” He didn’t even wanna think about how little he’d appreciate such advice in her shoes. In a relationship that just wasn’t the way it was supposed to work.
How much more room did he need, she wondered. He hadn’t spoken to her in days! Freaking days! Her thoughts were pulled away when a loud voice came over the speakers. “Guess that means you’ve gotta go...”
He nodded, glad for any excuse to get away from her. She wasn’t a bad girl, she just didn’t understand Michael. Granted, in her defense, she didn’t really know him well enough to know how to handle him. But, he didn’t have time to contemplate any of that. “Yeah, that’s me. Sorry I couldn’t help you.”
“No, you did.” She forced a smile. “Take care, Tony.”
He saluted and turned to sprint across the bay, stepping into his gear and climbing up on the truck to take his seat.
*****
Tess walked into the hospital nervously and took the elevator up to Kyle’s floor. It was the day of his release and time to pick him up. They had gone over everything yesterday, but still she was anticipating that something would go wrong and he’d end up with his parents or whatever.
“You look nervous, dear,” a very small and old woman with a walker said and smiled up at her.
“Yeah, I guess I’m just excited,” Tess’ smile was jittery. “I’m picking a friend up. He’s been here for a while.”
“So it’s a man,” she mused with a smile. “I’ll bet he’s very lucky to have someone like you picking him up.”
“I’d like to hope so.” The elevator came to a stop and the door opened. “This’s my floor. Have a nice day.”
The woman nodded. “You too. Make sure to take him out for some ice cream in this heat.”
“That’s a good idea,” Tess smiled and then waved before the door closed again and she turned to move down the hallway until she reached Kyle’s room. With a hesitant knock, she placed her hand on the doorknob and then entered. “Hey,” she greeted and wasn’t surprised to find his parents on either side of his bed.
Well, this could get interesting.
Sarah looked at the young woman standing in the doorway and her eyes narrowed slightly. “Well, it looks like your getaway driver’s arrived.”
“Sarah,” Jim muttered and shook his head. He straightened and turned to look at the girl who had managed to take every bit of hostility his soon-to-be ex-wife had dished out. He had spoken to her earlier in the week when she had called to ask if she could pick Leo up for the weekend, hoping it would cheer Kyle up. He knew she had been by to visit with his son nearly every day since he’d been allowed to have visitors and he could see the changes in his boy. “Tess, how are you?”
“I’m good, thanks,” she closed the door and walked towards the bed. “Has the doc already signed the release papers?”
“Yeah, let’s get outta here,” Kyle muttered. He felt around on the bed, his irritation spiking when his mother covered his hand and guided it to the bag containing the release forms, his doctor’s instructions, and several prescriptions.
“Tony loaned me his car, so we’re good to go if everything’s set.”
“Everything’s set.” He knew his mother meant well, but he couldn’t take much more of her babying him.
“Alright,” she looked at his parents a little helplessly, not sure if she should say anything to downplay the awkwardness or not, but nothing came to mind.
“They won’t let me walk outta here,” Kyle grumbled.
“It’s hospital policy, son,” Jim said patiently.
“I don’t need to be pushed out in a wheelchair like I’m some crippled wreck.” He fidgeted, hating the pull of medical tape on his skin where his chest was still bandaged and the weight of the portable heart monitor the doctor had insisted he needed to stay connected to for a while yet. His casted arm felt heavy and itchy and it only served to further aggravate him.
“Damn, ya mean ya wanna walk,” Tess teased, hoping it would lighten the mood and not backfire on her. “I’ve already had Tony putting rollers under our armchair and a rope being set up in a circle around our living room and kitchen so you could pull yourself along.”
The faintest of smiles played over his lips as he shook his head. “I guess I should at least be grateful they let me dress myself.” And that was probably due mostly to the fact that when Isabel had stopped by to drop clothes off for him she’d brought a tee shirt and sweatpants. No way he could screw that up.
“You need to kiss any nurses goodbye?”
“They’ve already come by. A couple of ‘em threw themselves down on the floor and cried, beggin’ me to stay.”
Jim snorted. “The other half probably had a private party to celebrate finally getting rid of you.”
“Whatever,” Kyle snorted. “They love me here.”
“Is all your stuff in the bag?” Tess looked at it where it sat on the floor.
“Yeah, personal stuff in there and all the crap the doc said I had to have is in this one,” he said and shook the plastic hospital bag.
“Okay. I’d say let’s get you outta here then.” Finally, she thought and ignored the evil looks from his mom.
“Great.” He could feel his dad hovering nearby, wanting to reach out to help him but thankfully resisting the urge and letting him get up by himself. He despised the weak feeling in his body as he stood on his own two feet and was ridiculously grateful when Tess nudged him into the waiting wheelchair. “I don’t need this, ya know.”
She leaned over the back to whisper into his ear. “Yeah, but we don’t want to annoy them, do we?”
“No, guess not. They’re always wantin’ to stick things where the sun don’t shine. No reason to give ‘em an excuse.”
“Gross,” she shuddered.
“Tell me about it.”
She started to roll the wheelchair out of the room while his parents followed behind with his stuff. “Maria’s at home too. We decided to have some homemade pizza tonight.”
“Thick crust and extra cheese? Lots of pepperoni and sausage?” he asked hopefully.
“Whatever you want on your side,” she chuckled.
“That’s what I want.” He shifted to one side and cradled his casted arm against his chest.
“Then that’s what ya get,” she pushed the button on the elevator and waited for it to arrive.
He leaned back and let his head rest against her forearm. “I feel like I haven’t been outside in a year.”
“Believe me, as soon as that muggy heat hits you, this feeling will vanish,” she told him, trying to ignore the flutter in her stomach that came with the physical contact.
Kyle chuckled. “I don’t care how hot and muggy it is out there. Fresh air and homemade pizza all on the same day? Can’t beat that.” Well, only if there was a cold beer up for grabs too, but he knew better than to push his luck.
“You can have both at the same time since we have a little garden.”
He sighed happily. “You’re the best.”
“Uh-huh, just always remember that, Valenti.”
Jim smiled as he watched them, seeing something there that he had a feeling his son wasn’t even aware of yet. “Tess, will you need any help with anything or do you girls have everything under control?”
“We’re good. Maria’s at home, Liz will be there soon, and Tony’s stopping by after his shift as well.”
“I think we should follow them and make sure their apartment’s suitable for Kyle with his limitations,” Sarah insisted.
Tess turned to look at the other woman. “You’re welcome to visit him, Mrs. Valenti, but there’s no need to check on that because it was all taken care of. Besides that, your son’s hurt, not disabled.”
“Yeah, don’t let the wheelchair fool you, Mom. If it weren’t for stupid hospital regs I’d be walkin’ outta here on my own two feet,” Kyle said, pleased that Tess had spoken up.
The elevator doors finally opened and a few people rushed out, but there were still enough people in the car that they wouldn’t all fit. “We’ll wait for you downstairs,” Tess informed his parents and quickly backed inside.
keepsmiling7: Hmm, think something’s up with the cabbie?
Earth2Mama: Lol, looks like most everyone’s suspicious of the cabbie.
Oh, Tess is about to be busy enough with Kyle underfoot. She won’t be confronting her brother.
Eva: Looks like another vote for the suspicious cabbie.
begonia9508: Yep, there’s definitely a very fine line between a mom caring and being overbearing about it.
Michael does have some decisions to make, but right now his mind’s pretty overloaded and it may take some time.
Isabel won’t stop doing whatever she can to make sure the investigation’s continuing.
Roswelllostcause: Lol, he got to you too, huh?
CandyliciousLovah: It looks like you’re definitely in the minority on this one… but it has yet to be seen if our cabbie’s part of something bigger or if it was simply a random meeting. Tess and Maria are really back together where they should be.
cjeb: Perhaps we’ll find out in time. Thanks for reading!
Part 150
Unpleased
Michael was slouched down on the couch when someone knocked on the door and he didn’t bother even looking at it. Instead he picked up a balled-up sock and threw it across the room so Loco could chase after it. He ignored it until the third time the person knocked and he shoved himself to his feet, stalking across the room, and jerking the door open. “What do you want?” he growled when he saw his older sister standing there.
“Hello to you too, Michael.” She rolled her eyes slightly.
“Sorry,” he muttered and stepped back. “C’mon in, just don’t expect me to be a barrel of laughs today.”
She ignored his moody behavior and walked past him into the room, sniffing and wrinkling her nose when she saw that the place looked like shit. “I was wondering if you were up for an early dinner.”
He shrugged, not missing the looks or her assessment of the apartment. “Not really hungry.”
“Really?” She walked through to the kitchen and glanced into his refrigerator. “You’re pretty much out of everything.”
“Yeah, well, haven’t been out in a couple days.”
“Obviously,” she mused. “I was just talking to Detective Cooper, but there’s still no news about Alex. They’re not doing enough!”
“They need to make a connection between Dick and Kennedy.”
“Hopefully soon. Cooper said they’re checking his phone calls and guess who walked out of the station when I arrived.”
“Well, it’s not that surprising,” he said, knowing who she was talking about. “Kennedy is a cop.”
“Yeah, but it’s not like that’s the only station in the city,” she snorted. “I may have dropped a hint about not liking him.”
“Good. And if they’re checkin’ his phone records they’re gonna make the connection. That dumbass made the calls from his own phone.”
“I really hope that’s enough to make them look further into it,” she rested her back against the kitchen counter.
“The guy you went to seems to be making an effort.” He rolled his shoulders. “Once he connects Kennedy and Dick they’re gonna know something’s up.”
“Yeah...” she agreed. “Some of Max’s friends might help as well.”
“Evans has friends?”
“Who’d have thought that, huh?” She chuckled. “Some old army friends.”
“Where’d you meet them?”
“Blake... the guy that helped Maria in the subway, he’s actually one of them. He was at Max’s studio yesterday an’ we all went to a club and met more of them there.”
“And how’re they involved?”
“Not sure. They just said they’d look into all the Richard-Trent shit discreetly. Ramrod was pretty eager to help and Blake...” she smirked to herself, “I guess he has a thing for Maria and that makes him eager to help as well.”
He frowned at that. “What do you mean, he has a thing for Maria?” Maybe he wasn’t sure what the hell was going on and he was still mad at her, but that didn’t mean he wanted some G.I. Joe slobbering all over her.
“He’s obviously pretty interested in her. Guess it was his reason in the first place for helping her. Ya know, we girls like heroes.”
“Great, that’s just what she needs.”
“He seems to be okay.”
He shrugged. “Whatever.”
Ungh, Isabel rolled her eyes when he wasn’t looking at her. “Have you talked to your girlfriend?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he snapped.
She lifted her hands. “Just wondering because, ya know... she’s probably worried if she hasn’t heard from you.”
“What do you care?”
“I wasn’t trying to pick a fight, Michael!”
“Why all the sudden concern about Courtney? You didn’t give a fuck about her before.”
“I don’t have any concern for her, but I do worry about you. Shocker! I know how much you like to pull into your own little world when bad things happen and I was just wondering if you’d let her in enough to take some comfort. Sorry for worrying about you,” she snapped back at his defensive response.
“I pull into myself because there’s no reason for everyone around me to have to suffer just because I’m dealin’ with something.”
“Maybe that’s true, but you have to realize that your friends and girlfriend probably suffer from being left on the outside.”
He shook his head. “I’m better off dealin’ with things myself. It doesn’t have anything to do with anyone else.”
“That the advice you give your friends when they’re dealing with shit?” She snorted. “Come on, Michael. Let your friends be there for you too.”
“Everyone’s got their own shit to deal with and the last thing they need is for me to dump on them.” He scrubbed his hands through his hair.
“There’s a wise saying: A problem shared is a problem halved.”
“Get that out of a fortune cookie?” He shook his head and opened the refrigerator just to have something to do.
“It won’t magically refill.”
He slammed the door shut and reached for Loco’s food bag, shaking it to get the ferret’s attention and sighing when he realized it was nearly empty. He grabbed the bowl off of the floor and washed it out before dumping the last of the food into it and sliding it across the floor where it landed next to the water dish. He watched as a few pieces of food bounced out and slid across the floor, quickly snatched up by Loco when he came running into the room and slid to a stop near the bowls.
Isabel made a face, but she bit her lip before she could make a rude comment about the rat.
“I don’t say anything about the rats you keep around,” he muttered when he caught the look she shot at his pet.
“Rats?”
“I’d say Dick qualifies.”
“I think you said plenty about him,” she rolled her eyes. “Come on, Michael. Let’s go out for dinner somewhere.”
He sighed and shook his head. “I don’t feel like goin’ out.” He looked down at himself. “Haven’t showered and...” he shrugged. “Just don’t feel like it.”
“You can’t hide in here forever.”
“Just because I wanna be left alone doesn’t mean I’m hiding,” he bit out.
“Uh-huh, it’s pretty much the same.”
“Believe what you want to, Iz.”
“So no dinner, fine! When can we dare to call you again and expect you to actually pick up?”
He sighed in resignation. “Look, if it’s that fuckin’ important for us to get somethin’ to eat I’ll go change my clothes!”
She smiled at her win. “Okay, I’ll wait.”
He rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He wanted to sit at home and ignore the rest of the world, but he couldn’t forget the fact that she was being targeted by her ass of a boyfriend and somehow Liz’s ex was involved and between the two of them something had happened to Alex. He couldn’t in good conscience have her wandering the streets alone. “Gimme a few minutes.”
“Sure, take your time, I’ve got nothing to do for the rest of the day.”
Great, he’d probably be stuck with her the rest of the night now, he thought as he waved over his shoulder on his way to his bedroom. Not that he normally minded his sister’s company. He just wasn’t in the mood for company.
*****
The station was buzzing with activity as Courtney approached the building. The wide garage doors were rolled up and letting what little breeze there was circulate through the open bays. She could see several EMS trucks lined up in one bay, and two fire engines in the other bays, one of them in the process of being hosed down. She let her gaze rove over the men as they moved back and forth, carrying out their tasks while they waited for the next emergency call.
She watched a few of them appreciatively as they washed the truck, their uniform pants decorated with wet patches where the water from the hoses had sprayed them as they worked. A couple of them, in deference to the heat, had stripped off their uniform shirts, their upper bodies bisected by the suspenders attached to their waistbands. There were a couple of women working with and around them, but it was easy to see it was still a field dominated by men.
“Can I help you, ma’am?”
She turned her head to look at the man who had spoken, noting the five stars that indicated his rank… and meant nothing to her. Thankfully, before she could say something stupid he held his hand out to her and smiled.
“I’m Chief McCoy, Miss…?”
“Oh, sorry, I’m Courtney Banks. I was just hoping to find Michael Guerin on duty?”
He lifted one bushy eyebrow. “Is he a friend of yours?” He had met quite a few of the young people Michael spent time with off the clock, but he couldn’t recall ever meeting her.
“I’ve got this, Chief.”
She turned her head at the new voice, surprised to see Michael’s friend Tony stepping up. She forced a smile when he finally succeeded in sending the Chief off after assuring the man he’d handle the situation. Why did she have the feeling that she was about to be fed a line of bull? She brushed that thought off and met the man’s gaze directly. “I was hoping to talk to Michael.” It had been three days since she had gotten home and she hadn’t seen or heard from him in spite of his plans to pick her up at the airport on Sunday night. She couldn’t get the image on that billboard out of her head or the thought that it was somehow related to why he was avoiding her.
Tony scratched the back of his neck. “You tried callin’ him?”
“No, I just came here because that didn’t occur to me,” she rolled her eyes but sighed when the man’s expression became annoyed. “Sorry, I’m not trying to be a bitch. I just wanna know what the hell is goin’ on and why he’s ignoring me.”
Yeah, well, you wouldn’t have to try hard, he thought in response to her attitude. “He’s pretty much ignoring everybody,” he said with a shrug.
“But why?” She frowned.
“When’s the last time you talked to him?”
“Friday night while you guys were at the photo shoot. He said he might call later or pick me up from the airport, but he didn’t do either one and now he’s ignoring my phone calls.”
“We found out Saturday night that Kyle’s partner Dan passed away from the injuries he sustained during the explosion. He’s kinda isolated himself since then.”
Courtney frowned. “Why? I wouldn’t make him talk about it or anything. I just wanna know what’s wrong. He’s been ignoring me for days and he has to know that I’m worried out of my mind.”
“Look, you’ve gotta understand that this’s just the way Michael is. There’s no malicious intent behind his behavior, it’s just how he deals with things like this.”
“And you’re sure that’s the only reason?” Somehow it didn’t seem enough to make him hide.
“Excuse me?”
“Did something else happen?”
“Isn’t that enough?” he asked with a frown.
“It’s bad, but he knew he was in bad shape and I understand that he’s grieving, but... I don’t know. I guess I don’t want him to completely shut me out.”
“Well, you’re gonna have to join the club on that one because no matter how much you wish him to be different in this area, it’s just part of who he is.” He glanced around the station. Even though the guys were joking around and laughing while they worked, there was a heaviness hanging over them. “You lose someone in this line of work and whether you like the person or not, it’s like losin’ someone in your own family. It cuts that deep.”
“So what am I supposed to do?” she asked helplessly. “Just wait until he pulls himself outta this again?”
He hooked his thumbs in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “I’m not really sure what to tell you, Courtney. Michael may not react well if you push to get him to let you in right now.”
“I can’t even push him when he’s hiding from me,” she muttered and didn’t know how to feel about the news. On the one hand she was relieved that her worst nightmares of him being together with Maria after the shoot were wrong, but how much better was this option?
“I’d suggest you give him some room.” He didn’t even wanna think about how little he’d appreciate such advice in her shoes. In a relationship that just wasn’t the way it was supposed to work.
How much more room did he need, she wondered. He hadn’t spoken to her in days! Freaking days! Her thoughts were pulled away when a loud voice came over the speakers. “Guess that means you’ve gotta go...”
He nodded, glad for any excuse to get away from her. She wasn’t a bad girl, she just didn’t understand Michael. Granted, in her defense, she didn’t really know him well enough to know how to handle him. But, he didn’t have time to contemplate any of that. “Yeah, that’s me. Sorry I couldn’t help you.”
“No, you did.” She forced a smile. “Take care, Tony.”
He saluted and turned to sprint across the bay, stepping into his gear and climbing up on the truck to take his seat.
*****
Tess walked into the hospital nervously and took the elevator up to Kyle’s floor. It was the day of his release and time to pick him up. They had gone over everything yesterday, but still she was anticipating that something would go wrong and he’d end up with his parents or whatever.
“You look nervous, dear,” a very small and old woman with a walker said and smiled up at her.
“Yeah, I guess I’m just excited,” Tess’ smile was jittery. “I’m picking a friend up. He’s been here for a while.”
“So it’s a man,” she mused with a smile. “I’ll bet he’s very lucky to have someone like you picking him up.”
“I’d like to hope so.” The elevator came to a stop and the door opened. “This’s my floor. Have a nice day.”
The woman nodded. “You too. Make sure to take him out for some ice cream in this heat.”
“That’s a good idea,” Tess smiled and then waved before the door closed again and she turned to move down the hallway until she reached Kyle’s room. With a hesitant knock, she placed her hand on the doorknob and then entered. “Hey,” she greeted and wasn’t surprised to find his parents on either side of his bed.
Well, this could get interesting.
Sarah looked at the young woman standing in the doorway and her eyes narrowed slightly. “Well, it looks like your getaway driver’s arrived.”
“Sarah,” Jim muttered and shook his head. He straightened and turned to look at the girl who had managed to take every bit of hostility his soon-to-be ex-wife had dished out. He had spoken to her earlier in the week when she had called to ask if she could pick Leo up for the weekend, hoping it would cheer Kyle up. He knew she had been by to visit with his son nearly every day since he’d been allowed to have visitors and he could see the changes in his boy. “Tess, how are you?”
“I’m good, thanks,” she closed the door and walked towards the bed. “Has the doc already signed the release papers?”
“Yeah, let’s get outta here,” Kyle muttered. He felt around on the bed, his irritation spiking when his mother covered his hand and guided it to the bag containing the release forms, his doctor’s instructions, and several prescriptions.
“Tony loaned me his car, so we’re good to go if everything’s set.”
“Everything’s set.” He knew his mother meant well, but he couldn’t take much more of her babying him.
“Alright,” she looked at his parents a little helplessly, not sure if she should say anything to downplay the awkwardness or not, but nothing came to mind.
“They won’t let me walk outta here,” Kyle grumbled.
“It’s hospital policy, son,” Jim said patiently.
“I don’t need to be pushed out in a wheelchair like I’m some crippled wreck.” He fidgeted, hating the pull of medical tape on his skin where his chest was still bandaged and the weight of the portable heart monitor the doctor had insisted he needed to stay connected to for a while yet. His casted arm felt heavy and itchy and it only served to further aggravate him.
“Damn, ya mean ya wanna walk,” Tess teased, hoping it would lighten the mood and not backfire on her. “I’ve already had Tony putting rollers under our armchair and a rope being set up in a circle around our living room and kitchen so you could pull yourself along.”
The faintest of smiles played over his lips as he shook his head. “I guess I should at least be grateful they let me dress myself.” And that was probably due mostly to the fact that when Isabel had stopped by to drop clothes off for him she’d brought a tee shirt and sweatpants. No way he could screw that up.
“You need to kiss any nurses goodbye?”
“They’ve already come by. A couple of ‘em threw themselves down on the floor and cried, beggin’ me to stay.”
Jim snorted. “The other half probably had a private party to celebrate finally getting rid of you.”
“Whatever,” Kyle snorted. “They love me here.”
“Is all your stuff in the bag?” Tess looked at it where it sat on the floor.
“Yeah, personal stuff in there and all the crap the doc said I had to have is in this one,” he said and shook the plastic hospital bag.
“Okay. I’d say let’s get you outta here then.” Finally, she thought and ignored the evil looks from his mom.
“Great.” He could feel his dad hovering nearby, wanting to reach out to help him but thankfully resisting the urge and letting him get up by himself. He despised the weak feeling in his body as he stood on his own two feet and was ridiculously grateful when Tess nudged him into the waiting wheelchair. “I don’t need this, ya know.”
She leaned over the back to whisper into his ear. “Yeah, but we don’t want to annoy them, do we?”
“No, guess not. They’re always wantin’ to stick things where the sun don’t shine. No reason to give ‘em an excuse.”
“Gross,” she shuddered.
“Tell me about it.”
She started to roll the wheelchair out of the room while his parents followed behind with his stuff. “Maria’s at home too. We decided to have some homemade pizza tonight.”
“Thick crust and extra cheese? Lots of pepperoni and sausage?” he asked hopefully.
“Whatever you want on your side,” she chuckled.
“That’s what I want.” He shifted to one side and cradled his casted arm against his chest.
“Then that’s what ya get,” she pushed the button on the elevator and waited for it to arrive.
He leaned back and let his head rest against her forearm. “I feel like I haven’t been outside in a year.”
“Believe me, as soon as that muggy heat hits you, this feeling will vanish,” she told him, trying to ignore the flutter in her stomach that came with the physical contact.
Kyle chuckled. “I don’t care how hot and muggy it is out there. Fresh air and homemade pizza all on the same day? Can’t beat that.” Well, only if there was a cold beer up for grabs too, but he knew better than to push his luck.
“You can have both at the same time since we have a little garden.”
He sighed happily. “You’re the best.”
“Uh-huh, just always remember that, Valenti.”
Jim smiled as he watched them, seeing something there that he had a feeling his son wasn’t even aware of yet. “Tess, will you need any help with anything or do you girls have everything under control?”
“We’re good. Maria’s at home, Liz will be there soon, and Tony’s stopping by after his shift as well.”
“I think we should follow them and make sure their apartment’s suitable for Kyle with his limitations,” Sarah insisted.
Tess turned to look at the other woman. “You’re welcome to visit him, Mrs. Valenti, but there’s no need to check on that because it was all taken care of. Besides that, your son’s hurt, not disabled.”
“Yeah, don’t let the wheelchair fool you, Mom. If it weren’t for stupid hospital regs I’d be walkin’ outta here on my own two feet,” Kyle said, pleased that Tess had spoken up.
The elevator doors finally opened and a few people rushed out, but there were still enough people in the car that they wouldn’t all fit. “We’ll wait for you downstairs,” Tess informed his parents and quickly backed inside.
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas