Story: The Pair
Chapter 17: A Bath Does Us All Good
Disclaimer: Don't own them but if I did it sure wouldn't be over.
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With Lexa cuddled in his lap, Alec leaned back trying to relax. They were miles away from the base but he knew better than to assume they were safe. He looked down at her, sleeping in his embrace. They reached a main road that had street lamps finally and he felt some tension melt away. Then he looked down and what he saw made two things happen. His blood ran cold the searing hot as he saw hand shaped bruises encircling her throat. The front of her T-shirt was torn and had blood all over it. He moved the neckline slowly and saw bruises covering her chest and the parts of her breasts that he could see over her Manticore regulation sports bra.
He wanted to scream with fury and demand retribution for what he then knew happened to her. At that moment she shifted in her sleep and tried to burrow her face deeper into his neck and some of his anger softened. She moaned in pain through her sleep and Vin, who had been looking behind the car to make sure they weren't followed, looked down at her.
Alec watched his face as a flurry of emotions passed of it. Love, anger, concern. Emotions that he knew as well as his own. But looking at him now he saw another emotion, panic. "Vin, what's wrong?" he asked concern. He looked down but he felt it before he saw want had him so worried. The warm liquid trickling onto his shirt and down his side. Blood.
Looking at Lexa's shirt he saw the blood seeping through startlingly bright against the gray of her shirt. He motioned at Vin to take a look because he didn't want to disturb her. Vin lifted the shirt, pulling it from the waistband of her pants. Both men drew in deep breaths as they saw a long cut from the right side of her waist that stopped just under her right breast. It was shallow and looked like it had occurred several days ago from the yellow bruise that surrounded the edges.
"Probably yesterday." Vin's short sentence was enough for Alec, Max on the other hand didn't share their bond and asked "Yesterday what?"
She tilted the mirror and saw the cut. "Put something against it so it will stop bleeding. We will fix it up when we get back to the cabin."
Vin took off his shirt and placed it against the cut. Minutes later Max pulled into cabin's driveway. Vin got out of the car and leaned down picking Lexa up and cradling her like she was a small child sleeping and about to be put to bed.
Alec missed both Lexa's warmth and weight. For a moment he had allowed himself to pretend they were together and could be like that. The cold chill of the night quickly wiped that disillusion away.
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Vin placed Lexa on the couch in the living room of the cabin. Taking one look at her he said "She is filthy, if we don't give her a bath she may catch an infection. As hard as it is for us it still could happen."
Both Max and Alec agreed. Max had also pointed out that once they washed away the dirt and blood they would know what kind of injuries they were dealing with. It was decided that Max would take care of bathing her as she would have been uncomfortable with either of the men doing it.
Alec drew a warm bath, testing the water to make sure it wasn't too hot while Max carried Lexa in to the bathroom. Lexa woke up when Max sat with her on the closed toilet lid. Alec looked into her confused eyes and felt pain at what he saw there and wished he could erase it. He leaned down and simply kissed the top of her head then left the two women alone.
Max helped Lexa remove her clothes steadying her when she almost fell over trying to remove her boots and pants. She swayed and grabbed at the wall and Max grabbed her other arm. "Can you get into the tub or do you want help." she tactfully didn't look at the story telling bruises and cuts.
Lexa nodded and Max moved to help her. She
groaned as the water hit her cuts. Max helped her wash her hair and
Lexa fell asleep in the water. Max lifted her out and was presented
with a problem: She couldn't wrap a towel around her. She tried waking
her but Lexa was snoring lightly and didn't even stir. "
Finally Lexa called out to the guys who came to
stand outside the door. When they asked what was wrong she replied
"Can't get the towel around her. She won't wake up." Alec reached
for the knob as Vin grabbed his wrist.
Vin, in a low tone said "She wasn't too happy with you before they took her. I don't know how she would take you seeing her naked. Plus there is nothing between her and I, she won't think about it if I do it. After the bruises-" Vin trailed off.
Alec nodded his head. As much as it hurt to know he was right he knew Vin had a point. If she was raped like he thought, she may take him seeing her naked as another violation. He walked away his back held stiffly. He decided to go outside and clear his head.
Vin watched Alec leave. He wanted to follow and ease his pain but Lexa was the priority right now. Once she was taken care of he could help Alec the best he can.
"What the hell are you guys doing? Get in here, she's shivering already." Max's clearly annoyed voice came through the door.
Vin opened the door and grabbed the towel from the
sink and laid it over the top of Lexa's body and then took her from Max
wrapping it around Lexa with some help from Max. Max dried her hair
with another towel the best she could and they took her into the room so
Max could dress her.
Max found clothes laid out on the bed and figured
it was Alec's doing. Vin asked if she could handle dressing her and
putting her in bed and received a nod. He left the room and went
to look for Alec.