A/N: A great big thanks to villianbabe, Scarr C and Justin11 for your kind
reviews. You guys all rock! Also this chapter is chock full of
Dylan/Anthony romance-but I know you guys won't mind ;)
Disclaimer: I don't own Charlie's Angels or the characters (except for 'J'). Also I made up Kromain and Proxim, they don't exist.
XII
Aftereffects
Dylan and Anthony
As soon as we got home, Anthony had me sit at the kitchen table while he made me a cup of tea.
"You know, I prefer coffee to tea," I said after I took a sip.
"Tea is better for sore throats," Anthony signed, sitting in the chair next to me.
"Where'd you hear that?" I asked.
"Orphanage," he signed.
We sat in silence for a while before I spoke up. "You know, despite the fact that I was almost strangled to death, tonight wasn't too bad," I said.
A faint smile appeared on Anthony's face and he signed, "We should try it again sometime. Hopefully no one will try and kill us if we do."
I laughed a low, hollow chuckle that sounded nothing like me. The next thing I knew, my hands were shaking so badly that the tea in my mug sloshed out onto my hands. I shook my head and turned to Anthony. "W-what's h-h- happening to me?" I asked, my teeth chattering.
He got out of the chair so quickly that it fell onto the floor. He came to me and lifted me up into his arms.
By that time my teeth were chattering so violently that I was only able to whisper, "M-make it st-stop, Anthony." I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned my forehead against his temple as he carried me up the stairs.
Anthony He stood on the balcony, smoking a cigarette and listening to the soft breathing of Dylan, who was sleeping.
After Anthony had put her on her bed, he went into the restroom and got a syringe and an ampoule from Dylan's well-stocked first-aid kit. He came out and sat on the edge of the bed, preparing the syringe. He then took off Dylan's jacket, and injected her on her upper arm.
As Dylan fell asleep, Anthony recalled the last time he had seen the drug's aftereffects. He had been eleven, and a boy who had been injected with the drug had been left at the orphanage. Anthony had found the boy and had watched the nuns inject the counter drug into his upper arm-stopping the seizures that the aftereffects had instigated.
The drug was called Kromain and was a kind of Novocain for the arms and legs. In large doses, Kromain's aftereffects cause violent epileptic-like seizures. The counteracting drug was a small dose of a liquid antibody called Proxim.
Once the Proxim took effect, Dylan's teeth stopped chattering, and she fell asleep.
Anthony's jaw clenched in anger. It was lucky that Dylan had been injected with a small amount of Kromain and that she had some Proxim in her medical supplies. If he hadn't given the counter drug to her-it was likely she would have slipped into a coma and died.
Throwing his cigarette over the balcony, a low moan from inside the room reached his ears and made him turn around quickly.
Dylan I was dreaming again. I was at Knox's and soon enough I was on the rooftop, kissing Anthony. Before O'Grady could appear, I felt someone shaking me, and I opened my eyes.
Sitting next to me, on the edge of the bed, Anthony gave me a concerned look and signed, "How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay," I said, sighing and rubbing my eyes as I sat up. I glanced over the side of the bed and I saw my jacket on the floor. Then I saw the hypodermic needle on the nightstand with an ampoule next to it. "What the hell is that doing there?" I asked.
Anthony signed that when my hands started to shake, I was feeling the aftereffects of the drug the thug had injected into me. He explained what it was and what the result of the drug was. After bringing me up to my room, Anthony had gotten the counter drug and injected me with it.
"Thanks," I said softly. I started to rub my neck. I stopped suddenly and withdrew my hand, surprised at the pain I felt.
Seeing my discomfort, Anthony pushed my head back gently and looked at my neck. "It's bruised," he signed to me when he let me go.
I touched my neck softly, and then looked at him. "That's the fourth time you saved my life, the counter drug," I said.
"I wouldn't be able to live if you died," Anthony signed. He wasn't looking at me, and I could have sworn that he was embarrassed.
I smiled and reached out, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. As I hugged him, I whispered into his ear, "I don't think I'd live without you either."
Anthony then wasted no time in putting his arms around me and claiming my lips with his. While we kissed, he gently pushed me back down on the pillow.
I felt a little daring and I let my tongue dart out to touch his own tongue. I could tell that Anthony was a little surprised by my action, but the next thing I knew, our tongues were dueling for dominance. I moaned a little bit and he pulled back, breaking the kiss.
Before I could protest, Anthony started to kiss my neck. Being careful with the bruises there, he placed very soft, gentle kisses.
While he was doing that, I closed my eyes and sighed, enjoying the tenderness with which he was kissing me. My hands seemed to have a mind of their own and were going through Anthony's hair, messing it up.
After a couple of minutes, Anthony placed a kiss on my chin and started to stand.
I opened my eyes and looked up at him.
"You need rest, I will go downstairs and keep guard," he signed, and with that he turned to leave.
"Anthony wait," I called out. "Why don't you stay and sleep here with me? I'm sure that you could use some rest."
"What if someone comes and attacks us?" he signed.
"'J' probable won't send anyone until our time is up for investigating them," I said.
Nodding, Anthony walked over to the other side of the bed and sat down on the edge.
When he lay down next to me, I immediately turned to him and rested my head on his chest. "Anthony, don't you think you should take your jacket and tie off to sleep?" I asked, raising my head.
He shook his head slightly, looking a little uncomfortable at what I had suggested.
I was always very impulsive, and the next thing I knew, I was taking the knot out of Anthony's tie.
He watched me curiously, but made no move to stop me. He was obviously enjoying my aggressiveness.
Once the tie was off, I forced him to sit up and then took off his jacket. I chucked it onto the floor next to the tie while Anthony settled back down on the bed. I rested my head on his chest again and closed my eyes. As I drifted off to sleep, I felt Anthony's arm wrap around my back and he then pulled me closer to him.
Disclaimer: I don't own Charlie's Angels or the characters (except for 'J'). Also I made up Kromain and Proxim, they don't exist.
XII
Aftereffects
Dylan and Anthony
As soon as we got home, Anthony had me sit at the kitchen table while he made me a cup of tea.
"You know, I prefer coffee to tea," I said after I took a sip.
"Tea is better for sore throats," Anthony signed, sitting in the chair next to me.
"Where'd you hear that?" I asked.
"Orphanage," he signed.
We sat in silence for a while before I spoke up. "You know, despite the fact that I was almost strangled to death, tonight wasn't too bad," I said.
A faint smile appeared on Anthony's face and he signed, "We should try it again sometime. Hopefully no one will try and kill us if we do."
I laughed a low, hollow chuckle that sounded nothing like me. The next thing I knew, my hands were shaking so badly that the tea in my mug sloshed out onto my hands. I shook my head and turned to Anthony. "W-what's h-h- happening to me?" I asked, my teeth chattering.
He got out of the chair so quickly that it fell onto the floor. He came to me and lifted me up into his arms.
By that time my teeth were chattering so violently that I was only able to whisper, "M-make it st-stop, Anthony." I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned my forehead against his temple as he carried me up the stairs.
Anthony He stood on the balcony, smoking a cigarette and listening to the soft breathing of Dylan, who was sleeping.
After Anthony had put her on her bed, he went into the restroom and got a syringe and an ampoule from Dylan's well-stocked first-aid kit. He came out and sat on the edge of the bed, preparing the syringe. He then took off Dylan's jacket, and injected her on her upper arm.
As Dylan fell asleep, Anthony recalled the last time he had seen the drug's aftereffects. He had been eleven, and a boy who had been injected with the drug had been left at the orphanage. Anthony had found the boy and had watched the nuns inject the counter drug into his upper arm-stopping the seizures that the aftereffects had instigated.
The drug was called Kromain and was a kind of Novocain for the arms and legs. In large doses, Kromain's aftereffects cause violent epileptic-like seizures. The counteracting drug was a small dose of a liquid antibody called Proxim.
Once the Proxim took effect, Dylan's teeth stopped chattering, and she fell asleep.
Anthony's jaw clenched in anger. It was lucky that Dylan had been injected with a small amount of Kromain and that she had some Proxim in her medical supplies. If he hadn't given the counter drug to her-it was likely she would have slipped into a coma and died.
Throwing his cigarette over the balcony, a low moan from inside the room reached his ears and made him turn around quickly.
Dylan I was dreaming again. I was at Knox's and soon enough I was on the rooftop, kissing Anthony. Before O'Grady could appear, I felt someone shaking me, and I opened my eyes.
Sitting next to me, on the edge of the bed, Anthony gave me a concerned look and signed, "How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay," I said, sighing and rubbing my eyes as I sat up. I glanced over the side of the bed and I saw my jacket on the floor. Then I saw the hypodermic needle on the nightstand with an ampoule next to it. "What the hell is that doing there?" I asked.
Anthony signed that when my hands started to shake, I was feeling the aftereffects of the drug the thug had injected into me. He explained what it was and what the result of the drug was. After bringing me up to my room, Anthony had gotten the counter drug and injected me with it.
"Thanks," I said softly. I started to rub my neck. I stopped suddenly and withdrew my hand, surprised at the pain I felt.
Seeing my discomfort, Anthony pushed my head back gently and looked at my neck. "It's bruised," he signed to me when he let me go.
I touched my neck softly, and then looked at him. "That's the fourth time you saved my life, the counter drug," I said.
"I wouldn't be able to live if you died," Anthony signed. He wasn't looking at me, and I could have sworn that he was embarrassed.
I smiled and reached out, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. As I hugged him, I whispered into his ear, "I don't think I'd live without you either."
Anthony then wasted no time in putting his arms around me and claiming my lips with his. While we kissed, he gently pushed me back down on the pillow.
I felt a little daring and I let my tongue dart out to touch his own tongue. I could tell that Anthony was a little surprised by my action, but the next thing I knew, our tongues were dueling for dominance. I moaned a little bit and he pulled back, breaking the kiss.
Before I could protest, Anthony started to kiss my neck. Being careful with the bruises there, he placed very soft, gentle kisses.
While he was doing that, I closed my eyes and sighed, enjoying the tenderness with which he was kissing me. My hands seemed to have a mind of their own and were going through Anthony's hair, messing it up.
After a couple of minutes, Anthony placed a kiss on my chin and started to stand.
I opened my eyes and looked up at him.
"You need rest, I will go downstairs and keep guard," he signed, and with that he turned to leave.
"Anthony wait," I called out. "Why don't you stay and sleep here with me? I'm sure that you could use some rest."
"What if someone comes and attacks us?" he signed.
"'J' probable won't send anyone until our time is up for investigating them," I said.
Nodding, Anthony walked over to the other side of the bed and sat down on the edge.
When he lay down next to me, I immediately turned to him and rested my head on his chest. "Anthony, don't you think you should take your jacket and tie off to sleep?" I asked, raising my head.
He shook his head slightly, looking a little uncomfortable at what I had suggested.
I was always very impulsive, and the next thing I knew, I was taking the knot out of Anthony's tie.
He watched me curiously, but made no move to stop me. He was obviously enjoying my aggressiveness.
Once the tie was off, I forced him to sit up and then took off his jacket. I chucked it onto the floor next to the tie while Anthony settled back down on the bed. I rested my head on his chest again and closed my eyes. As I drifted off to sleep, I felt Anthony's arm wrap around my back and he then pulled me closer to him.