Author Note:
So it's been a year since I've worked on this story. I did always intend to come back to it before now but that never quite happened... and here I am finally with an update.
It's waaaay shorter than what I'm sure you're used to reading from me, but I just wanted to see if anyone was still interested in this story. If so, I'll post an update for this in a couple of days or so.
I hope you like guys- and I apologize for the delay.
Read. Enjoy. Review. -Leigh
PS: I'm also doing my friends crazy 100 updates in 100 days challenge again (of which I failed dismally on day 3 last year) so wish me luck - and prepare to see lots of inbox spam. XD
Disclaimer:
I make no money from the writing of this fic, so clearly I'm not Andrew Marlowe - I wish I had even a fraction of his genius ;)
Unlikely Comforts
Chapter Two
"Javier Esposito! I know you're in there!" Lanie ground out, furthering her point by banging loudly on the door. "Javi, open the damn door! You and I are going to have a little talk and I'm not leaving until we do so you might as well - let me in." The end of her sentence died on her lips as the door swung open and a shirtless Esposito stood scowling and leaning against the doorframe.
Lanie's eyes scanned his torso, quickly assessing his injuries; several bruises and scrapes and a cut right on his collarbone. She moved past him into his apartment, "by all means, come on in," He said pointedly, letting the door shut with a louder than necessary bang, before following her through into his lounge. "Drink?" He offered, already moving towards the fridge.
"I didn't come here for a drink," Lanie started, and Esposito just shrugged, reaching for another beer of his own. "Like that's going to help."
Esposito glared at her, "Was there something you wanted?" He practically growled at her, "Because I was kind of in the middle of something."
Lanie snorted derisively, "What? Drinking yourself into an early grave, burying your problems in a game of Madden? Cut the crap Javi, because you're not fooling me. I know you, and I know you're upset."
"Upset?" He let out a bark like laugh, "Angry yes. Upset no." Lanie's eyes narrowed and by the way she looked at him, Esposito knew she wasn't convinced. Uncomfortable under her hostile glare he turned away from her, "We're not having this conversation."
"Oh no, you do not get to just brush this under the carpet.. and this whole self pity thing may work a little better if you hadn't just tried to go all James Bond. What the hell do you think you were playing at? You. Could. Have. Been. Killed." She punctuated each word with a hard jab to the chest with her finger, "Kate nearly was."
"Don't you think I don't know that?" Esposito shot back, defiantly meeting her gaze but there was something in his expression that caused Lanie's eyes to soften slightly. "What were you thinking?" She asked again, but her words didn't contain any of their previous venom.
"What was I supposed to do Lanie? We were this close to catching the son of a bitch." He slammed a clenched fist down on the coffee table and the sound reverberated through the apartment. The twinge of pain that soon followed instantly made him regret it. "If we'd brought it to Gates, the first thing she'd have done would be to take Beckett off the case!"
"Maybe that would have been the best thing for her," Lanie supplied, her words met with a stony silence, "Oh come on Javi! Kate- I get it, she was always going to lose perspective on this - and I'm all for loyalty but when it's putting yourself in stupid-"
"Damn it Lanie," Esposito snapped, interrupting her tirade. "I'm a cop, dangerous situations are pretty much a job requirement." He cracked open the tab on his beer and took a large mouthful.
"Dangerous yes? Reckless and downright irresponsible no - and look where it's got you. You're suspended and Kate has resigned. She nearly died chasing this thing, and you still didn't catch her shooter. Was it really worth it?"
It was late that night when Ryan quietly let himself into his house, soaked through to the skin and shivering violently. Despite Lanie's reassurances he hadn't been able to shake off his guilt or face going home. He briefly toyed with the idea of going for a beer but after they day he'd had, doubted he'd be able to limit himself to just one or two. So he'd walked; left his car at the precinct and just walked, with no real direction as to where he was headed.
A part of him knew that he should check in with Jenny, or at least reply to one of the messages she'd sent him but he couldn't quite bring himself to do that either and so his phone remained firmly in the pocket of his slacks.
The house was thrown into darkness, apart from the kitchen; he could see the crack of light escaping from beneath the door. He pushed it open and found his wife sat at the table, hands wrapped around a steaming mug of hot chocolate. He opened his mouth to apologize, but closed it again, seeing the tension visibly drain from her face.
"Kevin thank God," She breathed, jumping up from her seat and - not even caring that he was drenched from the storm - grabbed him in a fierce hug. "When you didn't answer your phone I thought-" Her voice broke, "I tried calling Javi too."
Ryan's arms tightened around her and he could feel his eyes starting to burn at the mention of his partner, tears of relief and sadness clogging up his throat and blurring his vision. "Don't Jen-" He choked on the words, his hands tangling in her hair and pulling her closer towards him. He buried his face in her, just breathing her in and trying to restore some sense of balance to his equilibrium.
"What is it baby?" Jenny whispered, feeling the dampness of his cheek against her skin, and drawing back to look at him, chasing away the trail moisture with her thumb. "What happened today?"
Ryan shivered involuntarily from the cold, although maybe it wasn't just the cold- he shook his head violently to rid himself of the silent movie happening in his mind. Jenny didn't say anything, only began to unbutton his shirt. "Come on," she said finally, "I'll run you a hot bath." She peeled the wet material from his torso and let it drop to the floor, her hand slid down his arm, enclosing around his larger one. She gave him a gentle tug to get him moving.
He'd settled in the bathtub and Jenny was going to leave him with his thoughts but he caught her hand on the way out, "Please stay?" His I don't want to be alone went unspoken but there was a catch in his voice and Jenny nodded, pushing the bathroom door shut.
She let go of him only to unzip her pants and to lift the shirt she was wearing over head before joining him in the tub. She settled in between his legs, her back pressing against his torso; the weight of her body against him more comforting than anything she could have said just then. Jenny seemed to sense this because it was a while before she finally spoke, "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked, her voice carrying in the silent room.
