A/N: I just wanted to let those of you still reading that this chapter and the rest of this fic will be unedited. I went over it a couple times this morning but grammar is not my strong suit. So I apologize for all the mistakes. Thanks to those of you still following and I hope you enjoy!
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The vet office is quiet with the exception of the whispered voices of the receptionist. Panic washes over her as she thinks about the veterinarian's words over and over. She gets the chills when someone sits down next to her, they're so close their leg bushes against her's. Her gaze slowly moves from the floor and over to her right. Feeling herself instantly calm when she sees that it's Jay sitting next to her. "I didn't know if you were still coming."
His appearance reminds her of when they were overseas. He's let his facial hair grow out since the last time they saw each other and the dark bags under his eyes tell her that he hasn't been sleeping the best. "They threatened to call security and my mom said I stink. So here I am."
"That's you?" She tries to joke, though the seriousness of the situation prevents it from coming across the right way but they both end up chuckling softly.
"I thought about going to my mom's house to take a shower first." His head hangs low. "but I couldn't – I uh….can't seem to go there. Just stepping through that door. It's too hard." There's a brief pause as he takes a moment to look around. "So what's going on with our girl?"
She gives him a sad smile, dimples and all as she leans in to peck his lips.
"The vet said that the injury to her leg damaged quite a few bones and nerves. He's not sure how she puts weight on it at all."
"And what'd they suggest?"
"He recommended amputation. And I know this is just a dog we're talking about and there are worse things going on. But she's become my light – both of you have and I can't help but think about the risks." Her voice just above a whisper as she lays her head on his shoulder.
"She's going to be ok." He kisses her temple. "How long will she be here?"
"She'll have to spend the night if we decide to go through with the surgery and if everything goes ok we can pick her up tomorrow."
"I think we should go see her before getting the surgery done." He suggests and she nods hesitantly.
They both go into the last exam room and spend some time with their puppy before leaving.
"Do you want to go get something to eat?" He asks as they walk towards their trucks.
If she was being honest she didn't feel like doing anything other than going home and cuddling with him but she couldn't exactly say no to that – not when she knew he probably hasn't been eating much as of late. So she nods and he opens her door.
Neither of them wanted to sit in to eat so they got carry out and went back to the apartment.
"If you want to you can take a shower here." She tells him after they're done eating and he thanks her before she goes to grab some towels for him.
When she gets back to her room Jay is sitting on the edge of the bed, looking around. He turns his head to look at her, giving her a small smile. She hands him the towels and he places them on his lap.
He pulls her to him so she's standing between his legs. His thumbs caress the exposed skin of her hips just above her jeans; a smirk coming to his face when he sees the black ink of a tattoo. Then he stands up, putting the towels on the bed so their bodies are flush against each other. "I didn't know you had a tattoo." His voice is just above a whisper as he pecks her lips.
"Not everyone can pull off a whole sleeve." She replies as she admires the black ink that decorates his left arm. He chuckles just as she continues. "So some of us have less visible tattoos."
He gives her a questioning look "Tattoos? As in plural?"
She takes a step back out of his embrace and he can tell she's thinking about her next move. Then she slowly lifts her shirt up half way, revealing her taut stomach and lower ribs. The black ink wraps around the curve under her left breast. His heart aches a little when he sees the pink ribbon on one of the petals of the biggest flower.
His eyes meet hers for a moment before his attention gets drawn back to the tattoo on her ribs again and his thumb sweeps across her skin. "I was fifteen when I got sent to a new foster home. My foster mom Camille, she became the closest I ever had to a family. She put up with all my shit." One side of her lips curl up slightly. "In the summer she'd plant flowers all around the yard. I swear there was more flowers than there was grass. I had only been there a few weeks and I don't remember what I did but as punishment she had me help her with the garden." She chuckles sadly. "The beginning of my senior year she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She passed away a month after I graduated high school. I thought that this was a fitting tattoo for her." She sniffles and he kisses her tears away, her eyes closing when his lips gently touch her skin.
He kisses her lips briefly before she pulls away. "Do you think Luna's ok?" Her eyes searching his for a few minute.
"I think she'll be fine and you need something to distract yourself."
"What do you suggest?" She gives him a slow kiss.
"Maybe a shower?" He mumbles as he assists her in pulling her shirt off and then his as they slowly walk back into the adjoined bathroom.
His breath hitches as her bra hits the floor. Their moves are slow and calculated as they remove the rest of their clothes and step into the shower. His hands cup the back of her thighs and lifts her so her core is pressed against his groin.
His lips travel from the spot below her ear down to her chest. Her right hand cups his jaw briefly so he is looking up at her before she drags it over his chest and torso. She lines him up with her entrance.
A sharp yelp falls from her lips with his first thrust.
Their pleasurable pants and moans echo through the bathroom as they fall into a slow and almost torturous rhythm.
She feels his legs continue to tremble as they come down from their highs. Her face falls to the crook of his neck and they stay wrapped around each other until their breathing returns to normal.
Nadia walks into her apartment, expecting Luna to run over and greet her at any minute but she's confused when she doesn't. Erin's keys and Luna's leash are on the table near the door, letting her know that they're home. She says their names but she's met with silence. She goes to Erin's room and opens the door. Her jaw drops as Erin comes out of the bathroom completely nude and picks up the towels from the bed. Jay – who is also naked – follows Erin out, running his hand through his damp hair. Neither of them notice her presence until she gasps. Jay moves to hide behind Erin at the same time that Nadia turns around and closes the door behind her before apologizing to them through the thin white wood.
"I'm just going to go to the store." They hear her yell just before the front door slams.
Jay chuckles softly at the pink tint taking over his girlfriend's cheeks. He remains standing behind her and begins to kiss Erin neck as she wraps one of the towels around herself. He gently guides her towards the bed.
"Does that mean there's time for another round or two?" He murmurs against her skin and she hums approvingly just before she falls back onto the bed, letting the towel fall open as he climbs over her.
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She kisses the corner of his lips and then the spot over his heart as she sits up. Seeing his long eyelashes flutter ever-so-slightly against his cheeks causes her to think he may wake up but he doesn't. She moves out of his arms – her limbs feeling heavy as she slides towards the edge of the bed.
Her shirt feels cool against her skin in comparison to the warmth of his embrace. Once she's dressed she picks up his clothes and takes them to the washing machine. It starts up just as Nadia walks back into the apartment.
Nadia takes off her shoes as she looks at her best friend before they walk to the kitchen. "Ok so two things. One, I'm seriously surprised you can walk. And two, does he by chance have an equally good looking and also well endowed brother?"
Erin rolls her eyes with as serious of an expression on her face as she can muster. "Do you still have some of Tyler's sweatpants?" Knowing that her ex left some of his clothes behind when they broke up.
"I think I gave it all away but I may have something, why?"
"Because Jay needs something to wear while I wash his clothes."
"That's sweet. So is he hiding in your bedroom, because he doesn't want me seeing him naked again?"
Erin avoids her friend's gaze by looking through the folder of take out menus. "He's sleeping."
"You wore him out." Nadia winks before going off in search of some sweatpants.
When she gets back to the kitchen she hands Erin a pair of gray pants just as she gets off the phone. She's confused when she sees the tags. "Nadia these are new."
Nadia shrugs as she sits down on the couch. "Yeah I bought them for Tyler when we were still together and I totally forgot about them."
"Thanks Nads." Erin takes them to her room.
The buzzing sound coming from the nightstand continues for several minutes before it has him sitting up and reaching for the phone.
He was looking for something to cover himself with so he can take the phone to Erin when another text comes through. The name is what catches his eye and then he sees that he's sent eighteen messages.
Erin walks in with a pair of sweatpants and she tilts her head a little in confusion when she finds him holding her phone.
He looks ashamed and maybe a little embarrassed when his eyes meet hers.
"I uh….I was just going to bring it to you but I couldn't find something to -" He stops himself when she hands him the pants "Wear." He finishes and she holds her other hand out for her phone.
"I'm really sorry Erin. I know it doesn't make anything better but I didn't see anything he sent."
"It's fine Jay." She flashes him a smile before looking at her texts. She deletes them and puts her phone back on the charger. Her eyes are cast down but she can still tell he has questions. She doesn't need to look at him in order to know what he wants to ask.
"I met him a little while after Camille passed away." The bed dips a little next to her as he moves closer. "I knew he was into some shady things then but he made me feel like he actually cared about me." His hand on her knee comforts her. "When I got back from my first tour I uh….I needed something to numb it all, you know? I thought he was just giving it to me in exchange for…. other things." She shifted a little as he went to pull her into him. "He took his anger out on me when his supplier started breathing down his neck and I told him I couldn't pay him what he claimed I owed at the time. I sobered up, got a job and was giving him all I had. I only had a couple hundred left to pay when I got redeployed. I thought when I got back that I could just give him the rest and that'd be it, I'd be free from him. But instead he hit me and said that I still owed him the original amount."
He doesn't say anything and pulls her to him and this time she lets him. His body is tense and rigid and she's not sure which part of her story got to him but she feels bad.
"The day at the park when we met up after you first got Luna, I filed a restraining order because he randomly came to my apartment that morning but that just pissed him off even more."
Nadia knocks on the open door to let them know that the game is about to start. They nod and she walks off.
Jay pulls the sweatpants on under the sheets and then he moves to kiss Erin's lips.
He hangs out with them while his clothes finish washing and drying before he heads back to the clinic.
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Erin hands Mrs. Halstead her medications and tells her that the doctor will be in shortly. The older woman nods before taking the pills and then drinks the water Erin gave her. She doesn't miss the small smile that graces Erin's face when she sees Jay sleeping on the chair in the corner of the room.
He's been coming over to hers and Nadia's place every other night. Some nights just to talk and others to catch up on sleep. Last night she's pretty sure he didn't sleep at all after she woke him up. So she's not surprised that he's taking a nap here.
She breaks from her thoughts and looks back at her patient.
"I'll be right back with more water for you and a blanket for him." Erin informs as she discards the disposable cups and her gloves before stepping out of the room.
She comes back a couple minutes later, placing the pitcher of water on the table near the foot of the bed and draping the blanket over Jay.
"He's lucky to have you."
There's no hiding the pink tint on Erin's cheeks as she looks over to the woman on the bed. She wants to tell his mom how she's the lucky one to have him in her life but the doctor walks in and keeps Erin from saying the words aloud. She smiles and nods her head towards Mrs. Halstead before leaving the room.
Her arm gets yanked back the minute she steps into the hall. The yelp she emits echoes off the walls around her especially in the room behind her.
Jay wakes up with a start at the noise. His eyes search his mom first before he sees Erin just outside the room with a pained expression on her face as she leans away from Brad. His blood boils as he stands, fist clenching while he moves towards them. He sees red as the guy yanks Erin's arm a couple times.
Jay pins Brad to the wall with so much force that Brad screams in pain.
"Jay, right?" He snickers after a minute. "My guys told me about Erin's new fuck buddy. She is a nice piece of ass, isn't she?"
Jay punches him a few times but then he hears Erin's voice pleading with him to stop. Not that Brad doesn't deserve it but she doesn't want Jay to get in trouble for hurting him. He stops but doesn't remove his arm from Brad's throat until security comes and escorts Brad out.
Jay checks on Erin and she just nods before going back to work. He goes back to his mom who gives him a worried but angry look. Not saying a word to her son. He turns around and goes outside.
He feels himself calm slightly until he sees Brad sitting on the hood of his car.
He pulls out his phone and calls one of his oldest friends. The phone rings a couple times before he hears his friend answer "Dawson."
Jay leans against one of the concrete pillars as he continues to glare at the man a couple hundred feet in front of him. "Antonio I need a favor."
Once he hangs up he goes back inside and tells Erin not to leave before he exits the clinic once again.
The walk to Brad's car is unnerving and he unconsciously clenches his fist at the smug grin on the smaller man's face.
"I'm sure she didn't tell you about me. She's not much of a talker especially in bed." He winks and it takes all of Jay not to kill him in that moment. "But she owes me money."
"Five grand right?"
Brad gives Jay a more serious look and nods.
"If I get you your money will you leave her alone?" Jay grits his teeth as he looks everywhere but at the man in front of him.
"Trust me I don't want your girl. Too much baggage."
That answer gets Jay to glare at him. Jay shakes his head and sighs. "That's not what I asked."
"Yeah sure I'll leave her alone."
Jay tells him where to meet and then he goes to his truck.
Just over an hour later Brad is walking through the park towards him with two other guys.
"So you got my money?"
Jay doesn't say anything he just hands him the envelope and watches as he looks at the cash. Then he gets hit by one of the random guys and then again until he tastes blood in his mouth. It happens in a blur after that Jay knocks one of the guys on their asses and fights with the second guy when they get surrounded by Antonio and his unit.
"You son of a bitch. You called the cops." Brad hisses as a pair of cuffs get thrown on him.
"You disobeyed a restraining ordering and it turns out you and your boys also have a couple warrants out for your arrest." The pain in his jaw is intense but he keeps talking. "You didn't think I would actually take your word for it when you said you'd stay away did you?" Jay manages to grin, knowing Erin will be safe.
"You're going to regret this. You're going to regret being with her." Brad snickers as he's taken to one of the unmarked cars.
Jay shakes his head, knowing he'd never regret anything to do with Erin.
XXXXXX
After stopping at the clinic to check on his mom he goes to Erin and Nadia's. He knocks a couple times but it remains shut, so he calls Erin's phone. The voice that comes through almost doesn't sound like her and he's not sure what to say until he hears her say his name again and realizes it is in fact her. He asks her to come let him in and then the line goes dead. Dread fills him when Nadia comes to open the door. She walks away, leaving him to close the door. He follows Nadia to the living room, stopping only when Luna cautiously hops over to him. He greets the young dog briefly before she moves back to her bed and that's when he sees Erin. The exhaustion and worry evident on her features as he gets closer to her.
"Where did you go?" Her voice a little raspier than usual.
He takes a seat next to her and he slowly moves her onto his lap, her arms tucked between them and her head resting against his pec.
"I have a friend that works in the Narcotics Unit. I had him look Brad and his crew up. They all had outstanding warrants. So I arranged for Brad to meet me at River Park, they were all arrested. Antonio said that they'll be in prison for a very long time."
"I'm sor-" She begins mumbling into his chest as she cuddles into him more.
"Erin look at me." He wants to look her in the eyes when he says this but she shakes her head. "Babe please look at me." His hands gently cupping her cheeks once she lifts her head. "You have nothing to apologize for." He places a tender kiss to her forehead when she nods. Her hand comes up to cup his jaw gently and she takes in the small cuts and bruises marring his beautiful face.
Later that night she's mostly laying on top of him. Her even breaths tickling the skin of his of his chest. His index finger trailing up and down her back underneath her shirt as he slowly drifts off.
The memory of Brad hitting her vividly playing in his head – as if it had just happened. But this time Brad doesn't stop with one hit. And Jay can't get to her until it's too late. Parts of his usual nightmares mix in with the images of Erin's bruised, battered and lifeless body, haunting him in his sleep.
When he wakes up he realizes that Erin must have felt him tense up because she lifts her head to kiss his collarbone, his neck and then his jaw. His racing heart slows when she places one more lingering kiss to the spot above it before sitting up.
"I know you said I have nothing to apologize for but I really am sorry Jay."
He shakes his head and pulls her back down before kissing her lips. His fingers tease the hem of her shirt before lifting it up and over her head before he dips her into the bed.