Standard disclaimer thingy: I don't nor ever will own JE's characters. Snake is all Lois's purely for Kappy's benefit, but Evil Mystery Man, Crash, Sonni, Brae and Ant are all mine. The women are also not mine, they are real people that consented to be in my fic, so please don't use them! Thanks!
Light and Shadows
Chapter 4
By Ammarine
I managed to make my way up to my apartment whilst carrying Steph over my shoulder. When I had closed my door, I lowered her to the ground so I could carry her against my chest to the bedroom. I pulled back he covers and lay her down gently on my bed and then proceeded to remove her shoes, belt and put her handbag on the bedside table. I pulled the covers over her and watched her sleep. She was my angel, my incredibly-drunk-and-now-passed-out angel, but she was stunning anyway.
I climbed on top of the covers on the other side and watched her as I waited for sleep to claim me. This was the closest I'd been to Steph ever. While Ric was in Trenton, he'd been so possessive of her that no-one except Tank was trusted enough by him to be friends with her, but he'd left town months ago. In doing so, he'd broken her heart and allowed the rest of us to console and get to know her, or in my case, fall in love with her.
I thought back to earlier in the evening when I saw her dancing with Bobby, and I started to feel bad. I hadn't even thought of dancing with her before then, but strangely enough, I wasn't jealous. I knew that it was her choice who she wanted to be with and if that wasn't to be me, then, so be it. I wouldn't be thrilled with the decision, but if it made her happy I wouldn't complain.
I fell asleep, eventually, listening to the sound of her slow, deep breathing and remained that way until late morning.
Most of Steph's friends remained at the Live Wire for many hours after she had left, enjoying the night out before the hangover took effect. Though it hadn't been intentional, I just couldn't keep myself away from one of her friends, not that I tried all that hard, mind you.
"Miss Rhiana, I am sure you must hear this from many men, but your eyes are so alive, so full of life and love," he said, tracing invisible patterns on my hand.
"Really? I'm often told by my friends that I need a life." 'Not to mention a good deal of loving. Maybe you want to help?' I added mentally.
"How about we fix that then," he started. My eyes widened, had I thought aloud? "Would you like to dance, mia carina?"
Oh, he wanted to dance. Ooops. "Okay," I replied, letting him help me to my feet. We made our way out onto the dancefloor and started dancing. I'd never been to this club before and so it took me a while to get used to the music they had playing. Before long I had my arms around Antony's neck and we were swaying gently to the music.
"So tell me a bit more about yourself, Antony," I said loudly in his ear.
"I work for Rangeman, after leaving the forces a few months back. My brother has worked here for a number of years, so there was nothing to it." He smiled at me, and my knees went weak. Antony pulled me close to his firm chest and I leaned against him, grateful for the support. Alcohol and killer grins make for a very hard time standing up.
He tilted up my chin with a finger and brushed his lips against mine. It felt as though a jolt of electricity bolted through my body.
Jill pulled back from Crash's form as far as she could without removing her arms from his muscular shoulders.
"How about we go sit down for a bit?" she called over the music. Crash nodded and winked.
Thankfully, he didn't trip over himself on the way back. Jill grinned to herself as she remembered. He was following her out onto the dancefloor earlier in the evening. Somehow, he'd tripped over himself and stumbled into her from behind. He caught her in his strong tanned arms before she fell too far and she turned in his hold, watching him as he blushed.
"Ooops, sorry 'bout that," he shrugged and grinned lopsidedly. Jill felt her heart suddenly start to do a little tap dance against her chest. Jill grinned back and the pair straightened before they began to move to the music's beat.
Before long Jill and Crash were dancing hip to hip, chest to chest, oblivious to the world surrounding them. Jill moved her hand to his chest and could feel his heart thumping.
"Would it be presumptuous of me to ask you to come home with me later?" he asked Jill sheepishly.
Jill laughed and brushed a stray lock of hair off his face. "Yes, it would, actually. But count me in." Before she started dancing with him again, she kissed him, hard, demanding a response from him. He returned the passion, desire simmering behind his eyes as they broke apart and continued dancing, closer than ever.
Snake turned the handle of his front door and carried Pat over the threshold, while she giggled. They'd only seen each other a couple of times since she arrived in Trenton, and hadn't realised that Jack knew Steph. The moment she'd stepped into the club that evening, though, she felt his presence. It was as though an electric current was being routed through her, and his eyes on her only upped the voltage.
"I thought that was meant to happen to me once I got married, Jack?"
"Well, I just thought a little practice wouldn't go astray," he mumbled, his cheeks flushing as he laid her on his couch. Standing, he watched her and felt everything in his mind disappear. Everything but the thought that she looked so beautiful and she was his. Had chosen to be his.
It took a moment for him to realise that she was watching him back, a curious expression on her face. "Whatchya thinking about, hun?" She asked him raising an eyebrow.
He nearly told her, along with his plans for the rest of the evening, but shut his mouth quickly. "Champagne?" he asked, a pleading expression flickering over his face for a moment.
Pat took a second to look at him, really look at him. He looked… nervous. And unsure. It was a way she'd never seen him before, and it made him look quite uncomfortable. She wondered what it could be from when she realised that he was still waiting her answer.
"Oh, sure. Thanks." He almost ran to the kitchen, she noted. Moments later, Snake returned holding 2 glasses both by the bowl of the glass. She'd have to show him how to hold it properly a little later. Right now, she had other items on the agenda.
"For you," he said softly as he passed her a flute of the bubbly liquid. She sipped it, tasting the faint flavour of strawberries. She drank it fairly quickly, wanting to get to the more anticipated portion of the evening. As she drank, though, Snake became increasingly fidgety as he watched her and when she took her final sip, he held his breath.
He could tell when she realised there was something other than champagne in her mouth. Her eyes widened and gazed at him in both shock and question. He looked back at her and nodded.
We watched as the rest of our recently formed team snagged up some of Bombshell's friends. The rest of them didn't seem the least bit interested, unfortunate for them.
"Well, B, how do you suppose we go find us some lovin' somewhere else?" Sonni asked me in his Southern drawl. I went to look toward him, when something, or rather, someone else caught my eye. She looked like a goddess. A yellow light flashed from somewhere behind her and, for a second, illuminated the blonde in her honey brown hair. At the same time, she had been laughing at a comment from one of her friends, and my breath caught.
As though she could feel my gaze on her, she turned her eyes and linked with mine. They were the most captivating thing I had ever before seen in my life. One eye was blue while the other was green, and each was complemented by the little satiny number she was wearing. She left her friend for a moment and approached me. I was transfixed the entire time, frozen as she came. Closer and closer still.
"See something you like, here?" She asked me, her eyes dancing.
I opened my mouth to respond, but my voice refused to work, so I simply nodded.
"Good, so do I." Her eyes darkened and she took my hanging bottom lip between hers. That broke the spell I was under as I grasped her elbows to draw her closer to me. I felt her tongue lapping lightly at my lips and I willingly parted them, allowing her entrance. The moment her tongue touched mine, they began to duel, both seeking dominance.
I wasn't sure how long it was before I heard it, but across the table I heard someone clear their throat rather loudly and remembered where I was. I pulled away reluctantly, trying not to show how breathless it left me. I knew when I saw my partner's shit-eating grin that I had failed miserably.
"You know, we got tomorrow off work, B." He said, winking at me over her head.
I ignored him and looked down at the bundle of fiery heat still in my arms. "I'm sorry, I didn't even ask your name," I said apologetically. She grinned up at me and said one word, "Afton."
Her grin was infectious and I couldn't help but grin back at her as I spoke. "Nice to meet you, Afton. The name's Brae."
"Interesting name," she mused aloud. "Shall we get to know each other a bit better somewhere away form what I can assume is your dope of a partner?" she asked me smiling wickedly.
"Sounds like a plan to me," I replied as I held out an arm for her.
We wove through the crowds to get to the door and both drew in a deep breath when we reached the fresh air outside.
"So where to now?" she asked me as she took hold of my hand and looked up at me. I didn't have a clue, so I did the only thing I could think of. I captured her lips with mine, desperate to feel the taste of her again.
"Hmmmmm, how about my apartment," I mumbled against her lips after being left breathless yet again.
"Mmmm hmmmm," was the reply and I smiled, glad to know I wasn't the only one affected.
She watched his expression falter slightly as his partner left with a stunning little beauty. She knew what he was thinking; she could see it in his eyes. He wanted someone to be with too, he was lonely. She had overheard him and his friends earlier in the night, talking about how they only came so they could pick up and was immediately turned off.
She had hoped her cool demeanour towards him would have scared him off, or at least make her his absolute last choice. Boy was she wrong. Every time she had decided to dance with her college friends, she had felt his eyes on her. She'd look around for him, but he was never to be seen.
"What's wrong with you, Suze? What's gotten you so paranoid tonight?" She'd just shrug it off and say it was just nothing. Shortly after that, he would dance up to their group and ask if he could join them, shooting glares at any men dancing with them.
Oooooh, she'd lost count of the times she wanted to wipe that smug look off his face. She couldn't though, she wouldn't live it down. All of her friends had eventually coupled off with some of Steph's Rangemen colleagues. All except her. 'Why follow the crowd, Suzie?' she thought to herself. She wouldn't, couldn't admit that she was scared, scared of the past repeating itself. She slouched in her seat along the wall as she let the memories wash over her.
She'd met him at the start of her final year of college. They'd been listed as partners for the computer labs. Andy had been real shy to begin with, never saying more than a couple of words each time they met. It wasn't long, though, before they were telling each other their life stories, becoming fast friends. They started dating and by mid-year, they had gotten married, surrounded by their friends at the college chapel.
Married life started out so well, they'd talk about their days with each other, snuggled in front of the fireplace together, talking about their plans for their future. They'd decided that they'd start their own business once they had completed their degrees, but it didn't last long.
Suze remembered the day it began to fall apart. She'd fixed him a picnic lunch and the two of them sat by the lake at the park eating, before she told him the news. She was pregnant. He was shocked. She'd thought he would take it well, but he started controlling her, telling her what she could and couldn't do. He said it was for the good of the baby.
One evening he came home to find her not there. She'd gone to Steph's for ice-cream party, a girl's night in. He barged through the door and dragged her out to their bomb of a car, ignoring her protests and cries. They drove back to the house in silence, waiting until they got inside before he spoke. He didn't end up speaking, he just smacked across the face with the back of his hand. She could still feel the impact over a decade later. Instead of yelling at her, he continued to hit her, until she was no more than a sobbing form on the ground, before he grabbed the car keys and left.
It took all her energy to find the phone and call Stephanie. The next thing she could remember was a doctor in the hospital telling her she had miscarried. The abuse had caused irreparable damage to her child.
Andy had been imprisoned for what he did, though she didn't find out until some social worker paid her a visit to tell her he'd committed suicide. She didn't care anymore. He wasn't her life; he wasn't anything but a painful memory.
She looked up with a start at the person who belonged to the hand on her shoulder.
"You ok, there?" He asked her with worry clear in his eyes.
She shrugged his hand off and said blandly, "Yeah, peachy."
"Do you want a lift home? A lady like you probably shouldn't be left alone at this time of night."
Suze nodded. 'Accepting a lift isn't like getting married, he doesn't even know who I am,' she thought.
"Ok, let's get out of here." They made their way outside both in an uncomfortable silence as they waited for a taxi.
"Are you a friend of Stephanie?" he asked her, already knowing the answer, but hoping to relax her a bit. He could see just by her posture that she was strung tight and much more pressure would likely snap her in two.
"Yeah, we're college friends," she replied nonchalantly. "You?"
"Work with her." 'So this is the famous Rangeman speech impediment she was telling us about earlier,' she mused.
Before she could think of a reply, a taxi pulled up to take them home.
"Where to, Ma'am?" he asked, fishing for her name. She wasn't about to give it to him.
"Corner of Croydon and Fischer, thanks."
They made the trip in silence, both of them deep in thought.
'Wonder why she's so defensive? What has she got to hide?' was racing through his head.
Meanwhile, thoughts like, 'I'll never have to see him again,' and 'He's just like the others,' were filling up her mind.
A/N: Sorry about the delay, I've had this chapter done for a while and posted elsewhere but RL headbutted me before I could post here. Anyways, you guys get the next chapter as well, so it's not too bad! A HUGE hug to everyone that has reviewed and sent feedback back my way, it's so useful! There may be a bit of a wait for Chapter 6, I have ideas for the story, but it's trying to find the time around uni assessments that's the hard part. For any of my other fics that people are reading,it's the same deal, though my muse decidedto go on holiday to somewhere that is warm and withoutme sneeizing on him all the time...Again, Thank you for reading and stay tuned! Peace and Love and Lots of Chocolate:-D
