Bristol Royal Infirmary
She wakes briefly. Her face is bandaged, she can feel it across her nose, there are pads in her mouth, and she can feel with her tongue there's been some dental work, she takes a breath experimentally, she feels very little pain in her sides, "thank fuck for heavy drugs", she thinks. It's only then she notices her hand is being held gently, she risks opening her eyes, the light hurts, she squints. Sees an elfin figure sitting in a plastic chair by her bed, her head is on the bed, and some-one has placed a pillow under it, she is fast asleep, breathing lightly. "Oh, that's OK then" she thinks. She falls back into sleep herself.
Empire Office London W1
"It's all in the laptop he carried around, the police have said it contains a sort of journal, going back years and years, random stuff mostly. They've got a psychologist looking at it all. It's like the stuff he used to write on his wall at home only...angrier, they're using words like psychopath and shit like that, scary". Cook pauses, rubs his face. "They've asked me endless questions, but most of it... I don't know what JJ was talking about, it's gibberish really. They reckon all the details about the virus, and bank accounts are o there too, we should be able to recover most of the missing money". He stops, looks at Katie "There's videos of Emily on there as well"
She looks over, "What...videos?"
Cook looks away, "Maybe you should talk to Emily, there's one of her, and another girl"
Katie raises her eyebrows, "Really, how did that ..." she's lost for words. "Was JJ filming her?"
"The police think so yeah, they've sent a copy to the Police in New York to see if they can work out where JJ filmed her from. Maybe there's more stuff" Cook breaths in deeply, he's tired after 48 hours of questions and interviews. "Heard from Emily? How's Naomi?"
"Asleep mostly, they did some work on her nose and teeth, there's little they can do for her ribs, other than drugs to help the pain apparently, Ems is staying down there for a while, I think she slept at the Hospital last night" She pauses, something about him today seems uneasy, she doesn't know whether its her or the last few days. She stands walks over to him, and taking his hands in hers, asks gently, "What's on your mind?"
Cook pauses, "Oh, nothing..." he starts, then looking at the floor "I think I'm going to sell Empire"
She smiles, nods "Good idea"
"You're not angry? I thought you'd be pissed off, y'know? You love all this shit, you're good at it" Cook's relived
"Yeah, I know, but after what's happened, when it starts getting close like that..." She drifts off, "It's enough, I'm done, I resign, OK?" She laughs. They're close, and Cook leans in, Katie dodges away, smiling, "What will you do?
"I found this place in Scotland, it's a castle pretty much, needs work, we could, y'know..." He leans in again, pulling her closer.
"We? What do you mean, we" Katie's still smiling.
Bristol Royal Infirmary
Emily enters the now familiar hospital room to find the bed empty, momentarily confused, until she hears a cough from the bathroom, and a low breathed "Fucking hell". She walks over to the door, knocks, "You Ok in there?
"Shit...um, yeah fine, just hurts like fuck" Naomi replies. She opens the door, she's dressed, it's only then Emily Notices the bag on her bed.
"You've been discharged then?"
"Yep, nothing more they do really, I'm just waiting for some nurse to bring me some drugs, then I'm outta here, thank fuck" Naomi tries to smile, the tape over her nose and yellow bruised eyes make it look more of a grimace.
"Right, well, d'you want a lift or something?" Emily is confused, happy that Naomi is better, but she's become used to seeing her asleep, secretly revelling in having Naomi too herself for a couple of days, now that Naomi is better Emily feels at a loss.
Naomi can sense the awkwardness of the question, looks away "You don't have to, it's fine" she looks at the floor "What will you do now?"
Emily shakes her head, shrugs "Go home I suppose"
Naomi gets an odd feeling, when she realises by home Emily means New York.
There's an awkward silence between them. Emily breaks it suddenly "I met her in a bar..."
Naomi realises where this is headed, "Don't Em, you don't have to..."
"I want to, it's important to me" Emily looks directly at Naomi "I met her in a bar, I knew what she was straight away, she told me. We talked, small talk, nothing really, but she looked like you...so much like you". She looks down, plays with her hands, "I was stunned, I thought I was over you, but..." she stops for a moment takes a breath, "I went back the next day, got very drunk", nods at the memory, half smiles , "found her, I took her back to mine, screwed her..." she drifts, "I'm sorry".
"Ems, you were set up, Ok?" Naomi takes a step towards her, hesitates, unsure. "You thought you were over me? She asks, tentatively.
Emily breathes in through her nose, looks into Naomi's eyes, "I love you, always have, think I always will, I don't understand why we..." she gestures with her hands at the space between them.
"Because you fucked off to New York in a huff for two years?" Naomi smiles sadly.
"You could've come".
"I'm too stubborn" Naomi admits.
"We could make it work, you know, we just need to try..." Emily starts senses an opportunity slipping through her fingers. "Just try, say Yes, don't analyse it, just...that you love me, just yes will do right now".
"Emily, I don't know..." Naomi wants to more than anything in the world, is scared by it after all this time.
Emily smiles wryly, shakes her head. "Just say yes". Waits for Naomi's reply, the silence stretches out, she turns, squeezes her eyes shut, tries to stop the tears. Walks to the door. Only when her hand is on the handle does she hear it.
"Yes" it's quiet. She almost misses it.
She turns, sniffs the tears back, runs into Naomi's arms, kisses her fiercely for the first time in too long. She's crying and laughing at the same time. Only stops when she hears "Owww, that actually hurts a lot, but please don't stop".
Strathyre, Scotland
"Needs a bit of work, you said, Cookie, this is barely a pile of stones". They're standing on the castellated roof of the large house on the bank of Loch Lubnaig. "You sure about this? You want to live here?"
"Scotland, it just suits me, y'know". They stand quietly for a moment
Katie breaks the silence, standing looking at the view, she says quietly "When JJ wanted to hurt you the most, he pointed that gun at me"
"Yep" Cook turns to face her "he was right as well, the thought of losing you..."He opens his mouth to continue, Katie presses a finger to his lips.
"If you're about to say what I think you're going to say, make sure you mean it Cookie, I don't think I could stand it if you're just saying it for effect, y'know?"
He smiles at her. "You and me" pauses, d'you want me to say it?"
She simply nods at him.
"I love you, have done for years."
"Really?"
"Really"
"You sure?"
"Sure, trust me..." he smiles, pulls her into a hug.
Some Time Later
Emily and Naomi are driving north; they've rented the largest Beamer they could find. Emily is driving; she's slightly hunched over the wheel, her tongue sticks out the corner of her mouth ever so slightly. Naomi looks over at the Speedo. She's remarkably calm when she nods, and says "138, new record...Ems, my love, I don't think this section is dual carriageway "
"Right"
"And I don't think that man is flashing his lights at you because he knows who you are"
"Right"
"In your own time then" she goes back to looking at the map.
OooooO
They pull up outside the front of the House, covered in scaffold and protective plastic sheeting, it looks gift wrapped. They get out stretch, the door opens, Katie, Panda, Thomas and small children tumble out, there are smiles, hugs, words of welcome, small talk about journeys, scooping of children into arms. Invited up by Katie and Cook, a long weekend, all of them have looked forward to it for a long time. They spend time on the Loch, Cook's hired Jet skis. Panda and Emily have first dibs. They race up and down the loch, finally coming in, grinding the skis up on the pebble beach,
Panda wrings out her tee-shirt "Blimey I'm soaked, are you wet Em?"
Emily shrugs off her buoyancy aid, "It wasn't that exciting Panda"
Cook snorts beer out of his nose.
That evening they eat in the kitchen, it's more or less complete but they still end up with a big take out, it's all they can agree on. There's laughter, and arguments over bread, and food, raised voices compete to be heard, the music is loud, Esme, and Freddie run around their legs, playing tag under the table.
Cook loves it.
OooooO
Naomi and Cook are sat in the conservatory, it's late, or early depending on which end you're coming from. They're playing chess, a ritual. They're drinking their way steadily through Cook's collection of single malts. They exchange pawns, the score is 4-1 to Naomi, and Cook suspects Naomi let him win that game.
Cook regards his friend, reaches over, and holding her gently by the chin moves her face to one side. "Definitely bent"
"A constant reminder" she half smiles at him. "D'you think we'll ever really know what he wanted from us?"
"Dunno, hopefully, he's getting the best treatment I can get for him" he watches her shudder slightly "Sorry, change the subject".
Naomi takes a swig, "So, how much then?"
"How much what?" Cook concentrates on the board
"Did you flog Empire for?"
He doesn't look up "200 million"
Naomi nods appreciatively, "You greedy fucker" she smiles.
Cook nods, "Hell yeah, want some?"
"Still don't want your money Cook"
They both look over as Emily wanders in, her hair in spiky disarray. Face smudged with sleep, she wanders over to them, Naomi swings her legs around, and Emily plonks down in her lap, Naomi kisses her forehead.
"You Ok?" Naomi asks
"Nightmares" Emily stands and stretches
"Oh poor Ems, you want me to come to bed?"
"No, you're Ok, finish your game", she points out the window, "It's nearly dawn" She wanders into the kitchen, comes back with a half drunk glass of milk, and a white moustache. "I'll get up", she wanders out, Cook swings around, watches her go, and is kicked in the shins under the table for his trouble.
"Oi, that's my Fitch, get your own"
Cook looks at her for a long time, shakes his head, finally "And you let her slip out of your life, because..?"
Naomi smiles "yeah yeah, don't rub it in, she does a good enough job of that"
Naomi takes another pawn and a bishop, before Emily wanders back in dressed, she rattles a set of keys
"Fancy a drive?"
Naomi and Cook shrug at each other.
Bell view Secure Hospital
He's handed a small plastic vial that contains a small blue and white pill, he knows what's expected of him. He picks it up, throws it into his mouth, and quickly takes a swig of water, putting the glass down he holds out his hands, and opens his mouth wide. Satisfied, the nurse makes a note in a book, and moves away to the next patient. He waits, makes sure the CCTV is swinging the opposite way, and snorts the pill down from the back of his throat, and into his pocket in a quick motion.
"Stay real" he mutters to himself.
Fin
A/N It's wrong to build a whole story round a Jesus/Moses joke right? This was going to be a different story until the whole JJ as a stalking nightmare thing came to me one night; I should really get out more, just wished I had the turn of phrase of some of the writers on here. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Feel free to critique as much as you want, it's how we learn, right?
