Title: Watching Him 10/?

Author: veiledndarkness

Pairing: Billy/OFC

Rating: R

Summary: She sees everything, she's watching him fall.

Disclaimer: Not mine, no profit made and no harm intended.

AU follows storyline of movie somewhat.

XX

It was the harsh cries of pain nearby that startled her enough to tear her attention from Billy's fading heartbeat. Beth shifted, gasping when she looked at the body of Nick Hume, his watery eyes peering back at her.

He lay a foot or so away from her, his hand clasped to his left side. Blood oozed over his pale fingers, staining them a horrid red. He opened his mouth, choking and wheezing. Eddie stood over him, his gun tucked securely in his palm.

"Fuckin' prick," he spat, kicking Nick's prone form. "She ain't even involved an' y' pull on her?"

Nick cried out at the kick, a new trickle of blood dripping from his mouth. "Y-You think h-he gave my wife that consideration?" he laughed wildly, "Shot h-her, she's dead, they're all dead, dead c-cause of him!"

"Forgive me if I ain't weepin'," Eddie sneered. "Now ya can bleed out here while I take care of m' family." He brushed past him, digging his cell phone out. "Bodie, get Doc up an' runnin'," he barked into the phone. "Not good, man, not good. Took two shots I think."

Beth licked her lips. The pain in her arm was fading gradually, her skin numb. She patted Billy's cheek, her breath catching. "Billy," she whispered. "Billy, please…Please don't go like this."

He blinked sluggishly, his eyes a dull, empty blue. "B-Beth…" he managed, wincing at the prodding from Eddie. "Ya shouldn't…s' ok, y' go see the Doc…don't come back no more. S' ain't for y'," he slurred, his grip loosening on her. "S' ain't safe for ya. So go…"

She forced herself to move, to cup his face with one hand. "Don't you do that," she choked out, "Don't you dare ask me to leave you."

Billy leaned into the caress, a tear running down his cheek. "A-ain't no good for ya, y' only gonna get hurt 'round me," he whispered, pressing a shaky kiss to her palm. "Y' were the best thing, jus' never saw it till now an'…an'…" he trailed off, his chest jerking.

"No…God, no," Beth patted his cheek, watching with horror as his eyes rolled up and he slumped backwards. "No!" she gripped him, ignoring the stench of blood and death around them, ignoring Eddie's pleas at her side.

Beth held on to Billy, weeping softly in the blood soaked room.

X

"Too much blood, man, it's too fuckin' much, Eddie..."

"Ya think I don't know that? Christ, don't let 'im flat line, Doc, s' all I'm askin' ya."

"I'm doin' what I can, but he's losin' it faster n' I can get into him."

X

Beth blinked once, then again, her eyes gritty with sleep. She licked her dry lips, her parched throat clicking as she tried to drum up a sound. She lifted her arms, crying out at the flash of pain that ran up her left arm.

A shape hovered over her, blurry and misshapen. "Slow up, girlie, you're gonna do more harm n' good if you're up an' runnin' already," the shape cautioned, a hand nudging her back down.

"Wh…" she croaked, her hands reaching aimlessly at her sides.

"I said lie down an' I mean it. C'mon, girlie, that's it," the voice coaxed, the blurs above her slowly forming into a concerned face. The white haired man nodded, his thin lips curling into a smile. "You're one stubborn girlie, that's for sure."

"Beth…" she whispered, wincing. "Name is Beth."

"Uh huh, I know that, but I call all them pretty ladies girlies, so you gonna hafta deal with that. You want some water?"

She nodded. "Please…"

The man moved away from her side and returned with a bottle of water, a straw placed neatly inside the neck of the bottle. He held it close to her. "Little sips now," he cautioned, his dark brown eyes gleaming with banked worry.

She did so, taking the smallest sips of cool water. "Where's Billy?" she asked a moment later, looking around the dirty room. "He's ok, right?"

The man set the bottle on a crate, his wrinkled face creased with many, many lines. "Don't worry 'bout 'im right now. You sleep an' rest, girlie. That arm of yours took a beatin'."

Beth looked down at her bandaged arm, her stomach lurching. "Jesus…" she mumbled. "But he's ok? Tell me he's ok."

"You ever been shot 'fore t' night?"

She shook her head and sat up more, the room spinning a little. "No sir."

"Sir she calls me, God love these young ones," the man let out a quiet chuckle. "Let's jus' hope it never happens again. You're one lucky girlie. Bullet went in n' outta your arm, neat as can be."

Beth eyed the bandage. "It hurt like a bitch." She sighed then. "Please. Sir, tell me that Billy's ok," she whispered, on the verge of begging, tears clouding her vision. "Please…"

"He's out right now; I got 'im sleepin'."

She sniffled and let a few tears of relief fall. "He'll live?"

The man gave a half smile. "If he stays outta the way of bullets, he might live for a few more. Boy's got a hard on for findin' trouble an' trouble always finds 'im."

She reached for the water. "Who're you?" she asked, holding the bottle with her right hand, her eyes on the strange old man before her.

"Call me Doc, ev'ryone else does, ya might as well too."

"Is that your real name?"

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter, girlie," he said. "Not in this life."

Beth sipped the water, her fingers trembling. "Can I see him? I need to see that he's ok."

"My word ain't good 'nough for ya?"

"I…No, it's not that," she blushed lightly. "I…please?"

Doc shook his head, his white hair too bright in the dark room. "No more than a minute, ya hafta rest up, girlie."

Beth set the water down; swinging her legs to the side of the makeshift cot she'd been lying on. Doc held out his arm for her, the two of them shuffling out of the room. Beth shivered. "I hate this place," she whispered.

"It ain't much for cheer, is it?" Doc gripped her arm, steadying her. "When I was real young, younger than you, it was a bustlin' place. I worked as a janitor here for years."

"And you're the doctor now?"

He chuckled lowly. "Ya can say that, sure. I'm their doctor. Them Darley's an' their boys, they don't go to no hospitals. They come to me, or I go to them. Help their girlies with the babies, stitch 'im back up when they get hurt, numb the pain, an' watch 'em die 'fore they need to."

Beth touched her necklace, clutching her cross. "They live too hard," she murmured.

"Damn right they do," he grunted. Doc let go of her long enough to peer into the room down the hall. He gestured to her and Beth moved as fast as she could, her heart pounding hard.

Billy lay on another makeshift cot, his sweater and jacket lying on the floor, off to the side. Doc had rigged up a basic i.v. for Billy, bandages covering his upper chest and shoulder. Beth covered her mouth with one hand, her eyes burning with unshed tears.

Doc rested his hand on Billy's forehead, his eyes closed for a moment. Beth exhaled and rushed to his side. She dropped down to her knees, her hands fluttering over his arm for a moment. Beth touched his arm, stroking the long black swirls of ink.

"Billy..." she whispered.

"He ain't gonna hear much. I got 'im sedated."

Beth nodded, caressing his arm gently. "He's ok, he's gonna be ok," she said, her voice uneven. "He has to be."

Doc checked the i.v. line and then sighed, shaking his head. "Boy's been through worse but he lost too fuckin' much blood this time. Touch n' go for a long time."

She leaned in, resting her head to his chest. "Billy," she said, pressing her ear over his heart. The steady beat reassured her more than anything. She let a few tears fall, the droplets splashing onto his pale skin.

Beth closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep moments later.

X

The clomping of Eddie's heavy boots echoed in the hallways, his large frame pushing past the doorway. "Bethie, ya not s'posed to be outta bed," he said, frowning at the sight of her lying on the makeshift bed with Billy.

"Technically, I am in bed," she murmured sleepily.

He rolled his eyes. "Kids," he muttered, "In your own bed. He ain't gonna jump up an' run away, not with those holes in 'em."

Beth rubbed at her eyes with her good hand. "He's sleeping, Eddie, shh," she admonished him in a fierce whisper.

Eddie palmed a cigarette and lit it with his lighter. He took a deep drag and exhaled, nodding. "Sorry, Bethie," he said. "How's the arm holdin' up?"

"I'm fine," she sat up a little, peering up at him.

"Y' always say you're fine," he flicked the cigarette off to the side.

Beth smiled sadly and looked back to Billy. "Is Nick...?"

"Gone," Eddie grinned, a cold malicious gleam to his smile. "I nailed the fucker in his side. Let 'im bleed out on the floor."

"Eddie…" Beth touched her throat, swallowing. "Don't be proud of that."

"An' why the fuck not?" Eddie scowled at the wall. "He shot ya, he was tryin' t' kill Billy, he killed Jamie, Heco and he killed Joe, Bethie!"

Beth stroked Billy's chest, tracing each scar with her thumb. "Who started it, Eds?"

Eddie fell silent, his cigarette trailing smoke in the dim room. He inhaled and then nodded. "Yeah, but that don't mean I'm gonna sit back an' let 'im kill either of ya."

"You were so close to being too late," she said, rubbing one particularly thick scar. "Nick Hume wasn't gonna stop till Billy was…"

"All the more reason for me t' take 'im down."

Beth sniffled softly, a few tears escaping. "I can't lose him like this, Eddie. Doc said he was bleedin' out."

Eddie rubbed his thumb along his chin, nodding. "I know. He's a fighter, but sometimes ya jus' can't keep goin'. Least he said his goodbye t' ya in case."

She covered her face with her hand, trembling. "He was ready to die."

"Only one that knows f' sure is him." Eddie walked over to her and placed his large palm on her shoulder. "Bethie, please don't be cryin'. I can't stand hearin' a lady cry."

She leaned against Eddie's side, shaking. "I…I'm scared," she admitted. "If he dies…"

"Then he dies knowin' he protected you," Eddie said, patting her back. "Y' his Bethie an' that's somethin' worth fightin' an' dyin' for."

Doc appeared in the doorway. "Ya ain't botherin' my patients, are you, Eds?"

"Never, Doc, never," he said. "I'm gonna head on out, I need t' get Jamie an' Heco taken care of."

Beth turned away, swallowing over the lump in her throat. "Eddie…Ask for their ashes, please?"

He stared at her. "The hell…?"

"Ask them for the ashes."

"Bethie, we don't do no services, y' know that," he said, frowning.

She tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. "I know, but I want the ashes. Do it, please?"

He nodded. "Yeah, yeah ok."

Beth curled up to Billy, her head on his chest again. She ignored the look on Doc's face. "Don't," she cautioned him. "I'm fine here, and I want him to see that he's not alone when he wakes up."

"If ya say so," he said, "S' long as you're restin' up, ya need it, Beth."

"I promise," she said, letting her eyelids drift shut.

X

She sighed, drifting in a haze of not quite sleep, her body relaxed. The steady beating of Billy's heart lulled her, calmed her fears. She slipped her arm around him and pressed a light kiss to his uninjured shoulder. She smiled, thinking longingly of the times he'd ran his fingers through her hair, watching the strands slip over each finger.

Beth stilled, feeling the smallest flicker in the body beneath her. She opened her eyes, inhaling sharply. Billy shifted, his fingers twitching. He made a sound in his throat. Beth lifted her head, her heart beat roaring in her ears.

"Billy…?"

He blinked once, then again, his face contorted with pain. Billy looked to his left, seeing her then. "B-Beth…" he managed to whisper, his eyes wide. "Y'…Ya ok?"

She smiled, tears flooding her eyes. "I'm fine. Doc bandaged me up real good."

He clasped his hand over hers, his chest rising and falling rapidly. "Bethie…Ya shouldn't have come, why'd y' show up?"

"Because I was worried about you, you fool," she said, kissing his hand, laughing a little, despite the tears. "Eddie called me, he couldn't find you. I knew Mr. Hume was lookin' for you. I couldn't wait, I had to find you."

"Ya coulda died, Beth. He coulda…" Billy shuddered, pain wracking his body.

"Shh," she moved up, cradling his face with her hand, "None of that, Billy. I'm ok, the bullet went right through me an' back out."

He moved his hand, covering hers. "I…I didn't…if I lost ya…"

Beth pressed the gentlest of kisses to his cheek. "You didn't. I'm still here. I'm not goin' anywhere."

Billy closed his eyes, his lips trembling ever so slightly. "Bethie…I…I meant what I said. You…y' the best thing I got."

Beth leaned up and kissed him, her lips sliding over his, slow and sweet. He made a soft sound and wrapped his arms around her carefully, reveling in the feel of her loving kisses.

X