Just fyi, Dino is pronounced Dee-no :)
Lee
He woke up in the middle of the night to something batting at his face. He sat up quickly, getting ready for a fight, and then realized he had a visitor in his bed with him. He reached to turn his lamp on, and Sassy looked back at him.
"What are you doing here?" he asked. The kitten responded by pushing against him with her head and purring. "Oh, you wanna play, do you? Well, it's bedtime, not playtime." He couldn't help but scratch her fur, and the kitten arched against the palm of his hand happily. Something about this simple gesture made him feel warm inside. Something wanted him, needed him. He looked at the cat's deep blue eyes and sighed. "Fine, but don't complain if I roll over you in my sleep." He got settled back down to sleep and turned his light off. Sassy curled up into a ball on his chest, and Lee rested a hand on her back. She was very warm. He wondered what had caused the kitten to abandon Norah and come find him. He drifted back to sleep easily enough.
...
Morning arrived, and with it came a dog. Lee was still sleeping when Rupert launched himself onto the bed. Then there was hissing, yowling, and barking, and a full out war had started on top of Lee. He jerked awake and found himself face to face with Rupert, who was trying to get at Sassy. The kitten had hidden herself behind Lee but was still hissing at Rupert.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Lee shouted, putting his hand on Rupert's chest to push him back. "Enough!" Sassy took this opportunity to come out of hiding and charge at the dog. Lee snagged her around the middle and lifted her into the air. She was squirming fiercely, trying to get away.
"Holy crap," Lee said, feeling irritated, the warm feeling he had last night long gone now. It was not even seven a.m. yet. He got up, kitten still in hand, and went down to Norah. She was sleeping on her stomach, one foot sticking out of the covers. Her face was smushed into the pillow.
"Hey," Lee said loudly, kicking the mattress. Once. Twice. Norah jolted awake, lifting her head to look at him with one eye.
"What?" she asked, her voice drowsy with sleep. Lee held out her kitten, and she blinked.
"I think this belongs to you," he said. She moved to push herself up, and he handed her Sassy.
"What's going on?" she asked, holding Sassy close and stroking her fur.
"World War III started in my bed," he answered. "Try to keep the door shut so she'll stay down here, all right?"
"Okay..."
He turned and walked away, going back upstairs. Rupert was waiting at the top for him.
"You silly creature," he said, ruffling Rupert's head a bit roughly. "It's just a cat." The dog gave him a look as if to challenge this, but Lee ignored him. He was too awake to try and go back to sleep now, so he decided to just start the day. Norah came up the stairs not long after looking disgruntled and grumpy. She was complaining about being sore and not knowing why. Lee resisted snorting at her. She'd figure it out soon enough. Manual labor made you use muscles you didn't even know you had. Norah was learning this firsthand.
"I hate mornings," she grumbled, almost dropping her plate but catching it with quick reflexes. She winced in pain, obviously pulling an already sore muscle in the process of her save.
"Can't start the day without them," Lee pointed out. He had warned her that he had an A.I.S. time and would leave her behind if she didn't get to the truck in time for work. He kept the old, beat up Ford truck to lug his work supplies around in. He'd seen her eyeing up his bike, though. He figured it wouldn't be long before she tried to wheedle him into letting her ride it.
"Why do you look like you're disappointed that you won't be pulling an Ass In Seat move on me today?" Norah asked, sticking two pieces of toast into the toaster and shoving it down. She turned to lean on the counter, looking at him. Her shirt rode up, and he could see three quarters of her purple lotus tattoo. He wondered if she owned any clothes that actually fit her or if she liked her skin hanging out.
"You're misinterpreting this face," Lee answered.
"Oh? What is it really saying?" she asked.
"That I like silence in the morning, and if I don't get it, you won't like me by the end of the day," he warned.
"Mr. Cranky Pants," she said with a slight snort. "Well, bring it on. I ain't no picnic with little to no sleep either."
Lee didn't say anything as he refrained from rolling his eyes. He went to get a mug, having to reach around her to do so, and she went to jab him in the ribs. His reflexes got the best of him, and he grabbed her incoming hand and had her twisted around and pushed against the counter in seconds. Then his brain registered he wasn't in combat. He was standing in his kitchen.
"Ow," Norah said. "Geez. Okay. Truce already."
He let her go quickly, feeling a bit embarrassed. She turned to look at him, rubbing her wrist gently with her fingers. There was a hint of fear in her eyes, and he felt bad for scaring her.
"Sorry," he said.
"Are you a secret agent or something?" she asked.
"No," he answered.
"Well, Soldier Boy," she said, "I'm guessing that's what you are. You don't have those skills for nothing."
"Do you want coffee or not?" he asked, desperate to change the subject.
"Yes, but you're not getting out of the question," she said, crossing her arms. "I have a right to know why I was almost shoved through the cupboards."
"I was SAS, all right? Let it go," he said irritably.
"You...you were special air service?" she asked. He met her eyes, and there was now a bit of respect in them. He gave a slight grunt in reply before handing her a mug full of coffee. He went to sit at the table, shooing Rupert away, who was looking for snacks. He snapped his fingers and pointed towards Rupert's food dish. The dog sighed and gave up on a treat and went to eat his kibble. He shot looks at Lee periodically, crunching his kibble hard as if to point out he would prefer something like bacon or a muffin instead. Lee ignored him.
"Did you kill a lot of people?" Norah asked, sitting across from him. He inhaled and exhaled slowly, tapping his fingers against his mug and looking at her. Why did she want to know this? Why was he even considering talking to her about it? He never talked to anyone about it. It was a time of his life he preferred to have behind him.
"Why are you really here, Norah?" he asked, putting the attention onto her.
"What do you mean? I'm on a journey of self-discovery," she told him. "That's why I'm here."
"I think there's more to it than that," he said, gesturing.
"And I," she said, "think you're deflecting because you really don't want to tell me that you've killed many, many people. Am I right?" She held his stare, one eyebrow raised.
"Now who's deflecting?" he challenged.
"Fine," she huffed. "Don't tell me. I don't care. Just trying to get to know you, is all."
"Don't," he said sharply, making her flinch a little in surprise.
"Don't what?"
"Get to know me," he answered. He got to his feet, needing to get away from her suddenly.
"Why not?" she asked as he started to move away.
"You won't like what you find," he answered, opening the sliding door and stepping outside. Once the door was firmly shut behind him, he released a shaky breath. Images of the last woman he'd tried to love went through his mind. It hadn't ended well. He figured he was better off alone. He kept everyone but his team at arm's length for a reason, and that was not going to change because of Norah.
In the end, that's what would keep her safe.
Joe
"Good morning," he said to Rose, who looked exhausted. He hadn't mentioned the man visiting the day before to her yet. She had come home last night with Oscar and looked to be in a relatively good mood, so he'd left it alone. Now, though, he knew he had to tell her. He didn't want her angry at him for not telling her.
"Some guy came looking for you last night," he said casually. Rose paused, her hand on the milk carton in the fridge. She looked at him over her shoulder.
"Who?"
"I don't know. I think he was that boy you were dating in high school, but he wouldn't say his name," Joe said.
"Mac," Rose said. A look of surprise was on her face now. Then fear. Joe felt on guard suddenly. Had this man hurt her?
"Yea, that's him," Joe agreed.
"Did he say what he wanted?"
"Not at all."
"Okay. Well, thanks for telling me," Rose said, going back to preparing her breakfast. Oscar was thumping around in his room now, starting the day. Joe knew better than to press about this Mac fellow, but something about him was obviously bothering her. He hoped she would tell him eventually. He felt bad for not being the greatest support to them after their mother had died. He'd fallen into his own darkness and tried a lot of different things to distract himself from it. It led to him appearing a bit eccentric at times, but it worked. He wasn't just sitting around thinking about Marcy all day.
"Grandpa," Oscar said, coming out with his binoculars in hand. "Are we gonna go bird watching today?" Joe looked at Rose, who gave him a thumb's up. That meant there wasn't a crime scene yet. He breathed a sigh of relief. No vomiting today.
"We sure can," Joe replied, reaching to tousle Oscar's hair fondly. "Let me borrow your mother's car keys." Rose laughed a little as she handed them over, and the two of them went out. Joe looked back at Rose briefly before he stepped out the door, and she was leaning on her hands on the counter, looking like she might cry. He wanted to comfort her, but he didn't want to invade her privacy either. He'd check in later.
He pressed his lips together and turned to follow Oscar to the car.
Gunner
He was at Tool's for most of the day when Lee and Norah arrived. It was about two in the afternoon, and they both looked tired and irritable. Gunner sat up straighter, wondering what was going on.
"I said I was sorry," Norah said as Lee yanked off his long sleeve plaid shirt to reveal blood on his lower stomach above his hip seeping through his white t-shirt.
"What happened?" Gunner asked, getting up and going over to join them. Lee was in the bathroom now, rooting around for bandages and cleaning supplies.
"I'm clumsy," Norah answered while Lee simply clenched his jaw and set to work on himself. "I'm not good with balance or my hands."
"Don't you need a tetanus shot?" Gunner asked Lee, eyeing the wound.
"Probably," Lee answered, finding a pair of scissors next. By his tone, Gunner assumed he wouldn't get one.
"So, what's the lesson learned here?" Gunner questioned, a slight teasing tone in his voice.
"Don't give Norah a nail gun," Lee answered, cutting his shirt around the nail so he could remove it and deal with the nail left in him separately. Norah was wincing as she watched. It appeared the nail had gone into the more fleshy part of his skin and nothing too serious.
"Need a hand?" Gunner asked.
"Nope."
"You're gonna pull that out by yourself?!" Norah exclaimed.
"Yup," Lee answered. He pulled it out quickly, making a strangled noise in his throat from the pain but not letting it escape his lips. He pressed his gauze into the wound to stop the bleeding. Norah was looking a bit green at this point.
"You guys were close to here?" Gunner asked.
"Yes," Norah answered for Lee. "He said there was first aid here."
"You mind?" Lee asked Gunner, indicating he wanted to be left alone. Gunner gave a slight nod before granting his wish. He ambled out to where Toll was working. He seemed stressed that day, his motions with cleaning his guns were quick and sharp. The gun in his hand now clicked loudly as he finished and set it down. He looked up at Gunner.
"What?" he asked.
"Victoria?" Gunner countered. The whole team knew about Toll's sister. Gunner knew the struggle Victoria faced daily very well. Hell, he'd seen her at NA meetings when he was going to them.
Toll just kind of grunted and growled and didn't answer with words.
"Lee's here for some medical attention," Gunner said after a moment.
"For what?"
"Norah shot him with a nail gun."
"What?!"
"Yea."
"Shit," Toll said, setting down the second gun he'd picked up. "He all right?"
"Seems to be."
Toll went to investigate anyway. Gunner followed. Lee had finished cleaning the wound and was dressing it at this point. Norah was still watching. Gunner noticed Toll's face softened upon seeing her.
"Hey," he said to her.
"Hi," she said back with a smile.
"Damn, dude," Toll said, looking at Lee. "I told you construction was deadly."
"No shit," Lee retorted. He ripped off the gauze from the roll and taped it down. "You got an extra t-shirt laying around here?"
"Sorry, no," Toll answered. Lee sighed and pulled his long sleeve one back on. He was buttoning it up slowly while Toll turned to Norah. Gunner couldn't help but feel slightly jealous at the way Norah was smiling at him.
"I got in touch with my friend," Toll said. "You available for an interview this evening?"
"Sure," she answered with a nod.
"Interview for what?" Gunner asked, wanting to be kept in the loop.
"Dino's Bar," Toll answered.
"Oh, yea. He was looking for a bartender."
"What time am I to meet him?" Norah asked Toll.
"He said anytime. You'd be better to go before it gets busy, since it's Friday night and all," Toll added.
"Right. Well, point me in the right direction, and I'll go," Norah advised.
"I can do you one better," Toll said with a smile. "I'll drive."
"Sounds good." Norah smiled back. Then she looked at Lee. "Will you be all right?"
"I was all right before you came along. I'll be just fine without you," Lee answered a bit grouchily. Norah pressed her lips together. Gunner wanted to cuff Lee. That wasn't how to talk to a lady.
"Good to see your sarcasm is still there," Norah retorted. Lee rolled his eyes and turned his back to her while he washed his hands. She stuck her tongue out at him.
"I saw that," Lee commented.
"No, you didn't," she argued.
Toll was smirking a little. Gunner scratched the back of his head. It seemed that Lee and Norah had a bit of a bickering thing happening between them.
"You're right, but you just confirmed it by arguing with me," Lee pointed out.
"Do I need to go and get the nail gun again?" she asked.
"Okay," Toll said, intervening now. "Let's go, eh?"
"This isn't over," Norah said to Lee, pointing a finger at him as she walked away with Toll. Gunner snorted.
"She means business," he said.
"She's dreaming," Lee replied. He grabbed his bloody t-shirt and threw it out before walking out of the bathroom. Gunner stood there staring into space until he got hungry.
Rose
She opened the door to find Mac himself standing there. She blinked, unsure if he was real or if she had been thinking about him too much and was hallucinating.
"Hey," he said softly.
Not hallucinating. Unless hallucinations could talk? Rose kept staring at him.
"You okay?" he asked, sounding concerned.
"What are you doing here?" she countered, finally finding her voice.
"I just wanted to see you..."
"Does Heather know you're here?" Rose cut him off. He hung his head.
"No..."
"You chose her, Mac," Rose went on strongly. "You chose Heather. You chose this life. You can't come to me and have a life on the side with me. I won't do it anymore. It's not right."
Mac seemed taken aback by the forcefulness in her tone. Roes crossed her arms, feeling angry. Did he just think she'd be a pushover forever? She wished she had never let herself get into that position.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I thought..."
"You thought wrong," she cut him off. All her thoughts of telling him about the baby flew out the window. Let him guess whenever he found out. Maybe she'd tell him it wasn't his. She suddenly just didn't want him to know. She knew she would probably change her mind, but in this moment, no one knew but her.
"Okay," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Okay. I'll go."
"You could have picked me, but you didn't," Rose said to him when he turned to leave. "That's not my fault." He looked at her sadly without saying anything. Then he slowly walked away. Rose tried not to feel bad. Why should she feel bad? He'd led her to believe she was the one he really wanted, but everything else he did said otherwise. No, it was time to harden her resolve. This was done. Over.
She rested her hand on her stomach absently. She had no idea what to do about that news now.
Lee
He got home to find his house a disaster. At first, he just stood there baffled. Then, he thought maybe he'd been robbed. Moments later, he saw Rupert laying on the floor with a very guilty look on his face. The dog thumped his tail once, eyes moving back and forth as Lee walked over to him.
"What did you do?" Lee asked slowly. The dog whined. "Rupert..."
Rupert got up and scurried away, making Lee turn to watch him go. He spotted Sassy sitting on top of the fridge, watching him carefully.
"What the hell went on in here while I was gone?" Lee asked him. Then he snorted and shook his head. "Look at me...talking to the pets and expecting them to talk back. I've officially lost my damn mind." He stepped over some debris as he went to survey the full extent of the damage. There was stuff everywhere. A lamp was down. A table was flipped. The couch had some claw marks in it and pillow fluff strewn about on the floor around it. Lee walked around to see that the basement door was open. Norah had forgotten to shut it that morning apparently.
"You little buggers," Lee said. Sassy scampered past him and down the stairs quickly. "I oughta let you out into the wild!" He sighed loudly before groaning in frustration. He had hours of clean up ahead of him, and all he wanted to do was sleep. He went to his bedroom and spied Rupert's tail sticking out from underneath his bed.
"You better hide," Lee warned him. The tail disappeared slowly as Rupert inched himself further under the bed. "No treats for you today. No treats for two days." Rupert whined again. Lee shook his head and went to start tidying up.
Norah & Toll
Dino was surveying Norah thoughtfully. She wasn't sure if she passed his interview or not. He was hard to read. He was in his 40s. He had black hair that was getting grey hair streaks, hazel eyes, and was about a head taller than Norah. He looked Italian. He also had a scar across his left wrist.
Toll was sitting down at the other end of the bar, sipping a beer. He gave Norah an encouraging smile when she glanced at him.
"Well," Dino said finally. "When can you start?"
"I got the job?" Norah asked, feeling surprised.
"I'm desperate," Dino answered. "And it wouldn't hurt to have a gal around here. Might make some of these animals act like gentlemen."
"Pfft, don't count on it," Toll commented, making Dino laugh.
"You're probably right. Anyway, yea. You got the job," he told Norah, reaching to shake her hand. "Welcome aboard."
"Great!" Norah said happily.
"Start tomorrow night?"
"Sure."
"Good. Wear thick skin," Dino told her before moving to go back behind the bar. Norah knew what he meant, and she knew she would be just fine. She always was good at holding her own. Toll tried to pay for the beer, but Dino declined it.
"On the house, man," he said. "Your money is no good here. You know that."
"Thanks," Toll replied with a smile. He walked over to Norah. "You ready?"
"Yea," she said, eyeing the pool table and the dart board. She imagined this place could get quite rowdy. She also imagined it could be a lot of fun.
"You want something to eat?" Toll asked as they walked to his car.
"Sure," she answered. "Whaddya got?"
"I know just the place," he answered, grinning.
Gunner & Caesar
"No, no, no, no!" Caesar yelped as Gunner annihilated his character on the screen. He dropped his controller in his lap and stared at Gunner. "What the hell was that for?!"
"Felt like it," Gunner answered, smirking. Yang snorted in the background. He was observing from a distance. Gunner knew he played, though. He'd caught him at it late at night once. No surprise it was a type of kung fu/martial arts game.
"Not cool, man," Caesar said, jabbing his finger in the air at Gunner. "Definitely not cool. Even my own son knows better than to do that."
"I'm winning," Gunner reasoned. "That's how you win."
"We're on the same team!" Caesar exclaimed.
"Oops," Gunner chuckled.
"This isn't over," Caesar warned, picking his controller back up and going back to it. Gunner wondered if Toll was still with Norah. He knew he was kidding himself that someone like Norah would notice him. He was The Hulk after all, and Hulk smashed things.
"What up, dudes," a voice called, and Gunner turned to see Victoria standing there. She had a hand on her hip and a smile on her face, watching them.
"Vic," he said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"Ha HA!" Caesar shouted, making Gunner turn back to the screen to see his character get blown to pieces. Victoria's distraction had given him the opportunity. "Told you it wasn't over!"
"Still behaving like kids I see," Victoria said with a laugh. "Hey, Yang."
"Hey," Yang said back, giving her a brief nod. She walked over to flop herself down on the chair next to the couch Gunner and Caesar were sitting on.
"You lookin' for Toll?" Gunner asked, still trying to figure out why she was there.
"Nah. I know he's busy. I'm just hanging out," she answered with a shrug. "That okay?"
"Sure," he answered. He felt his face grow hot when she smiled at him. He liked Victoria. He knew better than to date her because he knew Toll would kill him, but he still liked her.
"Hey, Vic," Barney said, walking past and noticing her. "Toll ain't here."
"I know," she said. "You look tired, Barns."
"Yea, yea," he said absently, rooting through the fridge for a beer. Gunner felt his mouth go dry. He really would like one. He'd been doing so well, though. It would be stupid to break his streak now.
"Making these two practice after hours?" Victoria asked Barney as he stood to look at the TV and the game that was playing.
"I sure as hell hope they play better in real life than on there," Barney replied with a chuckle. "No offense, guys."
"None taken," Caesar said cheerily.
"I could order a pizza," Gunner offered. It would be a way to get Victoria to stay longer. She never usually did. She would flit in and out, saying hello or asking Toll a question, but she knew the guys well enough from all those pieces of time put together.
"I could eat," Victoria commented, and he felt a smile grow on his face. This night was starting to look up.
Norah & Toll
Norah looked around at the other diners while Toll was looking at the menu. She tried not to think that this was a date, but in an odd way, it felt like one. She wasn't sure how she felt about that.
"You not eating?" Toll asked, looking at her.
"Hm?" she said, bringing her attention back to him. "Oh, yea. I already know what I want."
"How?" he asked, surprised. "I didn't even see you look at the menu."
"I want that," she answered, pointing at the picture on the front. It was a massive burger. Toll burst out laughing, and she started to as well.
"A woman who knows what she wants," he said once he calmed down a little. "I like that."
"Only when it comes to food," she replied. "Trust me." He just smiled back at her, and she didn't know what to make of it. The waitress eventually came and took their order, and then they sat and waited for it to come. Norah rested her chin on her folded hands, looking at him.
"What?" he asked, chuckling.
"Why are you helping me?" she questioned. "Actually, why are any of you helping me? You don't know me at all."
"Are you a bank robber or something?" he countered, raising a brow teasingly.
"No..."
"A serial killer?"
"No!"
"Oh, let me guess...you did a hit and run," he said, pointing a finger at her. She chucked a ketchup packet at his head, making him duck and laugh once more.
"I'm a drifter," she told him. "Looking for my way in this life."
"Aren't we all?" Toll asked, putting the ketchup back.
"I guess, but for whatever reason, I feel really screwed up," she said, leaning back into the booth.
"Why's that?"
Flashes of her mother in the tub went through her mind, and she swallowed hard. She could hear her younger self sobbing in her ears. She tightened her fist, hardening her resolve. Like hell was she gonna cry in front of him.
"Just shit that happened," she answered. "That's all."
"Hmm," he said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin with his fingers. "Well, we all have shit that happens to us."
"You're really trying to pull this out of me, aren't you?" she asked, trying not to smile. There was a twinkle in his eyes now.
"Maybe," he said playfully.
She considered it. She really did. What would be the harm? It was just too painful, that's what. She also didn't want to just blindly trust Toll. She knew nothing about him, after all.
"Another time," she said.
"Fair enough," he replied. "I tried."
"So tell me about Dino," she went on, trying to move past this topic. "Is he gonna fire me if I'm clumsy?"
"Are you clumsy?"
"Um...sometimes," she answered. "I shot Lee with a nail gun today, don't forget."
"Oh, shit. Yea," Toll chuckled. "I forgot."
"I'm gonna get fired, aren't I?" she asked with a sigh, resting her cheek on the palm of her hand.
"Maybe you should take some dance lessons," Toll suggested, putting his hands behind his head as he leaned back. She gave him a blank stare, confused.
"What does dancing have to do with bartending?" she asked.
"Dancing helps with balance and feet placement," he answered. "Might help with the clumsiness in general."
"Huh," Norah said, contemplating it. He had a point. "I'm not balancing a book on my head."
"You sure? You don't wanna balance one of those encyclopedia's on there?" he teased.
"No," she answered, snorting. This led to a conversation around reading, which Toll shared he was wanting to do more of. Their food arrived, and Norah was suddenly starving. She ate like she was never going to eat again.
"Don't choke," Toll said, smirking.
"Nngghh," she replied, mouth full. Then she swallowed. "SO good."
"Told you," he said with a wink. Then he remembered something. "Hey, I meant to ask, how's the tattoo?"
"I love it," Norah answered immediately. She kept looking at it in the mirror and catching her fingers touching it absently. It gave her a feeling of a fresh start, as silly as that seemed.
"That's good."
"You got any?" she asked him.
"A couple," he answered vaguely. She wondered if he had the same one as Lee. The raven and the skull. They didn't say much else as they ate, and Toll kept checking his phone after a bit. Norah noticed he looked slightly concerned.
"Everything okay?" she asked.
"Yea," he answered slowly. He snapped his phone shut and smiled at her. "Just checking in on my sister."
"You have one of those too?"
"Yup. Actually, she's my twin."
"Shut up," Norah said, shocked. She hadn't expected that. He laughed.
"I know. I get that a lot," he joked.
"Are you two close?"
"In a way," he answered carefully. Norah picked up on something there, but she decided not to press. It was part of that whole not being impulsive thing she was trying...don't ask questions on the fly just because you're dying to know the answer. It might hurt someone.
"Well, I'm sure she appreciates you checking in," Norah said, not knowing what else to say.
"Not always," he said truthfully. There was definitely something there. Norah was sure of it. She bit down on her tongue to prevent from asking the question. Toll looked out the window absently, tapping his fingers on the table a little. He looked like he was wrestling with something.
"You can go if you need to," she said. "I won't be offended."
"Are you sure?" he asked, looking almost relieved.
"I'm positive. Family comes first," she said. "I get it."
"I'm really sorry..."
"Stop," she cut him off, holding up her hand. "I'd be the first to bail too if something was up with my sister."
"I appreciate it," Toll said, getting up. He pulled out bills and set them on the table. "That will cover it. I'll see you later?"
"Definitely," she said with a smile, and he smiled back. Then he hurried out the door. It was only after he was gone that Norah remembered he was her ride home. She tilted her head back, groaning.
"Dangnabbit."
Lee
He answered his phone without looking at it, his one hand trying to replace his bandage at the same time while the other pressed the phone into his ear.
"Yea?"
"Did I catch you at a bad time?" Norah asked.
"Um...yea," he answered, dropping the bandage and resisting the urge to curse. He bent to pick it up.
"Sorry. It just...well, it would appear I don't have a ride home."
"What?" Lee asked, pausing what he was doing. "Where's Toll?" Had he dumped her there? What the hell?
"He had a...thing," she answered. Lee sighed. Victoria. That was usually always the "thing" Toll had to deal with. He felt bad for the guy. He couldn't imagine.
"Let me guess," he said, "you don't wanna walk home."
"Not really."
"Where are you?"
She told him, and he grunted. He finally managed to press the new bandage on and was taping it down carefully.
"You still there?" Norah asked.
"Yea. I'll be there," he answered. "Give me fifteen minutes."
"Okay. I'll be here."
He hung up and cleaned up his mess. Thankfully, Rupert was still hiding from him under his bed and not trying to eat the bandages. Rupert was terrible for trying to eat everything within reach.
He walked out, grabbing his helmet, keys, and wallet on the way. He grabbed the spare helmet as well. He had a feeling Norah liked riding bikes.