Here's the second chapter! Might go back and rewrite this eventually, but for right now, I'll just see how this is received, I guess. ^.^'
This story will be open for requests, but for right now, I don't have plans for this story. Sorry! Hope you like this chapter!
God Bless and Good Day!
~The Lupine Sojourner
If you find yourself waking up and you don't know where you are, Winnie, do not open your eyes right away. Observe as much as you can without sight before slowly cracking your eyes open. And even then, if you start to think you see someone in front of you, slip them back closed slowly. You do not want them finding out that you're awake, cus that's when they'll start whatever they've got planned for you.
Uncle Lachlan's voice was ringing in my head, barely audible over the ringing in my ears. He'd been crazy paranoid about teaching me self-defense from a young age. As Uncle Lachlan was a retired Judge, I never questioned it or protested. I just grit my teeth and got through it.
I just barely opened my eyes and noted instantly that I was in a higher level of a high rise, due to the lack of view and breeze through the broken windows. I was tied at the wrists and elbows and lying on a cement flooring. I closed my eyes again as I hear a door behind me open, forcing my breathing to sound unconscious (something Uncle Lach had taught me when I was seven) as the two men came circling around me. One scoffs.
"She ain't up yet?"
"Nah, that b***h ain't gon wake up fer a while yet." The other replies, also scoffing. "Wesley and Argot got 'er with the concentrated stuff." I can feel the other guy frown more than see it.
"What'd we even want 'er fer?"
"Dunno, but I hear it's to send some message to that Judge we was havin' such prob'ems with 'fore now. You know, in Peach Trees." I swallow and continue my breathing, but inwardly I'm panicking. I'm bait, and they can do whatever they want with me while they have me. But, for now, they are content to simply sit here and guard me, so I am content to keep pretending I'm unconscious. For about half a minute, when one of the men gets bored and kicks my diaphragm. It was so unexpectedly startling and painful, I flinch, but manage to act as though I were just waking up. I was grabbed and forced to stand, yanked up to stand centimeters from my captor's face.
"What the- -"
"Hey, bi**ch!" The banger calls, smirking in a leering manner at me. "Finally woke the princess, eh?" I grimace at both the man's breath and the throbbing in my temples as a headache began and increased.
"You try being sedated, pal. See how long you're out for!" I growl before I can think it through. The guy slaps me hard enough to make my lips bleed and form a bruise, most likely. With my arms tied, I can't do anything but fall, cracking my shoulder and temple against the unforgiving cement floor. He then drags me up by my hair.
"Jes' you wait, darlin'." He growls, spittle flying all over my face. "The boss'll wanna see yah. Pronto." And with that, they began to push me toward the door before I started walking on my own. Once through, there is a short hall of doors before an elevator we enter. It's dense, awkward silence on the ride down, then I am pushed toward an office of sorts, or a command center, with one of the Judges- -I automatically read the Badge; Argot- -that kidnapped me leaning against the desk nonchalantly, halting his chatting with a few other people in the room to stare at me. I swallow, but let him begin this exchange.
"Well, well, well." He muses. I refrain from commenting and let him do the talking as he grabs my chin painfully, dragging me closer. "You know, now you're here, I just can't see it." He says casually, forcing me closer and up to nearly my tip-toes.
"Can't see what?" I snap before I can stop myself. The man smirks, increasing his grip.
"Why Dredd likes yah so damn much." I scoff as he thrusts me away.
"That's why you took me?! Geez, you don't know him. He's a robot! A fricking android if I ever saw one!" I snap, even though deep down, I knew it wasn't true. Play it tough, Winnie. That's the key. Show 'em you ain't terrified of 'em, even if yer about to crap yourself. "He doesn't like me at all!" I add for good measure, biting back the guilt this brings up. The man laughs, the sound cold and cruel.
"You don't know Dredd, then!" The man snaps in sudden rage. "He's a Judge! Cold judgement on lawbreakers is the job! We're not supposed to get attached to anyone, let alone form bonds and...relationships with them!" I can't help a step back. I hate to admit it, even just in my head, but this guy was intimidating…and had a point.
"So?" I spit, trying to keep my tough facade up as long as I could.
"So when we actually come back and want to see you, it means something! What did he tell you, huh? 'You were closer than the other hospitals'? That's BS and you know it." I swallow. "Trust me; this'll hurt 'im." I step forward, suddenly bold.
"What'd he ever do to you?!"
"He got in my way, killed friends of mine when he found out the truth about Mega City 1. This city is a meat grinder of crime and villainy; people in one end, meat out the other. All Judges do is turn the handle, so why even bother?" I frown.
"They do a lot for this city!" I protest. "He does a lot!"
"He's ruthless, Rowena, even among the other Judges!" I gulp in shock at the fact that he knew my name, and that he was quite suddenly centimeters from my face. "Utterly ruthless! He murdered his fellow Judge by slamming his Lawgiver's handle on his throat! Just for being smart enough to accept the truth! You listen to that and tell me he ain't gone overboard!"
"I won't hesitate to use those same measures on you and all other lawbreakers." Comes the voice of my rescuer, Joseph Dredd. I turn to see him in the doorway, no helmet and eyes blazing in cold, unbridled fury. It honestly scares me a little, especially since he doesn't have his armor on. It's just the leather jacket and wife beater between him and a bullet. "Are you alright, Rowena?" He asks, eyes never leaving my captors, flicking from one to the other dangerously. I nod.
"Ye-yeah. I'm good." I reply. He nods, eyes never losing that dangerous, all-consuming fire. Especially as he takes in my torn lip, bonds, and bruises, and probably the thousand thoughts and emotions going through my head right now. His jaw sets furiously, his being darkening frightfully.
"Good." He then fires a mere four times and all of the captors are dead except Argot.
"I see your injuries haven't slowed you down at all, Dredd." He remarks casually, smirking, still incredibly close to me. Joseph's eyes flash and his roar is truly terrifying and before I know it, they are fist-fighting!
"Stop! Dredd, stop! You'll- -Agh!" They slam into the glass desk in the room, knocking me down along with them, making it tip and shatter. I instantly stand up, touching as little of the ground as possible. I then grab a fairly large piece of glass carefully, slicing through my bonds before stabbing it into the bad Judge's jugular. "You should know by now, Judge; the Law always wins." I growl as the man bleeds out, staring at me incredulously as he collapsed. Instantly, I release the glass with a sharp hiss. I had nasty gashes where the edges had made contact with my skin. "Crap!" I groan, nearly a whimper, hand shaking in pain. I take deep breaths and look around for some kind of faucet or sink to use to wash my gashes and hopefully rinse out any glass still in there. Joseph gently guides me with hands on my elbows to a door off to the side, revealing a half-bath with a clean-looking sink. I have to force myself to keep the hand under the water, hissing aloud in pain. "Frick, this really hurts!" I groan, squeezing my eyes shut. Joseph then turns the water off and gently dries my hand with the towel nearby.
"You are lucky I always have a first aid kit on me." He muses, with the tiniest of smirks. I smirk back.
"My hero." He then applies disinfectant as well as cauterizing cream before he starts tenderly wrapping my hand, frowning in some unreadable emotion. Guilt? Remorse? Self-loathing?
"If I was, I'd have been there to stop the kidnapping." I frown.
"Joseph." I whisper. It was the first time I'd really addressed him by his first name since he told me. It had the desired effect; he froze, eyes snapping up to look at mine, searching them. "I don't blame you." I tell him genuinely. "I gave you the sedative. You were asleep. You needed that sleep."
"I shouldn't have taken the sedative." He retorts, intent on blaming himself, eyes now anywhere but mine.
"I'd have given to you, anyway." That seems to electrify the room, the tension and anticipation rising until we started leaning in. Instead of a kiss, we lean our foreheads together. It was somehow more electrifying than what I imagine a kiss to feel like, communicating more than a kiss ever could. "And you're gonna come back to my apartment with me and get more rest. Got that?" Joseph merely chuckles. He draws a little away, and it takes all I have not to pull him back.
"If that's what you want." I lick my lips, daring to look him in eye when I reply.
"I do."
=#=#=#=#=
"Wait, wait, wait…" I stammer in disbelief. "You mean to tell me...you've never had ice cream?!" I ask, laughing. Joseph stood tall, unfazed by my amusement.
"No time. I'm always either on the clock, asleep, or eating a meal." I shake my head, chuckling.
"Well, I just so happen to have heaven incarnate in my freezer right now. Death by Chocolate." I reply easily, smirking playfully. He returned the smirk, leaning on my counter opposite me and looking very kissable.
"That's Murder of a Judge." He remarks wryly. "Sentence; death." Oh, sweet Lord of All Things Holy, that devilish smirk of his is not helping!
"Death by Chocolate." I retort, laughing to distract myself as I dig it out of my freezer. I then grab two mugs and a scoop as well as two spoons and serve the chocolaty heaven. Just as I am taking the fifth bite of ice cream, however, there's a series of knocks that could only be Uncle Lachlan. I groan aloud and motion Joseph to sit back down, as he'd risen at the noise, hand on the handle of his Lawgiver. "It's just my Uncle. Hang on a sec. Be right back." I tell him and open the door.
"Winnie!" My uncle cries and draws me into a nearly bone-crushing hug, spinning me around before plopping me down and looking me over intently. I laugh as he exhales in relief. "You're okay." I nod.
"Of course, Uncle Lach. Just a few minor bruises and a split lip." I then put a hand on his shoulder. "How'd you know I went missing?" He sighs.
"I came by to see if you were free for lunch. You didn't open the door and you weren't in the apartment. I saw a ma- -" I stop him right there.
"That's a Judge that needed treatment faster than he could get to a hospital." I interject before he gets any ideas. "I'd given him sedative and went to get some groceries when I was taken." The Judge Garter side of my uncle, so rarely used but always present, hardens his face.
"Who took you? Any idea?" He asks. I shake my head.
"Not really any names, but I know they were crooked Judges, bent on exacting revenge on the Judge I'd treated for his interference at Peach Trees a month ago." As I thought, Uncle Lachlan's eyes lit up in realization a second before he tore into the dining/living room area. He caught sight of Joseph and blinked several times, reconciling the passed out man on the couch with his identity and reputation. "Why don't you sit down, Uncle Lach?" I suggest, steering him that way and seating him before he could protest.
"You're Dredd, ain't yah?" He breaths. Joseph nods crisply.
"Yes, sir." He replies curtly. I look between the two and smirk.
"Jo, meet my Uncle and father-figure of nearly two decades, Lachlan Garner." Joseph nods and so does Uncle Lach, and the men shake hands.
"Good to meet you, sir." Jo intones genuinely, then turns to me. "You never mentioned your uncle." I shrug.
"Never came up the two times you've shown up bloody and bruised in my apartment." Uncle Lachlan sighs good-naturedly.
"Trust you to take in strays, Winnie, even against my lectures." I roll my eyes.
"Oh, that's just you being paranoid. Besides, I could have easily forced sedative into his bloodstream if need be. You know that."
"I do. I just- -"
"Want me to be safe. I know." Uncle Lach then gets a worn-out, tired visage and I chuckle.
"Take the guest room for the night, Uncle. We'll still be here in the morning." I coax.
"No. I'll…" I deadpan, crossing my arms.
"Go." That's all he needed as he trudged off with a pat on my shoulder and a soft 'goodnight, baby girl'. "Goodnight, Uncle." I reply, smiling. The smile then drops at the thought of telling Jo about my parents and Uncle Lachlan. It wasn't a pleasant tale. "...Judged gang members." I mumble, eyes down on the counter and hands braced against it, as well. I couldn't look Joseph in the eyes. "I was eight when Dad responded to the wrong drugs bust." I choke out.
"...And your mother?" He asks in genuine curiosity. I grimace.
"She died when I was one, trying to bring my little sibling into the world. We never knew what gender it was." I take a shuddering breath to steady myself and press on. "From eight years old on, it's been Uncle Lachlan and I against Mega City 1, constantly training to prevent anything happening to either of us. He's a paranoiac with sickle cell anemia." Jo's arms are suddenly around me and I don't fight the hug. "I've been taking care of him as much as he's been taking care of me." He then gently takes my chin in his hand, making me look at him.
"That takes a lot of strength and courage, Rowena." I give off a bitter, humorless chuckle.
"And then I moved out, leaving him alone with his demons." This seems to snap something in my head and I just can't stop the tears. Everything was crashing down on me and I just cry and cry and all Joseph can do is hold me, but it helps. When I finally stop, I realize I'm somehow in my bed with no idea how I even got into my bedroom. I am then aware of Joseph with his hand on my shoulder. He squeezes it gently and prepares to leave. I grab his forearm. "St-stay?" I ask, hating how weak I sounded at the moment, but unable to help it. Joseph merely nods and lays down, his chest against my back and it gives me the relaxation I need to finally let exhaustion overtake me and fall asleep.
=#=#=#=#=
In the morning, I wake to find Joseph still right where he was last night and the memories make me sigh in...not regret, but...guilt. Guilt that I made Joseph take care of me when I should have been perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Despite my Uncle's best efforts, I was in no way prepared for what I'd just lived through. Joseph, evidently an easy man to rouse, yawns as he wakes up, his eyes turning to me, warm and sincere as the silence hangs between us, flimsy and yet keeping us apart by no more than three inches. There's suddenly no room for Jesus anymore as I slowly lean up and in and his lips finally meet mine. We stand there for a moment, neither wanting to end the kiss, but knowing we must eventually. When we do break apart, we lean our foreheads together and it feels just as intimate and personal as the kiss. "Sorry." I breath. "I just...couldn't not kiss you any longer." Joseph merely smiles, a warm throaty chuckle emanating from his throat.
"'Any longer'?" He asks. I flush.
"Y-yeah. I...I just...when you decided I was worth taking off the helmet for, claiming that it was what you wanted, it just- -something clicked." I stammer, tucking hair behind my ear. "I knew then that I was sunk in terms of resisting you."
"And I knew I was more than just intrigued when you refused to let me go without treatment. All other doctors simply let me walk out. They didn't care enough to insist. You did."
"Do." I insist, smirking. "And I don't plan on stopping anytime soon." He grins and he kisses me again, a little harder, but with just enough restraint that it didn't go anywhere...more intimate.
So, in the end, my dream came true; I met a Judge. Fell for him, too.