A/N:

After the Rainfall

Chapter Twenty-Five:

Aria.

"Hey, Aria," Emily said as we were all walking out of school on Monday, "You wanna go to the Grille with us this afternoon?"

"I have to get back," I said, as they reached our cars and stopped to chat, "Ezra's all alone, and Wilden's creeping around – I just don't want him to get caught off guard."

"Wilden?" Hanna asked and I nodded.

"What is Wilden doing snooping around you guys?" Spencer asked and I shrugged.

"He was the cop that came to the hospital," I said as Mike came up to us, I had been waiting for him.

"Wilden?" Mike said, "I don't think we'll have to worry about him unless he manages to come up with something else related to the stabbing."

"Knowing A, that won't happen," Emily said and Hanna nodded.

"Ok," I said, taking a deep breath, "Either way, I have to get to Ezra, check on him. C'mon Mike, I'll drop you first. Bye Guys."

Mike got into the front passenger's seat, and I walked around and got into the drivers' seat. I hopped in, and started the car, looking around my shoulder to make sure no one was walking behind me, of course they were. It was a high school parking lot, no one watched where they were going. I turned back around to sit and wait a few minutes as Mike turned the radio on, but kept it low. I looked back again, and saw a small window in which I could pull out of my parking space.

"Do I have to go home?" Mike asked, "Can't I just come with you?"

"He's really out of it, Mike," I said, "It's not really all that entertaining, he's just doing a lot of sleeping. When he wakes up, he's hungry and he'll eat something, maybe watch something on TV and then goes back to sleep."

"Better than hanging around with dad," Mike said and I frowned.

"Mike, Dad just got home," I reminded him, turning onto the road in the direction of our house, "Give him a chance, he doesn't go back to work until tomorrow. Maybe you guys'll go do something fun."

"Why do I have to give dad a second chance when you don't?" Mike asked, "I'd much rather hang out with a doped up Fitz."

"Mike, the only reason I haven't been to visit dad is because I have to be with Ezra right now," I said, then I felt bad, and I parked the car at the end of the driveway, "I'm sorry, there's no reason for me to lie to you, Mike. I don't really want to hang out with dad just yet, but I know we both have too. I do want to be with Ezra, just make sure he's…"

"I know," Mike said and I nodded, "Dad's bringing me to my therapist this evening. Could I come by right after, just see him?"

"Sure, but make sure dad stays in the car, ok?" I asked and Mike nodded.

"There's a rumor going around school," Mike said and I just looked at him for a second.

"You know not to listen to rumors, Mike."

"It's Jason," Mike said, "He lives right next to the Hastings, rumor is he's the one who snuck over and stabbed him. He would have had every opportunity."

"Mike-" I replied, "You saw the person who stabbed him, and you know Jason pretty well. The outline you saw of the shadow – did it look like Jason?"

"No, it was too short, and too thin," He replied and I nodded.

"Ok, it couldn't have been him then, could it?"

"No, I guess not."

Mike got out of the car, and I waited until he got inside before heading over to the apartment. I parked around back beside Ezra's car that Jason had helped me bring back the day before. I stopped for a second, pulling my cell phone out of my purse and looking at the screen. I pulled up my last text from A. It had been the one that I had gotten the night of the stabbing, when Mike had taken it away it was the only one I had gotten since.

You and your little teach are lucky. I'd keep a tighter leash on him if I were you, if he doesn't stop thinking of taking you away, I might have to take him away. ~A.

I took a deep breath. I hadn't wanted to leave him this morning, but he had insisted while I was bandaging him up that I go to school. I had already missed to much as it was with everything that had happened in the past couple months. He had promised that he'd be careful, and would be very careful without anyone there. I had also made him promise not to open the door without checking who was there, and be careful even then about who he let in. He had seemed like he thought this was overkill, but he had promised. I had taken the spare key he had replaced under the mat, and I had put that on the counter in the kitchen.

I pulled out my key ring as I reached our door, and I walked inside. Ezra had had me help him to the couch before school, but now he was lying in bed, propped up on pillows with his laptop on his lap.

"Whatcha doing?" I asked him as I set my bag on the couch and went to sit with him on the bed.

"Just doing a little writing," He said, wincing as he set his laptop on his nightstand, and turned back to me.

He leaned in and kissed me softly.

"Are you ok?" I asked as he pulled away.

"That weak?" He smirked, "C'mere I'll fix it."

I let him lean in and kiss me again, and he kissed my nose before he pulled away.

"That wasn't what I meant," I told him, "I meant you were ok? All day? Here alone?"

"Yes, I was fine," He replied, smiling kindly though I was sure he didn't feel like it, "I'm a big boy, Aria – I can take care of myself for a day."

"I'm just worried," I told him, and he nodded.

"I got that," He replied as I unbuttoned his shirt, "What're you doing?"

"I just want to check on it," I said, moving his shirt so that I could get a look at the bandage.

"It's fine," He smiled and I kissed his chest.

"I'm just watching for extra bleeding," I told him, "If you've been moving around a lot to today…"

"Aria, I had breakfast were you left me this morning," He said, "Then, I had to pee at about noon so I went, and then made myself a sandwich for lunch. Which I ate lying right here. It's been the most boring day of my life."

"Well I could have stayed home with you." I said and he shook his head.

"You have school," He replied, "I have a phone, if anything goes wrong, I notice extra bleeding – I can call you, or the hospital for an ambulance, or whatever else I need."

"Ok."

"What's the matter with you?" He asked, wrapping the arm he had better motion in around me, and snuggling me up tight, "Why're you so worried?"

"I just am," I said, letting my face show my worry, and he kissed my forehead.

"Explain it to me," He said.

"I'm worried A'll hurt you again," I looked up at him, "And I'm afraid that Mike won't be able to scare them off a second time."

"I love you, Aria," He said, leaning down and pecking my lips again, "I – am not afraid of A, for me. I'm afraid for you. All I have to do is pay a little more attention to what I'm doing and what's going on around me. I know I'm not jacked, but the shadow wasn't all that big. If they didn't sneak up on me…. You, on the other hand—"

"What?"

"You're little, and you mean more to me than anything in the world," He replied, "Which is why I'm much more concerned about you."

"You remember everything – don't you?" I asked and he nodded.

"Just what I witnessed," He replied as I reached up and ran my fingers through the side of his hair – he let his eyes closed.

"These drugs are making me so tired," He said, not bothering to open his eyes.

"But you're not in pain, right babe?" I checked, kissing the side of his forehead as I wrapped my arms around him softly.

"No, not really," He replied, "Just when I try to turn either way."

"Well at least they're working," I said and he opened his eyes, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," He replied, smiling, "Just wanted to see your face again."

"You're adorable," I leaned in and pecked his lips again, "Get some sleep though, ok? Mike's coming by to check in on you after his therapist appointment."

"Is your dad coming?" He asked, and I shook my head.

"I figure we can tackle him once you're feeling a little better?" I asked, "I want to take it slow, talking to dad again. Maybe we can go over and make dinner once you're feeling a little better?"

"Sounds good," Ezra mumbled, drifting off to sleep.

I kissed his cheek, and then went over and started in on my homework. I kept looking up and over at Ezra to make sure he was ok, then returning to my homework. At about five, I started cooking dinner, letting Ezra continue to sleep and trying to go about it as quietly as possible. I very quickly managed to whip up his favorite meal, setting it down on a tray as I carried it over to where he was still lying down.

"That smells delicious," His eyes flickered open as I went and sat by him.

"Now that you're awake, I could help you over to the couch if you'd rather eat there," I offered and he shook his head.

"You don't have to help," He replied, very slowly trying to move to the edge of the bed, "Could you just carry the tray over for me?"

He walked very carefully over towards the couch, wincing when he had to pick up his left leg. So, he started to favor his right one as he maneuvered his way over to the couch.

"I'm so sorry," I said as I set the tray on the coffee table, then helped him as he tried to get on the couch.

"Sorry about what?" He asked as I handed him his plate.

"It's my fault A did this to you."

"How do you figure?" He asked, "This A? Is a psycho running around somehow giving the police the slip. Them getting to me is no fault of yours."

"But A wouldn't have cared about getting to you if it wasn't for me."

"Aria," He said, as I curled up on the other side of the couch, "I - Ow"

He had set his plate down and tried to move towards me, but had had to stop. I was sitting on his injured side, and he wasn't going to be able to crawl over to me.

"Could you c'mere, please?" He asked and I shifted over, to curl up next to him instead, being very weary of his stitches.

"Yes," I said, just prompting him to continue.

"I love you," He continued, "It doesn't matter-"

"But it would be so much easier for you if I was gone," I said, "I've been such a problem to you. Wouldn't it be a lot easier if I just left. If we…look at you, you got stabbed! I-"

"Aria, Aria, slow down," He said, but I didn't pay attention to him.

"… and I don't want you getting hurt like that. It would be so much easier to just…"

He took a deep breath and leaned in and kissed me, passionately, and with enough energy to take my mind momentarily off of my tirade. I put my arms around his neck and he pulled me closer, very carefully so that I was sitting on his lap, my back against the arm of the couch as he continued to kiss me. Then, very slowly, he pulled away, kissing my forehead as he leaned back.

"Are you ready to listen to me now?" He asked, and I didn't say anything, "Aria, - can you look at me for a second?"

"What?" I asked, my mind still swirling with guilt and worry as I looked into his beautiful dark blue eyes.

"Aria," He said pointedly, gazing into my eyes, "You leaving – us breaking up… whatever you're considering here… would hurt a hell of a lot more than being stabbed. I don't ever want to be without you, even if I end up being stabbed every other day. It would be less painful than not being with you."

"I love you so much," I said, and he brought himself up to kiss me again.

"So get all of that 'he'll be safer without me' crap out of your head, ok?" He said as there was a knock on the door.

"We'll talk about this later."

I got off of his lap, and kissed his forehead as I handed him back his plate. I headed over to the door, and looked out the peephole, and saw Mike standing there, waiting for the door to be opened. I took a deep breath and motioned over to Ezra to have him button his shirt up at least a little bit. Then, I opened the door.

"Hey, Mike," I smiled as I stepped aside to let him in.

"Hey," He said as he walked in, and went to sit down with Ezra, "Dad's waiting downstairs, but I just wanted to come see you."

"How is your dad?" Ezra asked, taking a bite of his dinner.

"He's Dad," said Mike, and he looked over at me, "He really wants to see you."

"It's going to be a little while," I said, picking my own dinner up off the coffee table and starting to eat too, "I'm not ready to see him again yet. So we were thinking, when Ezra's feeling better we could come over and cook for you two."

"That sounds great," Mike said, "No chance of anything before that?"

"Even if I do start to get better with the idea of seeing him again – I don't want to leave Ezra until he's feeling a lot better than he is," I said, and Mike nodded as his phone started to ring.

"It's dad," Mike said, checking the caller ID, and not bothering to answer it, "He's a little different."

"Are you ok staying with him?" Ezra asked, concern immediately flooding his eyes.

I loved the way he cared so much for my little brother, and how much Mike cared about him. It was so nice, like no matter what Ezra thought of Mike as his little brother too, and was willing to do anything for him. They had bonded nicely, and rather quickly. They just seemed to get each other right off the bat.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Mike said, "It's just he's – not really dad anymore. He's a lot more relaxed."

"Really?" I was surprised.

"Yeah," Mike said, as he headed for the door, "Even more so than he was before mom died. I'll see you tomorrow, Ari."

"Good night, Mike," I said as I went to the door to shut it behind him.

I didn't bring up Ezra and I's previous conversation again that night, he was exhausted. He changed into his pajama pants and went and laid on the bed. I handed him his second pain pill and I cleaned him up, putting on his new bandage on his side. I took a deep breath as my phone went off on the nightstand. I finished the laying the gauze on his stitches before I climbed over him to get to my phone. The pill was working on putting him into a haze, that only lasted the first half hour that it was in his system – but it would probably put him right to sleep for the night.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hey, Spencer just told me about Ezra," Jason said, "Well, she just made it seem like I stabbed him – anyways is he ok?"

"He's fine," I said, "Thanks for the concern."

"Do your friends really think I would stab him?"

"They know you hit mom," I said, as I went back over to Ezra and put the bandage over his gauze, "They like to choose who's guilty and who's innocent, and keep it that way. They like to try and keep things as black and white as possible."

"So basically they're like everyone else in this damn town," He replied and I smirked.

"I guess so," I replied as Ezra tried to scoot himself up so he was propped up on his pillows again.

"Hey, I know caregivers do a lot," I could almost hear Jason's smile, "Can you meet me for some coffee?"

"I'm sorry, we're just getting ready for bed," I said.

"Oh, go have fun," Ezra mumbled almost incomprehensibly.

"Ezra wants you to come," Jason chuckled.

"Ezra has a pretty hefty painkiller in his system," I pointed out, "Goodnight, Jason."

"Night, Aria."

"I love you, Aria," Ezra said as I hung up and set my phone down on the nightstand.

"I love you, too, babe," I said as I got up and headed to the bathroom to quickly change into my PJs.

Ezra and I had made the executive decision to keep things as PG as possible until he was better. We didn't want to ruin it for ourselves, and at least while we couldn't do anything anyway it was good to keep up a little mystery.

"Good night, Angel," Ezra whispered as I came back and snuggled up with him.