(0)(0)
(o.O) Lounging Bunny (c) Productions Presents
(("")("")
(2)
~ . ~
Love me without restriction,
Trust me without fear,
Want me without demand,
Accept me for who I am."
~.~
The docks should be the last place that she spends her day off, having been confronted by Sorel in that very place, but she couldn't help it. As much as she wants to stay safe from the danger he poses, Elizabeth refuses to let the fear rule her life. She did it after she was raped and she had promised herself that she would never live in the fear again.
She would never let her life come to a complete stop because of a danger she had no control over. She won't linger for long, though, knowing it was a security nightmare for her guards, but she will take the moment to just be, needing it as much as she wants it. Just a moment to breathe and remember that her life will regain some sense of balance once Sorel is dealt with.
The more she thought about the situation with Sorel, the more she wonders if Jason didn't make a mistake by leaving, if she would be safer if he were here rather than somewhere else in the world. She knows its pointless to wonder, he's still gone and he wasn't coming back, but she couldn't help that as well. With everything going on right now, she can't help but wish he were here to help simply this crazy situation her life has come to, if nothing else.
"Elizabeth." Johnny's voice pulls her out her thoughts, causing a soft smile to touch her lips. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah." she assures. "Why?"
"You're crying." he points out, gesturing to the tears falling from her eyes. "You sure everything's okay?"
"I didn't even notice." she says as she wipes away the tears from her face before rising to her feet. "I'm okay, really."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Johnny questions, knowing that women like her don't just cry for no reason, that there had to be something bothering her for tears to fall from her eyes.
"I don't want to distract you." she says with a shake of her head. "I know its important for you to focus..."
"Francis is here." Johnny assures as he guides her back to the bench. "I have time to talk."
"I was just thinking that maybe it would have been safer if Jason hadn't left." Elizabeth explains as they sit together on the bench. "I mean, Sorel's going to do whatever he wants regardless of him being here or not, anyway. How much safer is everyone really with him out of town instead of here?"
"I agree that it would be better for us if he were here." Johnny agrees. "But it wouldn't be better for him."
"I know." she sighs. "I just wish that I knew what happened. I wish I knew why he decided to just up and leave, you know?"
"The reasons why Jason left is his own business. I'm sure if he felt like he could stay, he would have." Johnny says simply, not wanting to be crude, but needing her to see that it was all on Jason. It was his choice and he had to make it. "Can I give you some advice?"
"Sure." she says without hesitation.
"Instead of thinking about how safer it would be if Jason were here, why don't you take steps to make it safer yourself." Johnny suggests. "If you want, I can train you to defend yourself."
"You'd do that for me?"
"Of course." Johnny says like it wasn't even a question. "Francis and I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe, but we're not perfect. There's still a real chance that someone can get to you and it would put my mind at ease to know that you are able to protect yourself until we can get to you."
"I have always wanted to take defense classes." Elizabeth admits. "I just never had the time."
"Maybe its time to make the time." Johnny suggests. "If we do this right, we can definitely work it around your schedule, but I have to warn you that I'm not going to take it easy on you. In order for the defense training to actually have any affect, you need to be put in similar situations to those that you'll face. With that being said, I need you to remember that I'm you're friend and trust that I will not hurt you."
"I trust you, Johnny." Elizabeth says as she reaches for his hand to give it a reassuring squeeze. "I can do this. I know I can."
"I know you can, too." he says wholeheartedly, giving her hand a squeeze before removing his hand from hers. "I'll be back an hour before I have to relieve Francis. We'll get started then."
"Okay."
"While I'm gone, I want you to consider firearm training, as well." Johnny says as he rises to his feet. "I know you have an aversion to guns, but sometimes its literally the difference between you making it out of a situation dead or alive."
"I'll think about it." Elizabeth replies, unable to give him a better answer than that at the moment.
"Okay." Johnny says simply. "I'll see you later then."
Watching him walk up the stairs, Elizabeth can't help but wonder what defense training will be like with Johnny. The more she thought about it, though, the more nervous she became, realizing just what he had meant by not taking it easy on her.
Obviously in order to learn defensive techniques, he'll have to touch her, hold her down and use his full weight to keep her under control, but it only dawned on her now what that would mean. As much as she wants to believe she's past it, she knows that its bound to affect her training with Johnny and that had her more than a little worried.
Taking a deep breath in, she forces herself to reclaim her strength, refusing to let what happened control her. It was a terrible, horrific, thing, but its over and she has to remember that. She just has to keep Johnny's words in mind and remember that he's her friend. That he will not hurt her. As long as she keeps that in mind, she should be just fine.
While she heads upstairs to get her studio ready for her first lesson in self defense, Johnny's making his way into Harborview Towers to give his boss an update on Elizabeth's detail, as well as the plans they have made to teach her how to defend herself. As he explains it to Sonny, he can see that his boss was more than a little pensive, but when he questioned Sonny, his boss wouldn't elaborate on the reason behind the look.
"Just pay attention to her limit." Sonny says simply as he pours himself a glass of scotch. "Don't push her too hard."
"With all due respect, boss, is there something I should know?" Johnny questions him. "The last thing I want to do is hurt her. If there's something I need to know, please tell me."
"Its not my place to speak of it." Sonny faces him firmly. "Just be careful and make sure that you don't end up breaking her while you're trying to protect her."
"Okay." Johnny says after a moment. "If that's all you need, boss, I'm going to get some rest before I head back over."
"Go ahead." Sonny waves him away. "Just keep me updated on your progress, as well."
"Of course."
Leaving his boss's penthouse, Johnny makes his way down a couple floors to his apartment, letting himself in and making his way into his bedroom. He'll get a few hours of sleep before he gets up to put together his first session with Elizabeth. As he falls onto his bed, sleep slowly overcoming him, Johnny can't help but think on Sonny's words. Was this still a good idea? Obviously he would love it if she were able to protect herself, but he would never want to do anything to cause her harm, physical or otherwise.
"Johnny." Francis greets him when he shows up at the studio ready to get started with his defense training.
"Francis."
Knocking and waiting to be allowed entrance, Johnny makes his way into the studio before shutting the door behind him and locking the door. As he waits by the door, Elizabeth clears up her paints and brushes before washing her hands in the sink and making her way over to where he's standing. On her face she had the most beautifully addictive smile that elicited one from him. The last thing he wanted to do was erase that smile from her face, but he had to have all the facts before they start.
Leading her over to the couch, he does his best to broach the topic as gently as he can manage, completely floored when she opens up to him about what happened to her. Of all the things that he had imagined would be the reason behind Sonny's pensiveness, he never would have thought this was the reason.
Both anger and sadness floods him as he listens to her speak, hating that she had to suffer through that at such a young age. As illogical as it was, he can't help but wish he had been a part of her life back then, if only to prevent her from being hurt in such a horrific way.
"Please don't let that change your mind about training me." Elizabeth says after a long moment of silence falls over them. "I can handle it. Please say you believe me."
"I believe you." he says after a moment. "And I will train you on one condition."
"Name it."
"You tell me when it becomes too much for you." Johnny says seriously. "I won't take it easy on you, but I need you promise me that you'll tell me to back off when you reach your limit, okay? We'll take a break and then come at it again once you're able to."
"I promise."
"Okay." he says, taking a deep breath before rising to his feet. "Lets get started."
Johnny takes her over the basics, needing her to gain an understanding for what he's about to teach her before they get into the different moves and techniques. Once he's certain that she's ready for that, they'll move their training into Sonny's gym, but for now the studio will do. After the hour's up, Johnny tells her that they'll pick it up where they left off tomorrow. For now, he wants her to just stretch her muscles and get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow will bring with it more extensive basic moves and she'll need her energy up for them.
"Goodnight, Johnny." she says as he's about to walk out the door. "And thank you."
"Goodnight, Elizabeth."
Note: Thank you, Mona, for your review. There aren't many Johnny O./Elizabeth stories out there, but I have fallen in love with the idea of the two finding something with each other. I hope you continue to read and review. Feel free to comment what you'd like to see in the story, if you'd like. As for everyone else that has followed/favorite my story, please let me know what you think. It would go a long way as far as writing the story goes. Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope to hear from you.