Sorry this took longer to upload ^.^" I just recently got a new puppy, and she's been taking up almost all my attention. You guys have no idea how much my hand's been just itching to write T-T But I've made up the long wait with a bit longer chapter... Oh, and make sure you read the a/n at the bottom. Sorry if there's a few mundane mistakes. You can bring them to my attention if you want. I'll go through and fix them when I have a chance.

- Shadow

Disclaimer: BTR? Not mine.


Kendall coughed when water got up his nose. The chill of it instantly sunk into his chest, causing more sputtering. He tried to sit up, slid back down into the tub, then tried again. The fourth time he was successful.

Blinking water out of his gritty eyes, Kendall looked around in an attempt to figure out where he was. His mind might be fuzzy, but he didn't remember going into any bathroom. Let alone his own.

Lucy watched him silently. The water might not have made him any more sober, but it made her feel better. Kendall finally came around to noticing her, and she decided to speak up.

"Awake yet?"

Kendall rubbed a hand down his face. "Was't really necessary?" His words might have been a bit slurred, but he still managed to pull of the pissed off tone perfectly.

Lucy just leaned against the door frame, making herself ignore the venom in his words. "Probably not. Made me feel better, though."

He tried to get up but only managed to flail his arms and make himself feel nauseous. Lucy raised a slender eyebrow in amusement at his upside down turtle impression, but made no move to help.

With a sigh of defeat, Kendall stopped his attempts at standing and instead focused on not getting sick by leaning his head back against the wall. "Can you 'least turn off the water?" he asked, his voice hard like he refused to let the fight to drain out of him. Or like he wanted to start one.

Lucy lifted her hands in surrender, trying to keep her tone light. No way was she getting dragged into a fight with him. "Hey, I'm not going near you. You're lucky I got you home. You reek of self loathing and tequila. And not even the good kind."

"There's a good kind of self loathing?" Kendall's face was scrunched as his alcohol-encumbered mind tried to process her words. It made his thick eyebrows really take over his face, and Lucy found herself smiling.

"I mean the good kind of tequila," she corrected, erasing her grin and replacing it once again with a disapproving glare.

Kendall groaned and closed his eyes. "Ish cold," he mumbled.

"What did you expect?" Lucy shot back irritably. "I wasn't going to draw you a warm bubble bath."

He didn't respond, but he did begin to shiver. Lucy watched his discomfort for a moment before cursing her weakness and moving to shut the water off. She sighed and sat on the side of the tub as the faucet dripped to a stop.

"You really do smell," she said after a while.

Kendall opened his eyes just enough to look at her. They reflected a harsh kind of light that she wasn't used to seeing in them. "At least I'm not a heinous bitch… Spraying water on people."

Lucy flinched at the acid dripping off of his words. She turned away, reminding herself that this wasn't him. Something was wrong with the man she knew, and he needed her help. However, she'd dealt with enough drunken men to recognize her cue to leave. "Yes, at least you're not that," she said flatly. The rocker stood up, not bothering to look at Kendall. "I put your pajamas on the sink there. I'm going to sleep on the couch. We'll talk when you're sober." Her entire mini-speech was delivered tonelessly, and Lucy couldn't help but feel proud of herself. There was a noise of protest as she left, but she didn't turn around. The door slammed shut.

Lucy went to the bedroom, grabbed a pillow and blanket off the bed, and tossed them on the couch. And then she stood there for a minute, arms crossed, mad at herself.

Because she couldn't shrug off her concern, even through the sting of his words.

"Damnit," she growled quietly.

What was she going to do?

Not help him?

Lucy ran a hand down her face before tugging at her hair on her way to the kitchen. She grabbed a large glass from the cupboard and filled it with cold water, then moved back to the bedroom and placed it on Kendall's nightstand. He'd better not say that she's never done anything for him.

Heinous bitch, indeed.

Back in the living room, Lucy shed the sweat pants and plopped on the couch, more comfortable in her cotton shorts. She leaned back on her pillow heavily, able to lay there peacefully long enough to know something was going to disrupt the quiet.

As if the universe could hear her thoughts, her phone vibrated in the pocket of her discarded pants, indicating it received a text. Lucy let out a silent groan. She rolled over and reached for her sweat pants, refusing to get off the couch. Eventually her fingers snagged on a leg, allowing her to pull the pants close enough to fish her phone out of the pocket.

The term that was more trouble than it's worth ran through her head when she finally got the device. Rearranging herself back on the couch, Lucy opened the message. The bright light forced her to squint as she looked at the screen.

-How goes phase 2?

Lucy groaned. Definitely more trouble than it's worth.

-3 in the morning? Really? she typed back.

The reply was almost immediate. -Yeah, well it's midnight here so stop complaining.

Lucy made an empty gesture at her phone, exasperated. -Why are you texting me then?!

-… I was bored.

Letting out a deep breath, Lucy lifted her phone again. -'Phase 2' was going great. she typed out.

-Was?

-That's what I said.

-Why was?

Lucy cringed. -Jo called. And then everything kind of escalated. Quickly.

-Bad?

-Very.

There was a longer span of time between her reply and his. Then all she got was, -Yeah, well…

Lucy yawned, whishing this conversation could draw to a close. She wanted to get some sleep. No situation looked good from any angle at three in the morning. Mulling over what to reply, an idea hit her. -How's your girlfriend? she asked with a sly smile. That was sure to end the conversation.

The rocker locked her phone and set it on the end table by her head before burrowing her face into her pillow. Minutes passed by and Lucy was this close to falling asleep when her cell buzzed again, vibrating the whole end table.

Lucy's eyes shot open and she practically growled. She snatched her phone up and opened the message.

Kendall put you up to this DIDN'T HE?!

Lucy rolled her eyes. -He doesn't even know I actively keep in touch with you. You're safe. Can I go to sleep now?

-Whatever. Can't you just like kiss him and make him better?

Lucy stiffened. She chose the words in her reply carefully, hoping to convey the force she wanted to put behind it. You listen to me. 1) this is not a fairy tale. This is real life. A kiss won't fix him. 2) I agreed to help AS A FRIEND. That's it. I'm not going there with him. Not again. 3) End of story.

She mashed the send button, refusing to let any emotion besides determination roll around her head after the text. When the reply came, it wasn't what she expected him to say at all.

Lucy, that was YEARS ago. When we were all practically kids.

Lucy was speechless. Or typeless, seeing as actually saying something wasn't necessary. Her grip tightened on her phone unconsciously as her whole body tensed with irritation. From that, it wasn't a surprise at all when her instant reaction to something moving was to chuck her phone at it out of pure frustration.

And the something that moved just happened to be Kendall, fresh showered, pajamas on, but still drunk.

He stumbled a step backwards when Lucy's phone smashed against the wall next to his head. It bounced off in three different directions and the screen was most likely cracked, but Lucy couldn't bring herself to care at the moment. She glared at him and seethed, unsure where her anger should be directed right now.

All she wanted was some sleep. Was that too much to ask? Apparently, she silently quipped to herself.

"Lucy-" Kendall began, his voice thick.

Lucy cut him off. "Go to bed, Kendall." She tried to not let her irritation leak into her words. She was mostly successful.

"But I-"

"No." Lucy refused to let him speak. "I said we'll talk when you're sober. You're still far from sober."

Kendall's face hardened. Lucy took a deep, bracing breath, preparing for him to start a screaming match or tell her to leave.

To her surprise, he did neither. Instead, Kendall turned around and went to his room. The door might have been closed a bit harder than necessary, but at least it wasn't an argument. Lucy would take what she could get at this point.

And she hoped she could get some sleep.

With a half-growl that turned into a sigh, Lucy nuzzled back into her pillow, trying very hard to think of nothing.

.:.:.:.

"Come on Claire, we have to pack you an overnight bag."

Kendall lifted his head from his hands. It felt heavier than it should, and full of enough down to make a new pillow, but the noise and light didn't hurt like it had this morning.

When he had woken up he could barely open his eyes to check the time, even with the blinds drawn. He had laid there for what seemed like ever with his pillow over his pounding head. When he could stand the light, as dim as it was due to the pre-storm cloud cover outside, it was 11:26. He had noticed that the glass of water next to his clock, the one he could have sworn he had emptied last night, was once again full and sitting in a small puddle of condensation.

Kendall looked at the glass now, empty once again, like the coffee mug beside it. When he had dragged himself out of bed he found the apartment empty, but the coffeepot was keeping warm the strongest pot of coffee he had ever tasted. He drank it, ignoring the extreme bitterness. It had cleared his head, if only minimally.

He didn't have to wonder too much about who did those things, he just couldn't really believe it. His memories from last night were a little fuzzy (if by 'a little' he meant 'a lot') but he did remember being a jackass. And almost getting brained by Lucy's phone.

Sitting on the corner of his bed right now, he couldn't imagine why Lucy would still take care of him.

Her voice drifted into his focus once again.

"I don't think you can wear a t-shirt with a dress Claire. What about the shirt and these pants?"

Kendall wanted to laugh at that. He really did. He could picture this turning into a heated debate; Claire and Lucy both like getting their way. But as his guard fell a wave of heartache hit him without warning, allowing the memory of the phone conversation from yesterday to rush in.

..

"Kendall, I want to see my daughter."

Her demand caught him off guard. "Your- what?"

"And I want to talk to you. In person."

"…what?" What did she expect him to say? What did she expect him to do?

"I miss Claire and you don't have any right to keep her from me," she commanded.

Kendall's voice came out strangled and choked. "Like hell I don't."

"Kendall… can we just talk about this? I miss her." Jo's tone softened. "I miss both of you."

..

The conversation had ended with him agreeing to think about it. Except he's been doing a pretty good job of doing anything but.

The memory held his attention through the rest of Lucy and Claire's conversation. He tuned in just in time to hear the apartment door close behind them as the left. Kendall wondered why Claire needed an overnight bag, but didn't worry too much past that. He trusted Lucy. Besides, with how he's acted lately, he wants her as far from him as possible, too.

The apartment door opened again, letting in a single set of booted footsteps. Assuming they belonged to Lucy, she had most likely sent Claire to spend the night with Sarah. Away from him.

Kendall winced as a thought struck him.

Maybe he should go out and apologize.

He was just about to brace himself to stand up when a light knock on his bedroom door caused him to pause.

"Kendall, you up?"

At Lucy's voice he abruptly stood up and tried to answer at the same time. Which, as it turns out, was a mistake. A ripple of vertigo shot through him, turning his 'yeah' into more of a "Y-mph."

There was a drawn out beat of silence and, once the room stopped spinning, Kendall wondered if he should open the door. It was still locked from when he had gotten dressed earlier, having pulled a pair of blue jeans and a dark blue t-shirt on because he had felt weird in his pjs at one in the afternoon.

However the decision was made for him when Lucy spoke again. "Come out here when you get a chance. We need to talk about… this. We can't just let it go." Her voice seemed stiff, and Kendall felt a moment of irrational fear for his life. An ominous crash of thunder rumbled in the distance as if in punctuation.

He waited for her footsteps to retreat back down the hall before going to his gym bag and fishing through his hockey gear. It took a bit of detangling, but he managed to pull out what he was looking for.

.:.:.:.

Lucy, sitting on the couch and trying to decide between the mood of mad and sympathetic, looked up as Kendall's bedroom door opened slowly. When he stepped out, the rocker kept a straight face for all of six seconds.

Entering the living room, one cautious step after the other, Kendall raised his hands in surrender. But what caused Lucy to cover her mouth and laugh was the fact that he hand donned his hockey helmet, complete with face guard.

He wore a fearful expression, probably staged but you never know, and said, "Okay, let's talk."

Lucy tried to stop laughing, but she couldn't help it. It was just completely something he would do to quell the tension. The only thing missing was him laughing along with her.

However, Kendall's lips didn't even twitch. He took off the helmet since the apparent threat was tamed and the crisis was averted. He moved toward the couch, holding the helmet to his chest.

Lucy watched him plop down listlessly next to her, her mood making a decision and settling on sympathy. She really wanted to know what Jo had said to him to set him back so far. Then again, maybe it was just the fact that she had said anything in the first place.

She had no idea what words she could say to comfort him. Sure, she's been through some pretty bad breakups, but never has she been married. She can only imagine the pain of putting the two together. But she had to say something.

Claire. She figured talking about Claire was safe.

"I have Claire staying with Sarah tonight," she told him. "I didn't know how much your head still hurt."

In the middle of that last sentence, her phone in her back pocket vibrated with a text message. (After she hunted down the pieces and put it back together, the only damage was indeed a broken screen.) Lucy ignored it for now.

As a response to her words, Kendall turned his head away. They both knew her excuse was just that, but he seemed even more so put out.

Lucy bit her lip. Apparently Claire wasn't a safe topic. The rocker was at a complete loss.

The space between them was filled with a tense silence. After a while, Lucy figured she mine as well check her message.

The text, sent from an unknown number, was short and to the point.

Heard you had a setback. I'd suggest a walk. –KK


How was that, hm? Now that I have you here, I have two things to bring to attention.

1) There is a hint or two who the 'mysterious caller/texter' is. Anyone able to figure it out yet? And just fyi, the person texting at the very end is someone different. Those are their initials at the end of their message.

2) A section of this chapter was inspired by a song. I will be doing a Kucy oneshot prompt from whoever can guess it the swiftest ;)