Cassandra McAllister checked her appearance one last time. She exhaled loudly trying to calm her racing heart. There was a knock on her door. She smiled, and went to answer.
"Hey, you're here...oh it's you." She said.
"Well, don't sound so enthusiastic."
"I'm sorry Lee, I'm just waiting for someone to pick me up." She said.
His eyes looked her over.
"In that? Are you going on a date Cassie?" He asked.
She blushed.
"You are! Who is it?" He asked.
She rolled her eyes.
"It's none of your business Lee. I don't have to tell you every aspect of my personal life." She told him.
"I thought that we were friends." He said.
She rolled her eyes again.
"Don't start that Lee, you know that we are friends, but I want to make sure he is the right one before I introduce him to you and the guys." She said.
He broke out into a smile.
"I was just joking Cass! You looked so serious!" He told her with a laugh.
She shook her head, smiling. He walked over to her, and gave her a hug. They suddenly heard a knock.
"Cassie, I'm sorry that I'm late, I ran into traffic."
Cassie pulled out of the hug and turned to face the newcomer.
"David, hey, don't worry, it's fine. Lee, this is my boyfriend, David Stone. David, this is my friend, Lee." She said.
"Lee, Cassie has told me about you." David said, holding his hand out for Lee to shake.
Lee studied David for a minute.
"Really? I hope that it was good." Lee said.
"It was, I promise." David said.
Lee gave a nod, and shook his hand.
"Cassie, actually has never said a word about you. Tell me a little about yourself." Lee said.
"Lee, stop it, this isn't interrogation 101. David, you don't have to tell him anything." Cassie said.
"Actually, we should be going. My friend is going on in ten minutes." David said.
She nodded.
"Where are you going?" Lee asked.
"My friend is in a band, and he is playing at the local bar. We're going to support him. It was nice meeting you." David said, taking Cassie's arm in his hand.
"Sorry Lee, I've got to go, will you lock up for me?" Cassie asked.
"Of course. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me or one of the others." Lee said.
She nodded.
"Thanks Lee. I'll see you at the shop tomorrow." Cassie said.
Lee waved as David pulled her to the stairs. Lee crossed his arms in front of him, and watched them walk away. He didn't feel right about Cassie leaving with that guy. Something about him felt...off, wrong...It left a slight pit in his stomach. Maybe he should talk to the guys about Cassie's boyfriend. No, he would find out about the guy first, then if he had a bad feeling about the guy, he would talk to the team about it.
X*X*X
"Oh, come on Cassie! Please?" David asked her.
Cassie sighed, but smiled.
"I really should be getting home. If I know Lee, and I know Lee, he will be waiting for me, and want to know all about you." She said.
"So stay here, and you can put it off until tomorrow." He told her.
She groaned.
"I don't know. It will be less painful if I get it over with now." She said.
David took her hands in his, and brought them to his lips. He kissed her hands and smiled at her.
"Please? Just one night? You never stay, why not just stay tonight, and I will bring you back first thing in the morning." He said.
She bit her lip.
"Fine, but I have to work tomorrow, so we have to leave early." She said.
He smiled.
"Of course!" He told her, kissing her.
She laughed.
Later that night, he talked to her about Lee. He thought that Lee liked her a little too much. She gave a laugh, and said that he didn't have to worry about Lee, they were just friends. David didn't like that. He told her that she might want to think about not hanging around with Lee all that much anymore. She just waved that away. She said that there was nothing between her and Lee, that David was just worrying about nothing. She figured that he had dropped it.
The next morning he suggested that she call in to work, to take a day off. She was reluctant at first, but after a moment, he managed to get her to agree with him. She grabbed her cell, and dialed the shop's number.
X*X*X
Tool had just finished a client up, when Lee walked into the shop.
"Hey Christmas. What's going on?" Tool asked, smiling at his friend.
"Have you seen Cassie? I thought that she was supposed to be working." Lee said.
"She was supposed to be, but she called in a little earlier. She's taking a personal day. She hasn't missed a day since starting, so I figured that she's earned it, and let her have it off." Tool said, with a shrug.
Lee frowned. He didn't like the sound of that at all.
"Why?" Tool asked after a moment.
"She never came back last night after her date, and she hasn't been back to her apartment yet." Lee said.
"Are you worried about her? Maybe you should call her. She called earlier, and sounded fine, happier than she's been since...well, in a while." Tool said, not wanting to bring up the memories.
"I met the guy last night, I didn't like him that much. I got a bad vibe off of him." Lee said.
Tool raised his eyebrows, looking at Lee.
"I wonder why that is." Tool said.
"What does that mean?" Lee asked.
Tool gave a laugh.
"I'm not blind. I can see that you like Cassie. You and Gunnar both have the hotts for her. It's sad really. You guys need to tell her, and see if she likes either of you. If she does, great, if not, sorry, just get it over with and put me out of my misery!" Tool told him.
"I don't know what you are talking about old man. Cassie and I are just friends." Lee said.
Tool rolled his eyes.
"Right, keep telling yourself that." Tool said.
Lee shook his head, and walked away from Tool.
X*X*X
Cassie returned late afternoon. She was smiling when she returned, that is, until she saw Lee waiting for her at her door. He was leaning up against the wall, with his arms crossed infront of him. She groaned quietly. He looked like he was holding his temper in check with all of his control that looked like it was on the verge of breaking. She took a deep breath, and smiled at him as she walked up to him. He raised his eyebrows at her.
"Hey Lee." She said.
"Hey Lee?" He asked.
"Yeah, you are Lee, are you not?" She asked.
"Yes, but that's not the point. Where have you been? You never returned last night. Then, I tried calling you today, and you never answered, or called me back. I was worried that something that happened to you! I almost got the guys to start looking for you!" Lee said.
"I'm sorry Lee! I didn't mean to make you worry about me! My phone somehow got turned to vibrate, and didn't know that you called. The phone didn't ring, so I didn't have to look at it, so I didn't know anyone called." She said.
"How did it get turned to vibrate?" Lee asked.
She shrugged.
"Maybe when I called Tool, I accidentally did it. I've done it before. I wouldn't be surprised if I did it again." She said.
"I'm sure." Lee said.
"Please don't start Lee." She said.
"Don't start what?" He asked.
She unlocked her door, and went inside. He followed her.
"You know what I'm talking about. I have a life, and if I want to spend time away from my apartment, then that is my choice. I have a boyfriend and I spent time with him. You're just going to have to live with that." She told him.
He crossed his arms in front of him, and looked at her.
"Cassie, I am just worried about you. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I get a bad vibe from this guy, and I don't like it." He said.
She sighed, and walked over to him. She placed her hand on his arm.
"Your concern is noted. Thank you for caring about me so much. I appreciate it, and if David turns out to be anything but a gentleman, then I will stop it, but until then, have faith in me. Have faith that I will be fine. I'm sure that you will be right there to take care of him if I need you to." She said.
He broke out into a smile.
"Of course. You know that I will always be there for you, along with the guys, to help." He said.
She hugged him.
"Good, now, I need to get into the shower, get dressed, and get to the shop to see if Tool wants me to work." She said.
He nodded.
"I don't care if you stay, if you want. I'm sure that you are hungry, so make yourself at home, as usual. I should be done in a few." She told him, heading for the bathroom.
"Thanks Cass, I will." He said.
She laughed and shook her head.
Ever since the guys had rescued her, all of them had become much closer to each other. They all could make her laugh at the drop of a hat, but they also were very protective of her. It was annoying and irritating at times, but she knew that their hearts were in the right place, no matter how many times that Lee would tell Barney that he had no heart.
Cassie got in the shower, and quickly showered. She got out, quickly dried herself off, dried her hair, wrapped the towel around her, and exited the room. She stopped when she saw that Lee wasn't alone.
"Hey Gunnar. What are you doing?" She asked.
He turned and smiled at her.
"Cassie! Did you have fun last night?" Gunnar asked.
She rolled her eyes.
"Not that it's any of your business, but yes, I did. I see that you've made yourself at home. How's my food?" She asked.
"Pretty good. The next time you go shopping, let me know, I have to get some of these." Gunnar said, pointing to the chocolate, chocolate chip muffin he was eating.
"Oh joy. Just try not to eat me out of house and home." She told them, as she headed for her room.
She quickly changed into a faded pair of jean shorts, a black tank top, and her shoes. She brushed her hair, and headed back out into the living room. Both men were watching TV, with their feet up on the coffee table. They had done what she had told them, made themselves at home. They were almost like the brothers that she'd never had. That thought brought a smile to her face.
"Okay guys, I'm heading to the shop, let's go." She said.
"But we're watching Criminal Minds." Gunnar said.
She rolled her eyes.
"First, it always surprises me that you guys are into that show, second, it's a rerun, Garcia gets cleared, and JJ shoots the bad guy through the glass door, and third, Tool has TV down in the shop, you can finish watching it down there." She told them.
They grumbled, but shut the TV off. They headed out and she locked the door behind them. They headed down to the shop.
"Hey darling, how was your date?" Tool asked.
"Does everyone know?" Cassie asked.
Tool laughed.
"What's going on darling?" Tool asked.
"I was wondering if you wanted me to help? Make up for missing my shift." She said.
"You don't have to, but if you want you can work for a while. I actually have to talk to Barney about some work." Tool said.
She nodded.
"I've got the shop, go talk to Barney." She told him.
"Thanks doll." Tool said.
He kissed her cheek, then headed into the back.
X*X*X
David did not like the fact that she was still hanging around Lee, and the others. He told her that every time that he saw her. Which was alot lately. She was getting tired of hearing it, and she told him. The more she told him that, the more angrier that he got. She could see it in his eyes, and in his body language.
Then one day, he did the last thing that she expected him to do. He hit her, then he appologized. He told her that he would never do it again, and for some unknown reason, she believed him. She forgave him.
She still hung out with Lee, Gunnar, and the others, only she tried keeping it from David. Like all lies, the truth came out, and David was furious. He beat her for lying to him about them. This time he left bruises. The ones on her arm were perfect images of his fingers. He managed to leave her face unblemished, thankfully. If Lee, or the others saw the bruises, they would flip. She wore long sleeved shirts, to cover them up. She was embarassed about them. He told her that it was all her fault, and that he was a face of the community, so no one would believe her if she told on him. She didn't know why, but she believed him. She loved him, maybe that was the reason.
One day, after a particularly bad fight with David, him beating her, and appologizing, she went back to her apartment. Thankfully, Lee, or any of the others, weren't waiting for her to get back. She was sore, and didn't want anyone to see her in her present condition. She unlocked her door, and went inside. She went directly to her room, and changed her clothes. She put on a black longsleeved shirt, and black sweats. She brushed her hair, and braided it. Just as she finished, there was a knock on her door. Her heart skipped a beat. She wasn't sure who was on the other side of the door. It could be anyone. There was another knock.
"Cassie, are you home?"
It was Lee. She sighed in relief, as she opened the door. She smiled up at him.
"Hey Lee! Perfect timing, I just got back." She said.
He looked her up and down.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" She asked.
He frowned.
"Something looks off. Are you sure?" He asked.
She smiled.
"Yes, you're worried about nothing." She told him.
He didn't look convinced.
"So, what's up?" She asked.
He shook his head.
"Nothing, I just came by to see you. It feels like I haven't see you in forever, you're always with him." Lee said.
Lee refused to say David's name.
"He is my boyfriend Lee." She said.
"I don't like him Cass." He told her.
"I know that, you make that clear everytime that you see me." She said.
She turned to walk away from him, but he grabbed her arm. She hissed in pain, before she could catch herself, and Lee got suspicious.
"What's wrong? I didn't grab you that hard." Lee said.
She pulled her arm from his grip, and rubbed her arm.
"Nothing, you just surprised me, that's all." She muttered.
"Bull, let me see your arm." He told her.
She shook her head.
"No, why?" She asked.
"Just let me look at your arm." Lee said.
"This is pointless, I need to get to the shop, I have to get to work." She told him.
She took a couple steps back from him.
"You don't have to work today, it's your day off. Now, stop stalling, roll up your sleeve, and let me see your arm." He told her.
She bit her lip. She couldn't let him see the bruises, he would flip out.
He walked up to her, and put his finger under her chin, making her look up at him.
"Why won't you show me your arm?" He asked her.
She shook her head.
He took her hand in his, rolled the sleeve up her arm, and gasped.
"What the hell did he do to you?" He asked.
"Nothing! I tripped over my feet, and he grabbed me to keep me from falling. He didn't realize how hard he was gripping my arm when he caught me." She told him.
He shook his head.
"I don't think so. You've been acting differently for a while now. More jumpy, and scared. Is he abusing you?" He demanded.
"Lee, stop, everything is fine. Just let it go." She told him.
"If he touched you, I will kill him, and when the others find out, they will kill him." He said.
"No! Don't tell them! Lee, it was an accident! Don't stir up trouble, when there is none. I'm fine, let it go." She told him.
He shook his head.
"Fine. I'll let it go this time, but if I ever find bruises on you again, I will take matters into my own hands." He told her.
She nodded.
"Thank you Lee." She whispered.
X*X*X
Gunnar started hanging around a little more too, and he started noticing that Cassie had started acting...off, different. He talked to Lee about it, but Lee didn't say much. Lee didn't want to talk about it. When he tried talking to Cassie about it, she told him that she was fine, but thanked him for his concern. That didn't soothe his mind about her though.
One morning, Ying Yang came to Gunnar and Lee, worried about Cassie. He said that she was acting different, and she was starting to look...sick, almost. Cassie had lost weight, her face was slightly sunken in, she was looking over her shoulder all the time, and she was jumpy. Gunnar said that they should talk to Barney about Cassie, but Lee didn't like that idea. Gunnar told him that something was wrong with Cassie, but Cassie wouldn't talk about it. Gunnar said that with, or without Lee, he was going to talk to Barney about Cassie. Yang said that he was too. Lee nodded, and went with them.
Barney said that he had noticed the change in Cassie, and had tried talking to her, but she had said that she was fine, so he dropped it. Gunnar asked what they should do about it? Barney said that there was nothing that they could do, Cassie said she was fine. Lee couldn't keep quiet any longer, and told them that he thought that Cassie's boyfriend was abusing her. He told them that he had found bruises on her arm, and about the excuse that she had given. Barney said that they needed to talk to the others, to let them know what was going on. They did, then they went to talk to Cassie. She wasn't home. Lee tried her phone. It went to voicemail.
X*X*X
Cassie was looking at the floor. David was yelling at her because Lee was calling yet again. He got even angrier when Gunnar, Barney, and the others started calling her cell. She'd finally gotten tired with him bringing her down, that she turned away from him. She started walking away from him, when he grabbed her, and spun her around.
"Don't you dare walk away from me!" He told her.
"Stop it! You're hurting me!" She said.
"Does it look like I care? I'm talking to you." He said.
"No, you're yelling at me! I'm done with this David. I can't stand you yelling at me, and hitting me anymore. It's over. I'm going back home." She said.
"Don't you dare leave Cassie, I'm warning you." He told her.
"Stop telling me what to do David. I'm not your property, I'm not your girlfriend anymore either. Good bye David." She told him.
She turned away from him again, but he grabbed once more.
"I told you that you weren't leaving, and you're not going to. This is not over, we are not over. I'm the one that says when we are done." He told her.
"You are insane, I don't want to be in this relationship anymore, and I don't have to be. You don't own me, I can leave whenever I want, and there is nothing you can do about it. If you try to stop me, I will call Lee. If he doesn't stop you, then I will get the others, and they are not anybody that you want to screw with, trust me. So you have two options, let me leave, without any problems, or you can try to stop me, and you get your ass handed to you on a silver platter. It's your choice David." She told him.
"How dare you threaten me?! No one threatens me!" He told her.
She rolled her eyes. He got angrier. He slapped her across her face. She put her hand to her cheek, as she fought back the tears. She narrowed her eyes. That had been the last straw. She cocked her arm back, and slugged him in the jaw.
"I am not your puching bag any longer." She said.
Now David was pissed. He came at her, and she stepped back away from him. She got to the staircase, and had no where else to go.
"If I can't have you, then no one can." He told her.
Before she could blink, he gave her a push. She fell down the stairs. It felt like she hit every stair on her way to the ground. When she finally hit the floor, she was in so much pain, that she couldn't move any part of her body. She saw David walking down the stairs, towards her. She groaned, and passed out.
X*X*X
Cassie woke up with a groan. She rubbed her face with her hand. Something tugged on her hand. She opened her eyes, and looked at it. There was an IV stuck to her hand. She frowned as memories came flooding back to her.
"Cassie?"
She looked over at David, and jumped.
"What are you doing here?" She demanded.
"You fell down the stairs, and I brought you to the hospital." He told her.
"Get away from me! I don't want you here, or in my life, ever again." She said.
He frowned.
"You're still in shock, you don't mean that. I'm trying to help you." He told her.
She shook her head.
"I'm not in shock. I remember everything. I don't want to be with you ever again." She said.
He frowned again.
"You must be thirsty. Why don't I go and get something for you to drink? I will be right back." He told her.
"No, I don't want you here. Do not come back." She told him.
He gave a laugh.
"You are funny Cassie." He said.
He left the room, whistling as he walked away.
She needed to call the guys. She gently sat up, and reached for the room phone. She dialed the shop's number. Tool answered.
"Cassie? Where are you? Everyone is worried about you! We haven't been able to get ahold of you on your phone, and you haven't been answering your door. Are you okay?" Tool asked.
She bit her lip, and took a deep breath.
"I'm not home. I'm not sure when I was home last, I'm sorry Tool." She said.
"It's only been two days sweetheart. What are you sorry about darling?" Tool asked.
She shook her head.
"I need to talk to Lee. Can you find Lee and put him on please?" She asked.
"I'm right here Cass, what's wrong?" Lee asked.
She tried holding back the tears, but couldn't. She sniffled.
"Cassie? Talk to me, did it happen again?" Lee asked.
Tears coursed down her cheeks as she sniffled again.
"You were right Lee, I'm so sorry, I should have listened to you." She said, her voice breaking.
"Where are you? I'll come get you." He told her.
She bit her lip. He was going to flip out when he found out where she was.
"You have to promise that you won't freak out." She told him.
"What? Why? Where are you?" He demanded.
"Promise me Lee." She said.
She heard him exhale loudly.
"Fine, now Casandra McAllister tell me where you are!" He told her.
"I'm at the hospital. He was here when I woke up. He won't leave. I told him to, but he won't listen. He said that he would be right back. Will you please come here, I don't know what he will do. He pushed me down the stairs. I woke up here in the hospital." She told him.
There was silence on his end of the line.
"Lee?" She asked worriedly.
"I'm going to kill him." Lee said coldly.
"Lee, no! You will go to jail. Don't touch him. He's not worth it. Just please get here." She told him.
"I'll see you as soon as I can." He said.
"Please hurry." She told him.
She hung the phone up, and pulled the covers up higher. Lee would be there soon. She just hoped that he got there before David did.
She didn't get her wish. Moments later, David walked in. A nurse was right behind him. The nurse smiled at her warmly.
"Hey, how are we feeling? Did you sleep well?" The nurse asked.
"Fine, I guess. I need to talk to you." Cassie said.
"Of course dear, what is it?" The nurse asked.
"I would like you to remove that man from this room, from the property." Cassie said.
"What? Why in the world would you want that? He loves you very much, you should have seen him while you were sleeping, very loving. You are just in shock. Don't worry, everything will be clear in your mind soon, just give it some time." The nurse said sweetly.
Cassie frowned. Well, that wasn't going to work. She prayed that Lee would get there soon. Cassie smiled up at the nurse.
"You're right. I'm fine." Cassie said.
The nurse nodded.
"Your vitals look good. I will come back in a couple of hours to check in on you." The nurse said.
Cassie nodded. The nurse left the room.
"The nurse might not make you leave, but I don't want you here, and you will leave." She told him.
He frowned and walked over to the bed. He took her hand in his, and wouldn't let it go when she tried to pull it away. He squeezed her hand tightly. She whimpered in pain.
"You can't get away from me that easily. I told you, if I can't have you, no one will. I hope that you understand that now. I will do whatever it takes to keep you with me. That's why I'm moving in with you. We can be together all the time now." He told her.
"Let go of me! You're hurting me!" She hissed at him.
Suddenly, something flew past David's head, almost hitting him. A knife was stuck in the wall.
"I believe that the lady told you to let go of her. I suggest that you listen to her." Lee had arrived.
He wasn't alone either. Cassie was shocked to see Barney, Gunnar, Ying Yang, Toll Road, Hale Caesar, and even Tool standing in the room.
"This doesn't concern you, any of you, so just stay out of it." David said.
"I don't think so. Cassie is our concern, but she isn't yours any longer." Lee said.
"You are sadly mistaken if you think that you can scare me away from her. It won't work." David sneered at him.
"You need to leave. Now." Gunnar said.
"You do not tell me what to do. I will stay as long as I want." David said.
"Is this guy insane, or just stupid?" Hale asked.
"It might be both." Toll Road said.
"Shut up! Do you know who I am, and how miserable I can make your lives?" David threatened.
"Both." Hale Caesar and Toll Road said together.
"You might want to leave now, before they get angry. You would not like them angry." Cassie told David.
David painfully squeezed her hand again, and she whimpered in pain.
"You have exactly five seconds to let go of her hand, and walk out the door, or we will help you off of the property." Barney told him.
"He's not joking, don't test him." Cassie said.
"Shut up." David told her.
"Times up, Caesar, Road, please take this piece of shit out of the hospital." Barney said.
"With pleasure." They said.
David tried fighting them, it was pitiful to watch. Toll Road knocked him out. He went down like a sack of potatos. Lee walked over to her, and took her hand in his.
"Thank you." She told him.
"Of course. How are you feeling?" Lee asked her.
"Better now. Thanks guys." She said, looking over at the others.
"We're just glad that you're okay doll." Tool told her.
She smiled.
Gunnar walked over to her, and kissed her forehead.
"You should have told us what was going on princess." Gunnar told her.
"I know, I'm sorry, I thought that I could handle it on my own. We got into another fight, he was pissed that Lee was calling my phone so much, and then got even more mad when the rest of you started calling. I couldn't answer my phone, or that would really have sent him off the deep end. He hit me, and I hit him back. I told him that we were done, that I never wanted to see him again, and he said that he would tell me when it was over. I told him that I wasn't his property. He pushed me down the stairs, and I passed out. When I woke up, he was here. I knew that he hadn't called you guys to let you know where I was. I told him to leave. He laughed at me. He went to get me a drink, and that's when I called you. He came back with a nurse, and I told her that I wanted him escorted off of the property, but she wouldn't listen to me." Cassie said.
"Cassie, don't worry, you will never have to deal with him ever again." Yang told her.
She smiled at him.
"Thank you guys." She said.
They stayed for a while longer, then they started filing out one by one. Caesar and Road took David back to his house. The only ones left were Lee and Gunnar. She looked at them.
"Okay. Let's hear it. I know that you are just itching to say it." Cassie told Lee.
"What?" Lee said.
She rolled her eyes.
"I told you so. I know that you want to rub it in my face that you were right." She said.
He looked surprised and shocked.
"How can you possibly think that I would want to rub in the fact that I was right?" Lee asked.
"Because I know you." She said.
"I'm not happy that I was right. I wish that I had been wrong. I never wanted to see you get hurt." He told her.
He gave her a hug.
"But I did tell you." Lee said.
Cassie burst out laughing.
"Feel better now?" She asked.
"Yep." He said.
She laughed again.
"Good, now someone needs to get the doctor, so I can find out when I can get released." She said.
Gunnar and Lee looked at each other.
"I'll go. Gunnar, make sure that no one unwelcome comes through the door." Lee said.
Gunnar nodded. Lee left to find the doctor. Cassie scooted to the side of the bed, and patted the bed beside her. Gunnar laid down with her. He put his arm under her neck, and she rested her head on his shoulder.
"Princess, you really scared me this time. You need to stop doing that." He told her.
"I never planned on this happening. I just tried getting out too late, that's all. I'm thankful that you guys showed up though. I don't know what would have happened if no one had." She said.
"You will never have to worry about us not showing up. You can't get rid of us now. We will always come when you ask. We will always be there for you." Gunnar told her.
She smiled.
"Thanks." She whispered.
"Anything for you princess." He told her.
X*X*X
The next morning she was released. Lee and Gunnar were there to pick her up, and transport her back to the apartment. Lee had borrowed Barney's truck. He was driving, she was in the middle, and Gunnar was in the passenger's side. She rested her head on his shoulder as Lee drove home. She was just starting to doze, when they pulled in. Tool and the others were waiting for her to arrive. They helped her out of the truck, and up to her apartment. They stayed for a while, and made her some lunch, and made her comfortable. Lee was the only one that stayed after everyone else had left. He sat down next to her on the couch.
She leaned down, and rested her head in his lap, and put her feet up on the couch. He began playing with her hair. It was comforting to her. Her eyes were starting to get heavier and heavier, until she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. She was asleep a moment later.
Cassie ran down the stairs, to the front door. She grabbed the handle, but for some reason it wouldn't open. She tried unlocking it, but nothing happened. She heard him run down the stairs. She screamed, and pounded on the door. She needed to get away, or else he would kill her.
"You can't ever run from me, I will always find you!"
She turned around, and he was right in front of her. He grabbed her by the neck, and lifted her away from the floor.
He threw her down to the floor, and began kicking her. She screamed for him to stop. He laughed at her.
"Never!" He yelled at her.
A knife was suddenly in his hand. He knelt down next to her, and went to stab her. She held her hands up, and screamed...
"Cassie! Wake up! You're dreaming, it's not real."
She blinked several times, and looked around. It was only a dream.
"Cass?"
She looked at him, and began crying. Lee wrapped her in his arms. She cried into his shoulder.
"It's okay. It was just a dream, it's over now though. I'm here, and I won't let anything happen to you ever again. I promise." He told her soothingly.
"He was there, he was going to kill me." She said.
He rubbed her back to try to calm her down.
"I'm here sweetheart, I won't let him get near you ever again. I'll kill him before he gets close enough." He told her, kissing the top of her head.
"Thank you Lee. Would stay with me for a while longer?" She asked him.
"Of course. I'll stay as long as you want me to." He told her.
She nodded.
"Thank you, for everything." She said.
"Try to get some rest Cass. I'll be right here to wake you up if you start to have another nightmare." He said.
She nodded, laid back down, and tried to get back to sleep.
X*X*X
A month had passed, and Gunnar and Lee were with her every day. She never went anywhere by herself. If it wasn't one of them, it was one of the other guys. At times, she felt like she was a child. She was fine, she wasn't even having that bad of nightmares anymore, and they weren't every night now either. Still, she was to have someone with her at all times. They all took turns crashing at her place at night, just for extra protection. She learned quickly to get used to it, that they weren't going to leave. They slept in the extra bedroom.
When they went on jobs, Tool would stay with her. She would stay in the shop until he closed up, and then he would head upstairs with her, and they would have dinner, and watch TV, or movies.
One morning, the guys were out on a job, and Tool had to take care of something, and Cassie found herself alone. It was the first time in a month that she had been by herself. It was kind of nice actually, relaxing. She called Lee, to see how everything was going.
"Fine. We are heading back now. I'll see you in a little while." He told her.
She smiled.
"Great. I'll see you then. Fly safe." She said.
They hung up. Cassie put her ear buds in, and listened to some music. She started cleaning the kitchen. She caught up on the dishes, and washed all of the counters. She swept and mopped. Next, She started working on the bathroom. When that was done, she worked on the spare bedroom. Men. Did they ever pick up after themselves? She moved on to her room after that. She saved the Living Room for last.
She didn't realize how much time had passed, and it was starting to get darker outside. She was about to grab her phone to call Lee, when she felt a presence behind her. She pulled the ear buds out of her ears, and spun around. She gasped in surprise. David was standing there, smiling at her.
"What are you doing here?" She demanded.
"I'm here to see you. I've been trying to stop by to see you, but those friends of yours won't let me in." He said.
"You tried to kill me. I wonder why in the world they wouldn't let you in." She said.
He laughed.
"You can be so funny some times." He told her.
"Why are you here David. What do you want?" She asked.
"I want you, silly. I miss you." He told her.
"That's your own fault. Now it's too late for you. I don't want to be with you. I want you out of my apartment, and out of my life." She told him.
He frowned.
"You don't mean that Cassie." He said, moving closer to her.
She moved away from him.
"I'm serious David. I want you to leave, and never come back again." She said.
"I said that you don't mean that Cassie, now agree with me." He told her.
She shook her head as she bumped into the wall.
"No! I will not agree with you. This is what I'm talking about David. You have no control over me! I don't want to be with you and you're just going to have to live with it." She said.
"No, I don't." He snarled.
He hit her. Before she could do anything else, he threw her to the floor. She fell through the coffee table, onto the floor. She cried out in pain. He laughed, and started kicking her in the ribs. She screamed in pain.
"Leave me alone! If you don't, Lee and the others will kill you. You need to leave now before they get here. They'll be here in any moment." She told him, gasping for air.
"Well, then they are going to get a nasty surprise, because this time, I won't fail in killling you. I told you Cassie, if I can't have you, no one will." He told her.
He walked out to the kitchen. Cassie shakily took her phone out of her pocket, and hit redial. The phone rang, and finally, it was picked up.
"Cassie, we are on our way there now. I'll see you in a moment." Lee told her.
"Lee, help me! It's David, he's here." She said.
The phone was taken from her. David put it to his ear.
"Lee, it's been a while. Not long enough though. I hope you said good bye to Cassie, because by the time you get here, she will be dead." David said.
Cassie was trying to pull herself away from David, when he kicked her again. She screamed out in pain.
"Where do you think you're going?" David asked Cassie.
David threw the phone to the floor, and turned Cassie over to her back. He had a butcher knife in his hand. He knelt down next to her, and she started hitting him, and screaming. She wasn't going down without a fight. He laughed at her. He tried stabbing her many times, but she was able to fight him. He finally got in a punch, and it shook her. He stabbed her, and she screamed. He stabbed her multiple times, and slashed at her arms. He punched her in the face a couple times. He loved to hear her scream.
Suddenly, David was tackled off of her. She was coughing, and gasping for air. She turned to find Lee wrestling with David.
" . . . ." Lee spat out, between each punch to David's face.
Lee was going to kill him. She could see it in his eyes.
"Lee stop, you're going to kill him."
Barney had shown up. Behind Barney was Gunnar and Yang. Gunnar rushed to Cassie's side. He gathered her into his arms.
"Cassie, are you okay? How bad are you hurt?" Gunnar asked.
She smiled up at him.
"I guess you guys didn't make it on time, this time." She whispered.
"Don't say that. You're going to be fine. You're a fighter." He told her.
She put her hand to his cheek.
"Where is everyone? I need to say good bye to them." She said.
"Stop talking like that, you will be fine." He told her.
"Go get them." She told him.
He exhaled loudly, and nodded.
He set her down gently, and went to find the others.
"Yang." She said.
Yang was next to her in an instant. He took her hand in hers.
"Hey Yang. How are you doing?" She asked.
He smiled down at her.
"Better than you it looks like." He said.
She laughed until she began coughing. He squeezed her hand gently.
"I'm fine. Did Barney make you do more than the rest again?" She asked.
Yang gave a nod.
"Of course, because I'm small." He told her.
"That's not why, it's because your the best, and he knows it, so he give you more because he knows that you can handle it." She said.
Yang and Barney laughed.
"That's about right." Yang said.
"Barney." She said, looking over at him.
Barney walked over to her, kneeling down on her other side. He took her hand in his too.
"Did you get what you were after?" She asked.
"Save your energy Cassie." Barney told her.
"You should give Yang a raise, if you're going to use him for more things." She told him.
"I keep telling him that." Yang said.
Cassie smiled.
"I will give Yang a raise, if that's what you want Cassie." Barney told her.
"There you go Yang." She said.
"Thank you Cassie." Yang told her, kissing her on the head.
"Thank you both for everything you've done for me." She said.
Toll Road, Hale Caesar, Tool, and Gunnar got there.
She talked to Tool first, then Toll Road, and then Hale Caesar. She gave Caesar a smile, then passed out.
X*X*X
Cassie looked around at her surroundings. She was in her apartment. She smiled. She felt safe, the safest she'd ever felt in her life. Of course it helped to have friends like the Expendables. She knew that they would never let anything bad happen to her. Not if they could help it. David stabbing her was never their fault. They blamed themselves, but she never blamed them. How would they know what was going to happen.
She looked at the pictures on her wall. She had pictures of them. She had singles of each guy, then ones with her and them in it, and some group photos. Her heart swelled with love for each of them. She got to the photo of her in the middle, between Lee and Gunnar. They were looking at her, while she was smiling at the camera. Yang had taken the picture for them.
She gently touched the picture with her finger tips, and smiled at the memory. She cared so much for them, and she knew they felt the same way about her. She moved on to the next picture. Tool had taken a picture of the group playing tackle football. She'd gotten some bruised ribs, but she didn't care, she'd had too much fun that day. Besides, they had healed fairly quickly. Both Gunnar and Lee were amazing to her. They waited on her hand and foot. They always had been so sweet and caring towards her. That hadn't changed even after the whole David thing.
Her heart was hurting. She didn't want to die. She wanted to wake up, and see all of them again. She didn't want to leave them. She needed to live, for them, to see them again.
The room suddenly filled with a bright, warm, loving, light. She closed her eyes and bathed in it.
X*X*X
Cassie's eyes popped open, and felt something going down her throat. She began freaking out, and choking. Doctors and nurses swarmed around her.
"Do you want the tube out?"
She gurgled and nodded.
The doctors unhooked the breathing tube, and slid it out of her throat. She gasped for fresh clean air.
She looked up at the doctors and nurses.
How had she gotten to the hospital? The last thing she remembered was that she had been stabbed, and was dying in her living room, surrounded by the guys.
"Do you know your name?" Some one asked.
"Of course." She rasped.
"Tell us what it is."
She frowned.
"Cassie."
"Cassie, what's your last name?"
"McAllister."
"Do you know where you are?"
"Apparently I am in the hospital."
"Do you remember what happened, and why you are here?"
"I was stabbed. My friends must have brought me here after I passed out." She rasped.
"Good, very good. At least you still have your memory. That is a great sign."
"I guess."
"Cassie, you were stabbed, and we got you a blood transfusion. It took, but you slipped into a coma."
"How long was I in a coma for?" She asked.
"A month."
She was shocked.
"We lost you a couple of times, but you always managed to find you way back to us. Your friends have been here every day, sitting with you, hoping that you would wake up."
"I have to call them. I need to let them know that I'm okay." She said.
"Calm down, everything is fine, they will be here later."
"No, I need a phone, they need to know that I'm awake now. I have to see them!" She said.
The doctor looked at a nurse, and nodded. The nurse turned for a moment, then turned around with a needle in her hand. The nurse put the contents of the syringe in Cassie's IV. Within moments Cassie was sleeping again.
X*X*X
Cassie groaned and opened her eyes. She looked around her room.
"Hello princess." Gunnar said with a smile.
She smiled at him.
"Hey." She whispered.
"How are you feeling?" He asked.
"Better now. What are you doing here Gunnar?" She whispered.
"Watching over you. It was my turn. Lee just left a little while ago." Gunnar told her.
She smiled over at him.
"Thank you. You two take good care of me. What would I do with out you two?" She asked.
"Crash and burn." Gunnar said.
Cassie laughed.
"Come and lay with me." She whispered.
"Are you sure? I might hurt you. How are you feeling?" Gunnar asked.
She smiled.
"I'm fine. I'm sure that you will be careful. Come on, it feels like forever since I've seen you." She told him.
He smiled.
He got up, and gently climbed into the bed next to her. She rested her head on his chest.
"See? I'm fine." She whispered.
"I'm glad. They told us that you had died twice. If we hadn't gotten you here when we did, you would have died." He told her.
He began playing with her hair. It always comforted her when he did this.
"Do you really think that I would just leave you like that? Nope, you can't get rid of me that easily." She said.
He laughed.
"Good, I'm glad. Besides, I'd miss you too much." He told her.
She smiled.
"I would have missed you too Gunnar. I'm glad you were here when I woke up." She whispered.
He leaned down, and kissed the top of her head.
"I was very worried about you. I'm glad that you are okay." He told her.
"You're sweet Gun." She said.
He laughed at the nickname.
"Don't let it get out. My reputation would be ruined." He said.
She giggled.
"Your secret is safe with me. I will take it to the grave." She told him.
He laughed again.
"Good." He said.
X*X*X
Two days later, she was itching to leave, and return home. Her body was still a little stiff, but she was able to walk, for the most part. The doctor had finally agreed, and released her. Lee helped her to the bathroom, so she could change into street clothes. Lee had grabbed her a pair of sweats and a tank top. It felt like it took forever, but she finally managed to dress herself. She slowly made it to the door, and knocked. Lee opened the door, and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. He helped her back over to the bed. She laid back down on the bed as the doctor returned. She signed out. The doctor gave her a prescription to be filled. The nurse wheeled a chair in for Cassie. Lee helped her into it. He asked her if she was ready, and she nodded.
Lee wheeled her out. She smiled when she saw Barney's truck sitting there. She smiled wider when Gunnar got out.
"Hey Gun." She said.
"Hi princess. Did you miss me?" He asked.
"Of course!" She said.
"Good." He said.
"Are you two done flirting?" Lee asked.
"You sound jealous Christmas." Gunnar said.
"Whatever. We need to fill Cassie's prescription, and get her home so she can rest." Lee said.
Cassie nodded.
Gunnar helped Cassie out of the chair, and into the truck. He got in next to her, and Lee got behind the wheel. Gunnar wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and she rested her head on his shoulder. She was starting to doze when Lee pulled in to fill her prescription. Cassie and Gunnar stayed in the car while Lee went in.
"Thank you for coming to get me." She told him.
He kissed the top of her head.
"Anything for you princess." He told her.
She giggled.
"You're going to spoil me." She whispered.
He laughed.
"Well, you deserve it Cassie." He whispered to her.
She smiled.
"You're making me blush." She told him.
He laughed again.
A half hour later, they pulled up to the shop. Gunnar got out, and helped her out of the truck. Gunnar was on her right, helping her walk.
Lee came up to her left, and helped her walk too. They helped her up the stairs, and to her apartment. Lee unlocked the door, and they walked in. Cassie smiled. They had put up a sign that said 'WELCOME HOME CASSIE!' All of the guys were there.
"Thank you guys! This is so great." She said.
"We're glad you're home darling." Tool said.
"I'm glad to finally be home. Bring me over to the couch boys." She told them.
Gunnar and Lee helped her over to the couch, and she sat down, and got comfortable. The line for hugs had formed. Tool was first, then Yang, then Caesar, then Toll Road, then Barney. The guys stayed for a while, then started filtering out. She was getting tired. Lee stayed with her that night. He helped her to bed. She asked him to stay. He climbed into the bed next to her, and they both drifted off to sleep.