Got A Way With Me

AU Major PiperLeo. I had my heart and mind close but she came and helped in more ways than one…

Author's Note: Hey everyone, Happy New Year. This is a joint account with COPhoebeP3 and piperloveleoalways. We had a lot of fun writing this chapter and hope you leave your opinion about it. This first chapter in written in Leo's point of view. Enjoy.

Sitting in these meetings was becoming a routine for me. Everyone had the same problem but I guess coming together as a group helped them get through it. But for me it was different; I came here not because I had choice but because I had a price to pay for the past I once led before.

Looking around the room I saw some familiar faces but they all looked the same. The training counselor stood on the stage beside the person talking, usually comforting or encouraging them to share there story. I dreaded for the moment my name would be called. The room was filled with close to 50 different people, I wondered if anyone of them did anything as bad as I did…..

"Wyatt!" I was startled for a moment but quickly regained my composure, I looked up towards the person calling my name, and it was my counselor. "You're next!" I stood up, not wanting to repeat something that had become part of me more than they know, but I had no choice. I walked across the room and I could feel the eyes looking at me. As I stood in front of the mike I did what came naturally to me.

"Well my name is Leo and I'm a recovering alcoholic, it all started one night. It was like any other night those days; finding a new club, drinking until I forgot who I was or about my history. But this night, it turned out different." The reaction on the face of some of the room's occupants grew dark while others looked a bit more encouraging.

"I got drunk and much earlier than usual. It was about 2 am and the bartender had decided to decline me of any further drinks, so I stumbled outside to wait for my ride home. I noticed something in parking lot and remembered that I drove up here in my old man's truck. Thinking that I was more capable than any other man I got behind the wheel of the truck and headed on the high way." Every time I reached this part of my life story one chunk of the night's memory would replay in the back of my mind.

Sitting behind the wheel of the car I started dancing in my seat, but apparently no music was being played. All of a sudden felt a strange vibration in my pocket. I reached down and pulled out my cell phone.

"Hello." I said in a slurry voice.

"Leo are you ok?" I could hear the worry but strangely it didn't matter.

"Yes Nelly I'm okey dokey." She sighed.

"Thomas called me and told me to pick you up from the bar because he had other plans. Where are you?" I hissed my teeth.

"Oh you didn't need to come and get your little brother. I'm driving back to my place."

"Leo you're drunk you shouldn't be..." Getting tired of hearing her argue I threw the phone in the back row of the car. Little did I know the damage I was doing.

"I was half way home when I started moving toward the railing. I knew I was drunk, and I knew this was bad. I made a sharp turn, sending the truck flying across this stretch of highway, barely missing a car, into the other one..." I heard a few gasp coming from the crowd but I ignored it, I always did.

"Suddenly I felt a sharp pain and my whole world went dark." Looking around the room I could see my audience was at the edge of their seats.

"Next thing I know I was waking up in a white room with two police officers standing at the side of my bed. They asked if I was ok at first then they read me my rights. That was my last night as a free man. They charged me with murder in the second degree."

People gasped. They didn't even know the half of it. And the other half is the real gasper. I fought back a rolling my eyes.

No one knew the real story, only what I had told them. And I wasn't going to tell them the whole thing.

"So because of my condition I was sentenced to get treatment and have counselling while carrying out my sentence. Drinking took away my life, dont let it take away yours too."

Applause filled the room as I walked back to my seat. Everyone was still looking at me but all their looks contained teary eyes, to me they were all fake. As I sat down, something different happened today.

I heard my counsellor call me outside. I got back up and walked toward him. The only good thing about leaving was I wouldn't have to listen to any other stupid story today.

"Leo you did good out there today." I laughed, he always said this to me after telling my story. Though usually it was after the rest of the dumb stories. Something didn't feel right...

"Yeah, a real tear jeaker," I answered. Maybe I could prolong the conversation, so I didn't have to go into the 'how are you feeling these days' and the 'how does this make you feel'.

"There is one other thing though."

"What's that?" This was the first time there was actually something else.

"Well...after today, I'll be moving. And you'll be getting a new counsellor." He couldn't be serious. After 9 years, he finally pulls a joke.

"Good one. But seriously, what is it?" He smiled.

"I am serious. I got promoted to take the head seat in the Michigan Institute, but don't worry you will be taken care of. I hired my replacement myself."

I slowly tried to digest what he was telling me but I couldn't get my mind to wrap around it.

"So when are you leaving?" I asked, hiding my real emotions. I was really feeling furious and betrayed, not calm and okay.

"That's my boy, no tears need to be shed. We're men," he said. I laughed. So he did have some humor...but not enough.

"First thing tomorrow." I waited for the answer. Then I realized...that was the answer. My heart stopped. Oh...

"WHAT!? You tell me the day before you leave!? And tomorrow, bright and early, I have to share that damn story again!? To him?"

"Not to him, to her. And watch your tongue." I rolled my eyes. Was he serious?

"Oh great, a girl. Even better," I said sarcastically. He gets a girl to watch over me for the remaining 3 years. He's a keeper. I calmed down. "When do I meet her?" I heard a door open.

"Right now."