THE GUARDIAN AND THE SAPPHIRE
AU Dean and Arandi world #40 give or take. Arandi is a gentle loving person that wants to help the world even when the world doesn't want her help.
When I started the Dean and Arandi stories I never realized that they would have a following. It is really nice that Arandi was so well accepted. Thank you!
GUARDIAN
The day was savagely cold but Arandi Remington still made her way around the city stopping every time she saw a homeless person and giving them a care package that she made herself with long johns, thick socks, a jacket, gloves, a beanie, and a thick blanket. All sizes were large, homeless people didn't care about style and she just wanted to keep them warm.
She included some food and names of places they could stay for the night. She made regular donations to these places.
It was only supposed to get colder in the next few days and Arandi could barely stand the thought that she was going to be cozy and warm in her high priced penthouse while these people suffered.
She had been told by many people. "They are lazy and don't want to work. Whatever you give them goes to their bad habits." Arandi knew better. Her dad had been worth millions once upon a time and when her mom had died he had lost it all from the heartbreak forgetting that he had two daughters in college and they had found him among a group of homeless people cold and miserable and had taken him home.
Slowly he had gotten back on his feet and with the love of his daughters he was back to making money hand over fist until he died seven years later in his sleep.
He had left them enough money for generations to come and had taught them both how to invest wisely and keep the company going strong. They would never want for anything. Well anything material wise.
Arandi though had been blessed with a caring heart and she could never forget the people that her father had been a part of for that time. She had seen him more than once pass a bill to a person in need.
So she did what she could especially during the holidays like Thanksgiving that had just passed and Christmas was just under a month away. She had so much to do to help the needy children have a good Christmas.
Her mind was filled with the thoughts as she drove when she noticed a couple of men huddling in an alley.
She stopped her car and got out quickly grabbing two care packages from the back of her SUV and ran forward to give them to the men.
They took the packages gratefully and Arandi was glad until she heard the snicker behind her.
"Where's my package?" A surly voice said.
The two men hurried away with their packages and Arandi was left alone with the crude looking man.
"I have more in the car." She said trying to hurry past him.
He grabbed her arm hard making her hiss in pain. "Why don't you keep me warm sweet cheeks?" The man said breathing on her, his breath rank with alcohol.
"You're hurting me." Arandi said looking around for anyone that might help her.
"I'll kiss it better." The man said leaning closer.
Arandi yanked herself free and started to run as fast as she could but the man was on her tackling her heavily to the ground. Her head connected with the bumper of the SUV and she hit the ground knocking the breath out of her.
The man was on her pawing at her and she tried to scream, she was trying to help this man and he was going to rape her out in the cold and she couldn't do anything to save herself. She fought like crazy but to no avail.
She heard the man grunt in pain.
"Hey she fell I was just trying to help her…."
A fist connected with a jaw and she could barely make out two forms scuffling on the ground.
The man that had attacked her took off running yelling that he hadn't meant it.
Arandi couldn't move. Her head throbbed and she could feel something hot and sticky on the side of her face.
"Please don't hurt me." She pled when a hooded man came into sight and all she saw was an incredible flash of green eyes.
"I won't hurt you, just need to get you help." A raspy voice said softly.
She nodded and fell into darkness.
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He made the final rounds of making sure that everyone got to the shelters tonight it was going to be very cold.
He just needed to make sure that Doc was out of his place by the library because he was too old to be out in this cold now.
He spotted the familiar black SUV driving by and he felt a bit of relief that the raven haired beauty was doing what she could to help the homeless.
He pulled mindlessly at his hoodie as if someone was trying to look at him and walked on to see her and maybe get an extra blanket for himself because he wasn't going to go to the shelter at all.
He broke into a run when Charlie and Garth came rushing by him and they said that Dirty Jack had a knife on the lady from the SUV.
He saw red. Only Jack would bite the hand that was literally feeding him.
He made no effort to be gentle taking Jack to the ground and off of the woman who was crying in fear. Her pretty face bloody and bruised.
Jack cried out that he was only trying to help her.
Since when does it take a switch blade to help someone to their feet? He punched Jack square in the face at the same time that he felt a hot searing pain go through his left side.
Jack jumped back wide eyed. "I didn't mean it." He cried out and turned and ran bloody knife still in his grip
He stared at Jack running away and breathed past the pain to check on the lady. He could tell that she was groggy from the blow to the head but she was still scared and pled for him not to hurt her.
If he ever saw Jack again it wasn't going to be pretty.
He spoke to her softly assuring her that he wouldn't hurt her and she passed out seconds later.
He looked around knowing that if anyone came along now they would assume that he had done this so pain or no pain he stood up and lifted her into the passenger seat of her SUV and quickly got in the driver's seat and headed to the hospital.
He parked near the ER but not where the camera could pick him up. He blasted the horn loudly and hurried away watching from behind a bush as an orderly came to see what the hell and he found the lady and ran for a stretcher.
He looked at his bloody hand and knew that he should get help but the questions that would be asked just wasn't worth it. He rushed away heading to his place.
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"Arandi can you hear me?"
She opened her eyes to the stark brightness of a hospital room. Her head was pounding and her stomach rolled.
"Hey." Her sister Jade said in relief.
"How did I get here?" Arandi asked looking around the room to see if her green eyed hero was waiting for news on her.
"They found you unconscious in your car out by the ER doors in the passenger seat. So apparently someone drove you here for help but didn't stick around to find out if you were going to live."
Arandi quickly told her sister what happened.
"The police are waiting to ask you question. My God Arandi that man could have raped and killed you and your body wouldn't have been found for days. I know you want to help these people but you shouldn't go out there alone."
"It was just so cold and Kent couldn't help me today. I can't believe that one of the people that I tried to help would attack me." Arandi said tearfully.
The police came in to ask her questions but she only told them that another man walking by had helped her get away from her attacker she had no idea who drove her to the hospital.
"Whoever it was probably needs medical assistance and must have been in trouble with the law to not have come in for help." One of the policeman said.
"Medical assistance?" Arandi asked.
"Yeah there is blood all over the driver's side and according to the doctor it's not yours."
Arandi felt her heart racing. Not only had the man saved her life but he had gotten injured in the process and could well be out there in the freezing cold bleeding to death because of her.
"Is anyone looking for him?"
"The surrounding area was searched but he's long gone." One officer replied. They left and she lay back worried.
"Arandi I don't like that look on your face." Jade said.
"The man got hurt saving me, the least I can do is try to find him and get him help." Arandi answered.
"You are not going anywhere. You got hurt and could have been killed with your guardian angel mentality and it's like seventeen degrees out there." Jade scolded.
Arandi's eyes welled up with tears but she nodded. "Fine when do I get to leave?"
"They are keeping you overnight for observation and you can go home tomorrow afternoon."
"Alright then you better get home before the weather gets worse." Arandi said turning on her side to go to sleep.
"I'll be here to pick you up." Jade said heading for the door.
Arandi waited a half hour to make sure that her sister was gone and not waiting for her in the hall or in the parking lot.
She quickly pulled the IV and got up and dressed. She saw her reflection and was shocked to see all the bruising on her face and arms.
Her purse sat in one of the closets and her sister probably thought she was being clever by taking Arandi's keys what she didn't know was that Arandi kept spare keys for her SUV hidden in a secret section of her bag.
She quickly ran her brush through her hair.
She peaked out the door and snuck away as fast as she could, fully intent on finding her hero.
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He felt nauseas as he stumbled along. Trying as hard as he could to get to his little hole in the wall as he called it.
The few people he ran across gave him a wide berth assuming that he was drunk. No one could see the blood on his black hoodie.
He snickered to himself when he found himself grateful that Jack had managed to stab him when his hoodie and shirt had ridden up. Hoodies like these were hard to replace.
He made it finally falling to his knees and crawling to his palette in the middle of the small hidden cave. He pulled his blankets around him as best as he could curling up against the pain.
He was glad that if death finally claimed him that he had been able to save that beautiful angel and everything went black.
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Arandi headed to the homeless shelter nearest the place that she had been attacked. She knew if the man had run he was probably homeless too and he would probably go there to seek help.
She entered the place and it was packed to capacity but it was warm and she saw the helpers passing out blankets and socks. Some people sat at the tables eating soup and playing cards.
She had been to this place many times to make donations so the director recognized her and headed towards her.
"Miss Remington my goodness what happened to you?" Mrs. Coryell asked in concern.
"I was attacked earlier today when I was making my rounds." Arandi replied.
"By one of these homeless people that you tried to help? Oh my word that is so sad. Do you know who it was?"
"No but that's not why I'm here. There was another man that saved me and I think he was homeless too. He helped me get to the hospital while I was unconscious and apparently he was injured but didn't seek attention. I just wanted to make sure that he was alright and thank him for saving my life."
"What did he look like?"
Arandi sighed. That was the dilemma she he had no idea but that he had the most incredible green eyes. "I didn't see his face just really green eyes under a large black hoodie and he has a deep raspy voice."
"That's Guardian." A female voice said behind Arandi.
"It does sound like him." Mrs. Coryell agreed. "He's always hiding under that hoodie even when it's a hundred degrees outside. Oh darling you won't find him here. That's how he earned his name he watches over everyone making sure they have what they need and he never stays here because he won't take a place that could go to someone else."
"Guardian? Does he have a real name?" Arandi asked.
"No one uses their real name on the streets lady." Another person said. "What do you want with him?"
Arandi was suddenly surrounded by people. "I just want to help him he got hurt saving me."
"Guardians hurt? It's so cold out there." Another homeless lady said worriedly looking toward the door.
"I just want to help him." Arandi repeated knowing that these people took care of one another.
"You're the lady that always passes out the blankets and stuff?"
Arandi nodded.
A few people exchanged glances and finally one guy stepped forward.
"He stays in a little cave in the park. The cops leave him alone because Guardian watches over everyone. You're not the first person that he has saved." Cooter told the pretty lady. He remembered that the most words that he had ever gotten out of Guardian had been a conversation about her. "Cross the Angel Bridge and turn right when you get off, head down the path and when you get to the hugging trees the cave is hidden behind them."
"Thank you." Arandi said gratefully and headed for the door.
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Arandi knew that by now the hospital had probably contacted her sister so she quickly sent her sister a text and then called her assistant to tell him she wouldn't be into work for a few days and then turned off her phone.
The streets were nearly devoid of traffic and even with her heater going in the car she could feel the chill and as it grew later it only seemed to be getting colder.
She finally made it to the park and parked as close to the bridge mentioned as possible.
She said a quick prayer and even though she was terrified of what she would find she had to do this for her own sanity.
She got out of the car and rushed to the bridge and over it. It didn't take her long to find the cave now that she knew that it was there. She couldn't see anything at first so she turned her phone back on and found her flashlight app. Her hands were trembling as she turned the light into the cave.
She made him out far into the middle curled up on his side. She knew he was alive by the way that his body was trembling. She was sure it wasn't all because of the cold.
"Guardian? Are you alright?" She called out.
She received no response and she cursed under her breath. She leaned down and slowly made her way towards him.
"Guardian?"
Still nothing so she reached out to touch him and screamed when he suddenly grabbed her hand.
Guardian snapped awake hearing her voice and thinking that he had died and somehow he had made it to heaven. As if he would ever be that lucky.
"You need to go home." His voice was weak but rough under the hoodie as he let her go.
"I won't go home until you let me see you're alright." Arandi insisted.
"Who told you my name?" He asked his fingers tingling from touching her. He really needed to get gloves since had given his to Doc.
"Someone at the shelter."
"I'm fine go home." He said even as his inner voice cried out 'please don't leave me to die.'
Apparently she had to show Guardian that she could be quite stubborn. She sat down Indian style.
"Freeze then." He said curling up pulling up his covers and letting out a grunt of pain.
So Arandi waited feeling the cold slip into her aching body and her head throbbed.
He really didn't think she'd be able to pull it off so he gave. Finally. "I'm not going to die. I've been hurt worse."
"You got hurt saving me and I want to help you."
"You don't have to do anything for me."
"Well I'm afraid that I have to insist." Arandi replied stubbornly. "Don't forget I have a car load of long underwear, jackets, and blankets. Do I have to spell out the rest?"
Guardian heaved a frustrated breath. "I'm going to hurt whoever told you where I was." 'Give them a huge hug for allowing me to be near you while you're actually conscious.' Fucking Cooter.
"No you won't they were all trying to protect you and were afraid for you when I told them you were hurt. They all look up to you."
"Most short people do."
Apparently Guardian had some sense of humor still left in him.
She reached out again, now she had to play dirty. "I left the hospital to find you and I'm not feeling so good."
That got the response she wanted. If he hadn't been hurting so badly he would have sat straight up. "You have a concussion?" He asked in concern."
"Not major but I shouldn't be driving. I was really worried about you when they told me that you were hurt. Please let me take you somewhere warm and make sure that you aren't bleeding to death."
"No hospitals." He heard himself say when he had meant to only say no.
"How about my apartment?"
Dear God he had died. Things like this just didn't happen to him. "You don't know me at all." He whispered.
"I know that you won't hurt me."
He was quiet so long she thought he had drifted off.
'You'll run away from me just like everyone did.' His inner voice shouted. "Just let me die." Barely audible.
"Afraid I can't do that." She said her voice tired and she should really be in her warm bed resting.
He sighed loudly then began to sit up slowly his hoodie pulled tightly over his face. The loud groan of pain made Arandi ache.
"You related to mules?" He asked.
"My dad insisted I was."
"Your husband going to like you bringing home a stray?" He had to know ahead of time. No one that beautiful was alone.
"Not married don't have a boyfriend not even a cat or a dog."
"You're too beautiful to be that alone." 'Holy shit were the men of the world really that stupid?'
Arandi blushed. "Yeah well beauty only gets you so far. Do I keep calling you Guardian?"
"Yeah."
"Ok Guardian let's go."
"You know the only reason I'm doing this is because these people need me." He said tiredly. "I could beat you at mule headed." 'Fuck you smell so fucking good.'
"You remind me of the other end." Arandi smiled. She got a snicker for her efforts.
He slowly pulled his belongings together and bundled everything together and stuffed smaller things in a large backpack.
Arandi knew he couldn't leave them behind overnight because some other homeless person would claim them.
He slowly moved with her to the entrance. When they stood up she realized that he was rather tall even though he was a bit hunched from pain more than likely.
He couldn't believe that she was doing this for him and he would maybe die a half happy man.
She didn't know why he was hiding his face. He was probably scarred and didn't like people to stare.
"My car is over here." She prodded and they made it a few feet before his knees started to buckle. "I knew you were hurt more than you were letting on."
He didn't' respond or argue when she reached to support him. It was then she realized that he was still bleeding seeing the stains of blood on her hands.
Her touch was divine even over his clothes that he was so glad that he had been able to wash earlier in the day.
She got him into the passenger seat even as her own body protested and her vision swam a little. She just had to get them to her apartment in one piece.
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What was good about having money was that you could have just about anything you wanted.
Arandi liked that her building was secure but she also liked that she had her own private elevator to come and go as she pleased from the parking garage.
Guardian had passed out half way to the apartment and Arandi was almost tempted to go to the hospital but she knew that he would bolt.
So she got him roused enough to get him to the elevator and held him up as best she could.
Now she really wasn't feeling all that great with all the effort she was putting out with this man. She was glad though to have him in out of the cold.
It seemed like hours before they stumbled into her apartment. She led them straight to her guest room and straight to the bathroom.
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Of course she was going to end up being rich and the cost of her apartment could probably provide groceries to a shelter for an entire year or five.
Even now that they were in her warm place he was trembling. She sat him on the edge of the bed and quickly rummaged around until she found some clothes left behind by an old boyfriend that looked like they would fit which consisted of sports pants, a sweat shirt and a dark gray hoodie.
"I know you feel like shit." She said as she kneeled in front of him. "But I need you to take a warm shower to clean off the blood and I can see how hurt you are."
"Don't I get dinner and movie first?" He replied tiredly. 'Anything you want princess.'
"You wish sailor." Arandi grinned up at him but he still kept his face hidden. "So come on just wrap a couple of towels around you and once I fix you up you can dress ok."
'Her smile rivaled the sun. Ok he really had to have lost a lot of blood to be thinking like that.' He hesitated for a moment then nodded. She helped him to the bathroom and then left him on his own but stayed close by. She took the time to call her sister.
"I'm home and I'm fine." She said before her sister could say a word.
"Of all the bull headed shit you've ever pulled Arandi!" Jade screeched.
"I had to help him." She replied sternly.
"And did you?"
"Yes, yes I did."
"Good now I know you have to be feeling bad so go to bed."
"I am." Arandi said deciding she wouldn't tell her sister just yet that she had company.
"See you later and goodnight."
"Goodnight." She waited for about ten minutes.
She heard the water cut off and heard him curse but in couple of minutes he shuffled back into the room a large towel wrapped around his waist another draped over his shoulders and still another thrown over his head like a hoodie.
She quickly grabbed everything and headed to her washer to start his clothes washing.
He didn't let anyone see his face. He didn't like the attention it garnered him or the thousands of questions that followed.
Arandi sighed apparently she wasn't going to get to see what he was hiding but he sure wasn't ashamed of the rest of himself as he sat on the bed.
He had nothing to be ashamed of, although he was thin he had great muscle tone and 'hey she was actually checking him out.'
He laid back with his injured side to where she could sit in a chair and do what she could.
He jumped when she touched him but then stilled. He saw the way her face paled when she saw the extent of his injury.
She stared at the wound and her heart began to race and everything that happened to her flashed through her mind.
"He stabbed you." She gasped. "He had a knife and oh God." She ran to the bathroom and threw up the thought that that knife had been meant for her making her sick.
"Fuck." He mumbled to himself pushing himself to his feet to follow her apparently she had never seen a stab wound. He could write an entire book on them.
She didn't expect for him to come in the bathroom and rub her back.
"I'm going to be fine." He said.
"He was going to rape me and kill me but you…..you could have died for me….." She retched again.
"No one was going to miss me." 'If I'm there nothing will ever happen to you.'
"Don't say that, don't belittle yourself like that you're a hero. You're my hero." She cried.
"A hero?" He whispered. 'And you're an angel that should never see things so ugly.'
She pulled herself together and turned to him. "That injury is serious and I don't know how to take care of it but I have a friend that you can trust."
She noticed him stiffen up.
Again he was going to say no but those eyes and the way they melted straight into him.
"He won't tell anyone. I promise. Although he might hit on you." Arandi smiled standing up to brush her teeth.
"If it gets me back to my place fine." He murmured. 'And he wouldn't be the first guy to try.'
"Thank you." She said.
He headed back to the bed and laid down to wait. He was afraid she would see how easily she could talk him into buying time shares in hell.
Arandi reached for her phone and dialed.
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"Arandi I swear I thought you were going to outgrow you're need to save every creature that you came across that was hurt." Drew sighed.
"He saved my life and I owe him. He's not a creature either." Arandi said almost petulantly.
"Ok, ok whatever. He does have a hot body going on under those towels."
"Did you get to see his face? Please tell you didn't hit on him."
"No and I'm dying here." Drew squealed like a girl. "Anyway it was bad but not life threatening well he could have bled out. I did what I could. I had to numb it to clean it out and stitch it. Since he waited so long it might still get infected so check for fever, redness and swelling. Also he had a couple other cuts that weren't as serious and some bruised ribs but he didn't want me to bind them. I gave him something for pain and I'm leaving the rest with you so if he needs them. And you need to lie down. You look ready to drop."
"I'm very tired and have a headache from hell." She said.
"He's probably going to sleep through the night so get some rest." Drew said and headed back down to his own apartment.
Arandi sighed and headed to check on her guest and found him dressed and sleeping or faking really well. Even in sleep though he had the hoodie secured over his face and all she could see was bruised pouty lips that shouldn't belong to guy.
She made sure that he was covered well and dimmed the lights not turning them off completely so that he could find his way around in a strange place.
She started out and heard the soft. "Thanks mom."
She smiled. "Do me a favor and stick around so I can make you breakfast please." She didn't wait for answer. She knew by the way he sighed that she had won again.
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After a quick warm shower and a peanut butter sandwich she fell into bed and was gone.
She wasn't sure how long she had been asleep when she woke with a scream wrenched from her throat and she sat up breathing hard looking around terrified.
She had dreamed of her attack only this time Guardian hadn't saved her and laid dead at her feet while the man had his way with her and then slit her throat.
She never knew that she could dream in such vivid color.
"You can't let him have control over you like that." She heard from her doorway.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." She said.
He leaned heavily against the door frame and Arandi could see in the dim light that he was still trembling.
"Do you need some more pain medicine?" She asked in concern.
"Yes please and nice subject change."
"It only lasted a couple of minutes but it was the worst thing to ever happen to me." She shivered.
"You have led a very sheltered life then."
She knew that he needed to lie down so she got off her bed and grabbed the pills shaking two out for him. "I'll get you a bottle of water."
"Tap is fine." He said. "I'm a big boy can manage that on my own believe it or not."
Her feelings tingled with hurt.
"I bet you've gotten everything you ever wanted with that look." He said not mockingly but almost as if he was fighting it himself.
Arandi had no idea what he meant until she caught her reflection in the mirror of her dresser. She never realized how well she could do that pout and huge watery eyes.
"If that were true I wouldn't be all lonely now would I?" She said handing him the pills.
"Care to tell that story while you tuck me in again?" He said playfully.
"Nothing to tell really but that there are plenty of male gold diggers out there too and I seem to have cornered the market on them. Now let's get you to bed."
A snicker from under the hoodie. "I don't give it up on the first date."
Arandi felt her cheeks burn but smiled. "Good because you'd probably end up pregnant and then what would the neighbors think?"
Another snicker as he turned to head back to the guest room.
She followed just to make sure he settled in alright. Really that was it.
She watched him shuffle stubbornly to the bathroom and get some water and then he made it to the bed with soft moans of pain as he tried to get comfortable.
"Get some rest Sapphire." He murmured.
"Sapphire?" She asked.
"On the street we all have nick names and everyone calls you Sapphire when they see you coming because you're a gem and that insane color of your eyes."
"I have a street name?" She asked feeling rather important all of sudden.
"You have helped so many people and they are grateful trust me well except for Dirty Jack."
Arandi didn't have to ask who that was and she wasn't sure that she liked knowing the creeps suitable name. She couldn't help the full body shiver that went through her.
"Like I said before don't let him have any control over you. He booked it gone for sure when I stepped in and he won't be around since he knows that is attempted rape and murder."
She nodded and yawned.
"I'm feeling the meds so get on with you." He said tiredly.
"Goodnight."
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He watched her go and breathed in relief. When she had screamed bloody murder he was up fast even with the stab wound being rudely reawakened but he thought for sure that she was being attacked.
He had found her waking from a nightmare and he didn't have to guess what it was about.
How badly he wanted to pull her in his arms and make it go away but he didn't have that option. So he consoled her with words instead said what he could to make her forget and smile.
She couldn't let that nightmare dominate her life and he needed to get a grip so he wasn't going to let her wait on him as if he was any kind of special.
He felt like shit and now that he was in a heavenly bed and still trying to get warm he wanted to sleep and enjoy it as much as he could. He pushed the other thoughts away.
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This time when she sat up straight looking wildly around it hadn't been her own scream that she had been wrenched loose.
She tumbled from her bed her heart racing and her mind full of wild thoughts that somehow Dirty Jack had found her after all and had killed Guardian.
She dreaded what she would find as she rushed to the guest room.
"You can't do this to me!" Guardian screamed.
She had to protect him and with a deep breath she ran into the room.
TBC
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Thanks for reading!