Lee
He was sitting on his porch steps when the Cadillac pulled up. He kept his expression neutral despite his admiration for the car. It was in considerably good shape for its age. The woman opened the door and stepped out, and he got a better look at her in the daylight. He noticed the tattoos on her right arm and hand as well as all her rings and leather bracelets. She also had blue and purple streaks in the ends of her hair.
"No!" she yelped, lunging to grab the kitten as it made a break for it. She caught it mid-jump and moved to put it back into the car before shutting the door. She leaned against the door, looking at him with a sheepish expression on her face. "Hi."
"Hey," he said back.
"We don't have to do this," she said. "I know you were just being polite earlier."
"And yet you showed up," he pointed out.
"Well, I kind of do need a place to stay," she said, shrugging her left shoulder up slightly before dropping it.
"Come on, then," he said with a gesture. She pushed off the car and walked towards him.
"I'm Norah, by the way," she offered.
"Lee," he said, even though he knew she'd heard Tool introduce him earlier.
"Nice to meet you," she said, holding out her hand. He hesitated briefly before moving to shake it. Her hand was cold. He went inside first, and she followed. He led her to the basement, which had above ground windows for light. She looked around as he stood there watching.
Lee couldn't describe what he was sensing from her. It was like she was trying to be confident but also appeared small and meek.
"300 a month you said?" she asked.
"Yea."
"Okay," she said with a nod. "Deal."
"You're fine with sharing a kitchen?"
"Yep."
"I'm not here much anyway," he offered.
"Whatever. Doesn't bother me," she said with a shrug. "When can I move in?"
"Um...whenever," he answered, taken slightly off guard. He was going to have a tenant sooner than he realized. He mentally went through his house to think if he'd left any guns or knives laying around.
"Cool. I'll stay one last night at the motel since I paid for it. I'll come by tomorrow with cash and hunker in," she said, giving him a smile. "Thanks for this."
"You're welcome," he said. They walked back up the stairs, and Norah paused at the sight of the framed photograph of the Expendable team. They were leaning their elbows on each other and laughing. No weapons were in sight, luckily.
"They're like your family, aren't they?" she asked, looking at him now. Lee had to admit she was perceptive.
"Yea," he answered. "They are."
"What about your real family?"
He felt something grip him in that moment. It was very much like grief, but he didn't want to admit that's exactly what it was. It was an innocent enough question, but it irritated him. He barely knew her. Why was she asking about his real family? Why did she care?
He was saved from answering by Rupert, who had come to investigate the new person on his turf.
"Oh!" Norah exclaimed as Rupert jumped up and rested his paws on her shoulders, trying to thoroughly wash her face with his tongue.
"Hey, get down," Lee ordered, snapping his fingers. Rupert reluctantly got down, and he gave Lee a mournful look.
"It's all right," Norah said.
"Don't encourage him," Lee told her. "I'm trying to work with him."
"Okay."
"He's a stray," Lee offered. "I invited him in one day, and he's never left."
"What do you call him?"
"Rupert."
"Well, Rupert's adorable," Norah said, reaching to scratch Rupert's ears fondly as he sat and leaned all his weight against her. "Aren't you? You're so cute. Such a good boy." The dog's tongue lolled, and his tail thumped on the ground hard with pleasure. Lee felt his lips twitch at the sound of her voice going all baby-like while talking to Rupert. She bent down, cupped Rupert's head, smushing his ears in the process, and rested her forehead against the dog's. Something about this gesture touched Lee inside. It was so...tender. Loving. Norah gave Rupert's head a kiss and ruffled his fur one more time before getting back to her feet.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she said to Lee.
"Sounds good," he replied. She gave a smile and a wave before opening the car door. She nudged her kitten out of her seat and shut the door. Lee watched her drive away, and he wondered just what he'd done.
Gunner
He couldn't stop thinking about the woman who got the lotus tattoo. It was unusual for him to be this fascinated with someone, and he didn't know what it was about her that caught his attention. It might be the brokenness he'd seen behind her eyes, or it might have been her mix of confidence and shyness. He was laying on his back on his hard mattress, staring at the ceiling. One arm was behind his head. He was trying not to drink, and his right leg was starting to twitch and bounce the longer he went. He knew he had a problem, but he didn't know how to stop. It was the same with drugs. He'd go so long before he'd cave and use, and then he'd get trapped in the vicious cycle all over again.
It looked like this woman had a similar struggle but was on her way to moving past it. He sat up slowly. Maybe that's what it was. She was proving that you could move on from something you're addicted to, so why couldn't he? He swung his legs over the side of the bed, resting his bare feet on the cold floor. He felt that coldness spread up through his body. He looked over at his cabinet and tapped his fingers on the mattress.
He could do this. He could stop.
All he had to do was try.
Norah
She felt giddy. She didn't know why. She was going to be living in a basement of all places, and her roommate was a gruff Englishman who had a soft spot for stray dogs. When she had started out on this journey, she hadn't foreseen this.
"Hi, Dad," she said, the phone tucked against her chin. "Just calling to say hey. I miss you. I heard you're setting a new record for how many times one can vomit at work. Don't forget to do it outside the crime scene so you're not contaminating stuff. Anyway, sorry I missed you. Call me when you can. Love you." She hung up and was thoughtful for a moment. They'd never spoke of her mother's death, not out loud. Norah lived with it every day. She couldn't tell if it still bothered her father. Joe Lorkowski was very good at putting on a tough face, sometimes too good. Rose kept it together most of the time, but she would crack apart when Norah least expected it. She was just happy her sister had finally given up Mac and started to live her life. She hoped her sister would follow through with Winston, who did not hide his adoration for Rose. She felt bad for ever saying and thinking he was creepy. He turned out to be a really nice guy.
She rested her fingers against the bandage covering her new tattoo. She couldn't wait to see it. She wondered where she could get a job. She didn't really want to work at a diner again, but she did need money. She had enough for three month's rent and groceries. If she didn't want to dig into her savings, then she had to figure something out.
"Hi, baby," she said as Sassy climbed onto her stomach. She winced a little as the claws dug into her momentarily. Sassy started to purr and curled up in a ball under her hand. Norah was beginning to feel like things just might be all right after all.
Barney
He stood, legs spread out and hands folded in front of him. He stood at the edge of the beach, his bare feet sinking into the sand. He watched the sun go down slowly, and he exhaled.
"Another year," he said. "Another year without you. It still hurts, you know? It hurts that you couldn't talk to me. It hurts that you just gave up that easily. That's how it feels to me, anyway. I know I'll never understand. Maybe you tried everything. Maybe you were just tired. I don't know. I'll never know." He stopped, feeling the wind against his face. The last rays of the sun were warm on his cheek. "I love you. I miss you. Save me a spot wherever you are. I wouldn't want you to get lonely." He chuckled to himself and looked down, feeling the sting behind his eyes. Then he cleared his throat and sniffed hard, looking back at the sun disappearing.
"Happy birthday."
When it was gone, he turned and walked back to his truck.
Toll & Caesar
They were sparring. Toll was ducking and weaving while Caesar kept trying to corner him in the ropes. He gave a warrior-like roar as he launched towards Toll, who sidestepped it and laughed.
"Damn! Come on!" Caesar exclaimed, giving his entire body a shake. "Let me get at least one punch in."
"No way!" Toll laughed. "The whole point is to challenge each other. It's not my fault I'm faster than you."
"Going for a mental beat down too, are you?" Caesar said, disgruntled. "Okay, Ear Man. Let's go."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Toll cried, holding up his hands. "What's with the insults?!"
"Just trying to get into your head," Caesar answered, pounding his gloved hands together. "Let's go!" He swung, and Toll still dodged it. He came back with a sharp uppercut, and it sent Caesar staggering backwards.
"Insulting me only makes me more pissed off," Toll warned. Both their fists were flying now, and Toll still managed to come out on top. Panting, Caesar pounded on the floor with his right fist.
"Mercy!" he shouted. "Mercy!"
"You done?" Toll asked, squeezing a little harder. He had Caesar's arm twisted back, his foot on Caesar's back.
"I'm done!" Caesar yelped. "I'm done." Toll let him go, and Caesar sank face first into the mat, releasing a loud groan. Toll smirked as he pulled off his gloves and started to unwrap his hands. He got to his feet and gave Caesar's side a nudge with his foot.
"Ow," Caesar moaned.
"Come on," Toll said. "Dinner's on me."
Caesar lifted his head at this, intrigued. "Yea?"
"Yea." Toll extended his hand, and Caesar grasped it. Once he was back on his feet, he dusted himself off.
"Pizza?" Caesar asked, a hopeful tone in his voice.
"Sounds good."
Toll clapped him on the back, making him grunt in pain, before heading to shower. He hadn't said anything to anybody, but he was thinking about the woman from earlier. She seemed a bit out of place but also kind of awkward and quirky. He hoped he would get the chance to spend more time with her. It'd be nice to have someone different to talk to for a change.
Rose Lorkowski
She was late. She felt anxious as she sat on the edge of the tub. This was not good. She couldn't be late. She'd been so careful. She bit her nail, trying not to chew it clean off. If she was late, then it meant...
"Mom?" Oscar asked through the door.
"Yes, sweetie?"
"Are you almost done? I have to go."
"Just one minute."
She heard him lean against the door. She resisted scolding him. She didn't want him to hear the nervousness in her tone. When it was time, she forced herself to look at it. Then she gave a slight whimper.
She was pregnant.
Lee
He threw the ball for Rupert once more, his arm getting tired. He knew better than to start this game of fetch because it went on forever. Rupert was tireless. Lee, on the other hand, was exhausted.
"Again?" he asked dryly when Rupert dropped the ball at his feet, tail wagging and an almost expectant look in his eyes. "Fine." Lee picked it up and hurled it far, watching Rupert bound after it. He wondered what it was going to be like living with Norah. She seemed okay. He hoped she didn't think they were going to become besties. He wasn't in the mood for that.
He got to his feet, groaning. Getting older sucked. He had a brief thought of how he at least got to grow old and dismissed it as quickly as it came. He refused to think about it if he could help it.
"Come on, boy," he said as Rupert pranced up to him, ball in his mouth tightly. He was snorting from the effort. "Time for bed." Lee went in, narrowly getting plowed over by the dog, who was racing to get in to the couch first. Lee tsked and shook his head. He was too tired to wrestle for it, so he went to bed. Let the dog have the couch for the night. He didn't care.
He wondered how well Rupert was going to get along with that kitten.
The Next Day
Norah
She felt a vibration all throughout her body as she drove back to Lee's place. Sassy was dozing on the passenger seat, tail twitching every so often. Norah hoped her kitten would get along with Rupert. She kept picturing that Bugs Bunny cartoon of the bulldog who adopted the little kitten and loved it to pieces. That's what she wanted for Rupert and Sassy.
"Try not to scratch him in the first five minutes," Norah said to the kitten. She got no response.
It was another sunny day. Norah felt like nothing could dampen her mood anyway. Once she got a job, she could relax a little with the income and plan out her next move. Her options were limitless in her mind. She pulled into Lee's driveway and parked a little ways from his bike. She felt an adrenaline rush looking at that bike. Her father would straight up murder her if he knew she was planning on asking Lee if she could ride it. She loved that kind of stuff. Anything that gave her an adrenaline high, really.
She got out and noticed Lee standing in the doorway. She gave a wave before leaning back into her car to grab her bag. She scooped up Sassy with her free hand before the kitten could make a run for it. Rupert was bounding towards her as she walked towards the house. The kitten immediately started to squirm, and Norah almost lost a hold of her.
"Hey! Get own," Lee called, but Rupert ignored him and paced back and forth in front of Norah as she tried to walk forward. Sassy was getting more anxious.
"Okay, okay, okay," Norah said, dropping her bag and using both hands to hold Sassy. "Let's just get the introductions out of the way now, shall we?" Rupert was sniffing loudly as he approached. Sassy was vocalizing loudly. Then Rupert's large tongue washed Sassy's entire body, and the kitten was struck dumb for a moment. Both Lee and Norah waited with baited breaths. Sassy blinked and then she meowed a little less loudly, and Norah thought it might be safe to set her down. She did so, keeping her hands close in case she needed to grab her again. Rupert carefully lowered himself face first to the ground until his butt was high in the air, tail wagging. Sassy was now sniffing his snout and examining him. It looked like all was well until Sassy wound up her paw and smacked Rupert right in the nose.
"Sassy!" Norah admonished, picking her up quickly while Rupert yelped and made a fuss. He leaped back, dancing around and looking at Lee as if he thought Lee was going to come to his rescue.
"You shouldn't have licked her," Lee told him, shaking his head. Rupert whined.
"A work in progress I guess," Norah commented, picking up her bag again and walking towards Lee. "Maybe they'll reach the frenemies stage eventually."
"Maybe," Lee agreed. She handed him the cash, and he eyeballed it quickly before pocketing it.
"You're not gonna count it?" she asked.
"Why, are you ripping me off?" he countered.
"No. Just figured everyone counted cash," she said with a shrug. He made a show of pulling it back out, separating the three hundred dollar bills, and looking at her with a raised brow.
"I think it's all here," he said a little sarcastically.
"I could have made that money in the back of my car," she retorted. "Off my portable printing press."
"Yea, okay," he snorted. He turned the stairwell light on. "It's all yours." She gave him a cheeky smile and clomped down the stairs. She went to sit on the double bed and sighed happily. This was her temporary home. It felt great.
Rose & Joe
"Gah," Joe said, coughing. "Damn it." He buried his face into the crook of his arm. Rose gave him a smirk as she moved past him. She was accepting the fact that her father wasn't able to handle decomposing body smells. Then her own stomach gave a turn, and she swallowed hard. The reminder that she was pregnant was occurring every couple minutes. She didn't know what to do. She knew the baby was Mac's. It had to be. He was the only person she'd been intimate with for a long time. She had no idea how to proceed. Should she tell him? He was already having another baby with his wife, Heather. It hadn't been that long ago when Heather had humiliated her in the gas station. Of course she'd known what Mac and Rose were up to. Rose still felt foolish for keeping that affair going for as long as it did. The worst part of ending it had been realizing that he hadn't really been that upset by it ending.
"Oh, it burns," Joe went on, eyes blinking. Rose handed him a pair of safety goggles, which he snapped onto his head quickly.
"Just pretend you're standing in a field of lavender," she suggested.
"I'm pretty sure I'm standing knee deep in rotten fish," he said back. She chuckled and got to work. She had to focus on something or else she'd go crazy. Her thoughts eventually slid over to Oscar. What would he think about having a sibling? She started scrubbing the walls at full force. Her father was bagging up things across the room.
"Your sister left me a message," he said after a while. "She sounds happy."
"Mmm," Rose answered. She didn't want to think about Norah right now. She figured her sister was making another mistake, another compulsive decision. She hoped Norah wouldn't hurt anyone else on her path to "finding herself."
"She didn't say where she was," Joe went on.
"She's in New Orleans," Rose answered.
"Oh?"
"She's going to stay there for a while."
"I thought she wanted to travel?"
"Norah is a fart in a mitt, Dad," Rose said to him. "She's compulsive. She distracts herself with whatever new thing she comes across."
"Don't let her hear you say that," Joe warned.
"You know I'm right."
"Yes, but that won't stop her from taking you down."
"She can try," Rose muttered, scrubbing harder.
"Are you all right? Is something bothering you?"
"Nope."
Joe knew better than to press. He'd had his fair share of doors being slammed in his face, screaming fits over something deemed unfair, and crying over nothing over the years. He wished sometimes that he had a son to balance out the hormones.
"Well, I think this journey she's on is good for her," he finished.
"Uh huh."
Joe decided to stop talking at this point. Whatever was bugging Rose was obviously something big. He kept to himself. He knew that when she was ready to talk, she'd tell him.
Barney
It was quiet on the work front for right now, which he didn't mind. Sometimes dodging bullets got to him. He was sitting on the back step at Tool's smoking a cigar, watching the smoke curl in the air and float away lazily.
"There you are," Tool said, joining him. His pipe was in his hand.
"Here I am," Barney agreed.
"Did you say hello yesterday?"
"Briefly."
They were silent, Tool sucking on his pipe now every so often. Barney appreciated that his friend didn't pry with questions like Lee would. He knew Tool had his own ghosts and skeletons. He didn't know anyone who didn't. Sometimes you didn't have to talk about them to be able to give support.
"I like that girl," Tool said after a moment.
"Which girl?"
"The one who came for the lotus tattoo. Norah."
"Is that the one Gunner and Toll kept yammering on about?"
"That's the one," Tool confirmed. His lips formed a smile around the end of his pipe.
"What's so special about her?"
"I dunno. Something in her eyes tells me she's been lost for a while."
"So another lost soul has made its way to our group?" Barney asked with a sigh.
"I don't see her picking up a rifle and hopping on the plane with you the next time you go out."
"Why do I get the sense there's gonna be trouble?"
"That's between Gunner and Toll," Tool answered with a shrug. Barney rubbed his chin thoughtfully. So both men liked her. That could turn into an interesting fight. He didn't even know what this woman was like or even what she looked like.
"Funny," Barney said, "isn't it usually Christmas who gets head over heels over a woman?"
"Usually," Tool agreed. "He seemed indifferent. She's moving into his basement today, though."
"She's what?" Barney asked, surprised. He looked at Tool, left eyebrow raised. Why hadn't Christmas told him this? Then again, he had told him to go away yesterday without letting him talk.
"Yea. She was looking for a place, and he was offering, so it just worked out," Tool replied. Barney started to chuckle, getting an idea of what was going to happen amongst his teammates. Tool started to smile also. At least they were both on the same page.