Everly laid on her side, one arm tucked between her thighs and the other under her head, staring at the bottle of sleeping pills that Lee had left for her. She had slept for maybe an hour but had woken with a start in the dead of the night. She hadn't been able to fall back asleep since. Her eyes were heavy and sore and her body ached for rest. All she could do was be still.

The place was quiet, too. There were the distant sounds of city life, faint through the walls of Tool's apartment. There was some occasional mumbling, deep low voices that traveled to her ears with unclear words. She was bored. She was scared, but not as scared as she had been when she was alone, so she was wishing she had something to do to keep her busy.

She tossed the blanket off of herself and dropped her bare feet to the floor. Her stomach rumbled and she sighed, resting a shaky hand over her abdomen. She was still in her clothes from work. They felt greasy and unclean. The floor creaked slightly as she took a step and she winced, a surge of adrenaline shooting into her heart. She had to remind herself that she was safe with these people. They wouldn't have offered to help if she wouldn't be.

That didn't mean she didn't feel like a burden, though. She wished she could just sink away into nothingness and not have to worry anybody. Her entire life she felt like her existence was a job to those around her; an obligation. This entire situation just made it worse. Why should they help her? Why did she deserve it? They had to have better things to do with their time than looking out for a guy in a black hoodie. She breathed out a sigh and took another creaky step towards the door. Her ankles were unsteady beneath her and her legs shook under her weight. The pressure of standing up made her dizzy and sent a rush through her, but she kept going towards the door.

She slipped it open a crack and slid through, looking both ways in the hall before she exited. The other doors were all closed. She remembered Lee saying he'd have the couch. She took a few tentative steps in that direction and listened. She could just make out the light sound of steady breathing.

She wondered if he was a light sleeper and if she could slip by without bothering him. She took another few steps towards him and the floor groaned in response. Lee's breathing faltered for a moment and she hesitated and debated running back to his room and closing the door hard behind her. Maybe if she tried hard enough she could go back to sleep, or maybe she could look out the window and watch the sunrise-

"Everly?" Lee asked, his voice thick with sleep. He held his head up over his chest from his spot on the couch and squinted at her. She chewed on her lip and clasped her hands at her chest.

"So- sorry," she stammered, shaking her head and taking a step backwards. Lee was pulling himself up and rubbing his hands over his face. He checked the time on his watch and frowned.

"You should be sleeping," he said gently, pulling himself to his feet and turning to face her. "You alright?"

She blinked. Of course she wasn't alright. She felt like she was dying, burning from the inside out. She was surrounded on all sides by people and things she didn't know or care to understand. She wanted to go back to her life before these last few weeks.

"Everly?" Lee asked, coming closer.

"Sorry," she said again. "I just- uh…"

Lee sighed and stretched out his fingers. She still looked exhausted and drained. He wondered if she had gotten any sleep at all.

"Take those pills?" He asked.

She shook her head no. He furrowed his brows.

"They'll help," he tried.

"Maybe later," she said.

He nodded. He wasn't sure what to do in this situation.

"I did sleep," she said defensively, crossing her arms over her chest, a symbolic wall between them. "Not for super long, but… I did sleep."

"Yeah," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "Do you need anything?"

"I'm just… bored," she said with a sigh, looking around. "I haven't felt safe enough to be bored in a while."

She didn't know why she was being so honest all of a sudden. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation really taking its toll, or maybe it was just the way Lee looked with his face warped with sleep and shadowed in silvery moonlight. He was less hard lines and more blended softness. Less rough and scarred and more… nice. Even his voice felt sweeter.

"Want something to drink? Water?" He asked, half-turning towards the old kitchen. She shook her head no again but he headed that way anyway, returning with two cold water bottles. He motioned towards the couch.

She sat down next to him, uncertain and a bit shaky. He left plenty of space between them and handed over the water, sipping his own while she unscrewed the cap on hers and took a gulp. It felt heavy in her stomach and she sighed.

"You'll probably feel better once you get a proper amount of sleep," he said, leaning over his knees and glancing sidelong at her. "No shame in needing the pills to help with that."

She shrugged. She didn't feel like unloading anymore baggage onto him than she already had, so she stayed quiet.

"You know, this guy, whoever he is," he said, placing his water on the coffee table in front of him and rubbing his hands together. "We'll take care of him. You'll be alright."

"Maybe," she muttered, brushing some tangled hair out of her face.

"Maybe?" He asked, quirking a brow and turning more towards her.

"Just, I mean-" she stammered, wringing her hands, "I don't think feeling safe is just gonna come back. I've done a lot of reading, and did you know that one out of five stalking victims are… are hurt? That's only the people they document. And- and that's not to mention long term effects… Anxiety, depression, insomnia-" She looked up and finally met his eyes. Her own were wild, lost, fearful; Lee suddenly felt hopelessly sorry for her.

"We'll help you," he said. It was all he could think to say. He wasn't great at this sort of thing.

"If this is that-" she said, glancing around as though the word stalker was floating somewhere in the room behind her, "then you guys getting involved- it could end badly for you, too-"

"It won't," Lee said, shaking his head. "Don't worry about us. We got it covered."

"It would be my fault," she said. "And I can't handle that."

Lee watched her carefully. He'd heard words like that before from people like Barney who were looking for excuses to be alone or to kill themselves.

"It's officially not your fault," Lee said, holding out his hand. "Because we're making the decision for ourselves."

Everly swallowed and looked down at his outstretched hand, fingers tensed and straight, palm on a diagonal towards the ceiling. She took it hesitantly. He shook it.

"But seriously," he said, "we'll be okay. We do this sort of thing. It's… our job."

Everly pulled her hand away and folded it in her lap. She was sad. She was afraid. She wondered if the fight was worth the outcome.

"Do you… need to talk about it?" He asked.

She glanced over at him and shuddered under his stare. She hated being watched. She hated the feeling of having attention, of having eyes on her. It made her heart pick up.

"I think it would just be easier if I wasn't here," she said suddenly. Her eyes widened in spite of herself and she tensed, digging her nails into her palms. Lee blinked a few times and continued to watch her.

"That's too bad," he said carefully, studying her, "because you are here."

She looked back to him and her breath caught in her throat. She didn't understand why she was letting it all out, but once she started, she realized that she couldn't stop.

"I don't have to be."

"Running away won't make it any-"

"That's not what I mean."

Lee clenched his jaw shut and waited. He knew what she meant well enough. He just wasn't sure he was the person to talk about it all with; that would probably be Toll, or hell, even Tool. Or one of the juniors.

"I just…" she dropped her head into her hands and tangled her fingers into her hair. "I just feel like a burden. Like I'm more work than I'm worth. Like it would make life easier for people in the long run if I just- I don't know- stepped into traffic or-"

"That's not true," he said quickly, his voice low. He shifted a bit closer to her so she could hear. "That's never true. What about your family?"

Everly offered him a sad smile as the tears began to bubble over her lower lash line. "My uncle? He's got a lot on his plate. I'm not his kid. I'm not his problem. Henry, that's his son. And Henry, he- he's tryna be something. I'm another thing to look out for, y'know? Another lock on the things that are keeping him here."

"Do they tell you that?" Lee asked.

"Not in so many words," she sniffed, looking up to the ceiling to try and catch her breath and tears from falling. "But I've felt it since… since I started becoming their problem. Henry's mama wanted nothing to do with me. She left 'em… when I was a kid."

Lee hummed. He figured all she needed was to get it all out, and he could listen to her. She spent her nights listening to people sob over the bar. He could do it for her, too. It couldn't possibly be that difficult.

"I don't know that it was entirely my fault, but it sure as hell felt that way, especially because they needed something tangible to blame."

"She sounds like she wasn't a great person," he offered. She shrugged.

"And my mama-" she started, and Lee tensed a little bit beside her, though she didn't notice- "she's hardly in the picture I guess. She's had issues her whole life, and I got a handful of good memories, but… She's off in some center in Florida goin' through the twelve steps for the hundredth time. Her life definitely woulda been better without me."

Lee frowned and reached instinctively to put a hand on her shoulder. She glanced over at him, surprised by his touch, and they watched each other carefully.

"You made a difference in my life the last few days," he said, looking back and forth between both of her watering eyes.

"Somebody else coulda done that," she said dismissively, waving her hand at him but not pulling away from him touch. "And I'll bet if it was anybody else, you wouldn't be in… whatever this mess is."

"I'm glad it wasn't somebody else," he said.

She pressed her lips into a sad smile and didn't speak.

"You think you want to die," he said, squeezing her shoulder the slightest bit harder, "but you just want to feel important. You want to feel useful. You want to feel loved. It's not your fault you aren't feeling that…"

She laughed a little, rubbing a tear from her cheek with her knuckle.

"But it can get better. I've seen people come out the other side."

"Other soldiers?" She asked.

"Well, sure," he shrugged, dragging his thumb in a circle on her shoulder.

"I'm not a soldier," she said. "Soldiers, they go through the wringer. They have a reason to feel that way."

"So do you," he tried.

"It's not that I think I wanna die," she said, turning towards him. His hand fell away but he left it there between them. A peace offering. A safety net. "Because I don't think anybody ever really wants to die. Not really die. But I don't wanna be here anymore. I don't wanna breathe. I don't wanna see or hear or feel. I wanna kill myself, or who I am, but I don't think I wanna die."

"Hard to do both," he said, pressing his shoulder into the back of the couch and leaning into it. "This isn't a burden to us, Everly-"

"Eve," she said, looking down at the empty space between them. "You can just call me Eve. 'S what my family calls me."

"This isn't a burden to us, Eve," he said. "We deal with worse. This is a vacation."

She huffed and shook her head. "Vacation, huh?"

Lee sighed. "That's not what I meant."

"It's one helluva vacation, then," she said.

"You just don't have to worry about feeling like work to us," he said, and then added, "to me."

She looked up at him again. He looked sad for her, or maybe he was just good at putting on an act. She didn't know, but she did know that in the softness of the night, she didn't mind Lee or how he was. Or who he was.

"I really didn't mean all that-"

"Don't," she said, closing her eyes. "I don't wanna think about any of it, I just- I just wanna-" She clasped her hand over her mouth and wrinkled up her face, biting back her sobs as they racked her body. Lee watched for a second, confused and overwhelmed, and then decided to hold his arms out in front of him.

"It's alright," he said, shifting closer still. "You can- you can come here, if you want."

She spared a glance at him and her eyes stung from the crying. She didn't give it much thought before she fell into him, her head curled against his chest. He placed his arms around her and held her up.

"It'll be okay," he said, and he found himself stroking her hair, the back of her neck, her upper back. "We'll find out who he is. We'll make him stop. We'll keep you safe."

She cried a little bit harder and he reflexively tightened his grip around her.

"I'll be right here. You can sleep. You're so tired, Eve."

As if on cue she yawned against her sobs, shuddering and leaning over his lap. He pulled her towards himself, adjusting the cushions on the couch so that she could fit snug between him and the back. She shivered and curled into him and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, his head just over hers. He was a shell, or rather, some armor to keep her safe for the time being. He would let go of her eventually, maybe carry her back to bed, but for that second she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was safe. Just the thought sent the pangs of sleep through her body and she found herself twitching in and out of unconsciousness.

"Sh," he said, giving her a squeeze. "Don't fight it."

She let her eyes close and tried to welcome the darkness. Lee stared at the back of the couch while she calmed and stilled in his arms. He had no idea what he was doing or why he was doing it. Maybe she was bringing him some kind of comfort as well, since all he wanted since the breakup was someone to hold. He hadn't been able to bring himself to pick up a one night stand because that wouldn't mean anything. Holding Eve, protecting her- that meant something. That was important. He could do that.

He was cautious, though. Guarded. She was a friend but far from somebody he'd ever trust with so much of himself. He knew that if she was gonna trust them she would need something in return. That was just how she was, so it seemed.

Then he thought back to the call with Henry and what he'd said about her mother. She clearly didn't know. He felt wrong keeping something so personal about her life to himself, but it wasn't his business to share that news. It was Henry's.

His eyes were getting heavy and falling closed. He wondered briefly what the guys would do when they woke up; probably nothing, he figured, since they'd probably take a guess at the situation. They knew Lee was a good guy and would never take advantage of somebody so vulnerable. He wouldn't take advantage at all. He'd seen the worst type of people in the world through his job and he'd be damned if he'd ever become level with any of them. And anyway, Eve was warm and easy to hold. Her feet were cold, but it wasn't so bad. Before he really knew it he was falling fast asleep, his body a willing shield over hers, and he didn't dream about Lacy.

—-

Tool was sitting in the kitchen with a steaming cup of mud with one boot-clad foot propped on the chair opposite of him. His pipe was resting beside the mug and his hair was messy from sleep. When Barney came grumbling in, Tool lifted a finger to his lips and motioned to the couch, signing to him like they were in the field in some dead end war zone. Barney stiffened and glanced over, seeing the top of Lee's head just over the armrest. He frowned and glanced back at Tool, who shrugged. He made a face and walked towards the couch.

Lee was wrapped around Everly and they were both fast asleep. Barney crossed his arms and sucked in his cheek, considering the sight before him for a moment. Tool sipped his coffee patiently.

"First time I think Lee slept this long since the blow up," Tool grumbled, holding up his cup towards the couch. "Lord knows when the last time Everly slept was."

Barney turned on his heel and took a few steps closer to Tool before he spoke.

"Well don't wake them up, then," he whispered.

Tool rolled his eyes and waved him off.

"I've been awake for the better part of an hour, causing a ruckus and all that. The juniors could barrel through here like a bunch of apes and those two wouldn't budge."

"Must be exhausted," Barney said, making his way to the counter and pouring himself his own cup of coffee.

"Gonna stake out her place today, see if our friend stops by," Tool said, letting his foot fall from the chair as Barney tugged it so he could sit.

"Probably best we keep her here where we can keep an eye on her," Barney said, sipping his coffee. He made a face.

"Not your brand," Tool said.

"What the hell is this?"

"Starbucks."

"What in the hell-"

"I'm retired, give me a break," Tool groaned, rolling his eyes. "Take it or leave it, man."

Barney sighed and took another sip. It would have to do.

"Anyway," Tool continued, "I figure it's a game of hide and seek for now."

"What do you suggest we do if we catch him?" Barney asked.

"Question the sucker," Tool said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"We're not exactly in the third world," Barney said, placing his mug down in front of him and interlacing his fingers. "We could get put away for kidnapping and torture."

"Eh, call your pal whats-his-name," Tool shrugged.

"Drummer?" Barney asked.

"Yeah, yeah," Tool said. "Or the other one that thinks he's God."

"I'd prefer not to ever see Church again," Barney said.

"Right, cause the last time you dealt with him Billy the Kid caught the business end of a-"

He stopped when Barney's eyes grew dark and his stare hot and sharp. He could feel it cutting into his skin and he sighed.

"Should hire a damn grief counselor," Tool huffed. "It's fucking misty in here."

Barney shook his head and looked down at his coffee. Everly reminded him of Billy in a sense. He could've even imagined them hitting it off real good if he was around. But he had a girlfriend, Barney remembered. And he was a good kid, a good man. He sent up a silent prayer to the Kid in hopes he'd keep a watch over Everly. He fiddled with his lucky ring, too. Had to cover it from all angles, he figured.

"How long you think they're gonna sleep for?" Tool asked eventually.

"Another three hours, maybe," Barney said. "Four, tops."

"Willing to put money on that?" Tool asked.

"I'm game," Barney said.

"Fifty says six hours."

Barney let out a slow breath and dug around in his pocket for a minute. He slapped a fifty down on the table.

"That's steep," he said. "Six hours?"

"Come on now, Barney," Tool said, looking over to the couch even though he couldn't see the two of them on it. "Don't you remember what it was like to be curled up next to a warm body after a bad mission?"

Barney grunted. It'd certainly been a while.

"They both need it. I wouldn't be surprised if they stayed out even longer."

"I'm just surprised is all, after the stunt Christmas pulled," Barney said.

"Eh, he's a tough nut to crack," Tool said. "But he's a softy on the inside. Practically hiding her with his own damn body."

"Just 'some chick' my ass," Barney said, shaking his head.

"He's all defensive, you know. His engagement just ended."

"Defensive and dense," Barney grunted. Tool chuckled and lifted his mug to him in agreement. They sipped their coffee quietly.