A/N: Hello, readers! Jack says "hello", too. He's been busy, busy, busy working on my POTC fic, but we had time to post the next chapter of this one!! Hooray and huzzah! Do review; I'll give you a seven-layer cookie! Thanks to my reviewers thus far; I am enheartened (is that a word?). Read on!
Chapter Three: You a cop?
Darkness had fallen, and Ellie was on hands and knees, sneaking along the bottom rim of the house, under the windows, on her way to the garage. It didn't take but a second to get inside through a window. She peeked around a bit, checking out the cars inside, and then set off down the ladder to the lower level. She was unconscious before her feet hit the floor. Vince had jammed the back of her head with the butt of his gun.
"Jesus, Ellie!" he said, when he saw who it was, then he frowned. Grabbing the back of her collar, he dragged her into the room, and dropped her on the floor. She groaned indistinctly. He gazed at her suspiciously, then said,
"She moans like a cop!"
Dom stepped out of the shadows, his face a blank. He crossed his arms and watched her silently as she came back to consciousness.
"Ellie," he said, as she blinked her eyes groggily. "This is one of those times when you need to be very clear about what you say. Nod if you understand me." She looked at him. Vince thrust the gun at her and yelled,
"Nod!" Dom held up a hand, and Vince backed off. Ellie nodded.
"Tell me what the hell you're doin' down here," he said.
"Dom --" she said. "Dom, I haven't got a thing to tell you. I swear. I can't -- it's that --" He had never seen her flustered, but she couldn't get the words out now.
"What are you saying?"
"Dom, she's a COP!" said Vince.
"You a cop?"
She shook her head.
"I'm gonna believe you, just this once," he said. "But you put one toe out of line, and I swear to God, Ellie-"
She nodded. He turned and left the room. Vince cast her a venomous look and followed. After a moment, she got up, and left the building. Dom's car was gone when she returned.
* * *
Ellie frowned unhappily. She was tearing through the streets of L.A., unhappy and guilty. And angry with herself. How could she do this to these people? These people that she was starting to love and care about? They had accepted her so willingly as part of their strange family of sorts… she'd never felt so guilty. God, she needed a drink. She pulled over in the first beer-joint she saw, checked to make sure her mace was in her pocket and her gun in her bag. She walked in, ordered a Corona, and sat down. She nursed the beer for a while, meditating over what had happened. Two beers later, she decided she'd better go before she got drunk. It was then that Johnny Tran slid in the booth beside her. She looked at him, and scooted over to put some space between them.
"What're you doing here?" she asked.
"Just wanted to check in on a friend."
"Friend? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Buzz off, Johnny, I'm in the mood for you right now."
"How can you know if you're in the mood for me? You've only seen me once." At that point, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"Turn me loose," she said, calmly and quietly. He didn't respond, only held her tighter. She went for the mace in her pocket.
"Hey!" he said, catching her wrist. "You don't want to mess with me, honey. I know something you don't." Ellie made to throw her hand up and catch him in the chin with her fist, but she didn't get that far, because suddenly Lance was peering over the edge of the booth, and he had her shoulders in a secure grasp, and a gun at the back of her neck.
"Stand up," said Johnny. She complied, and they made their way out of the building and around back. Ellie felt her heart pounding. Johnny didn't say anything for a moment, just stared at her. Then he said,
"What's Dom running in the desert next month?"
"All this about a car!?" said Ellie, incredulously. Johnny grabbed her by the shoulders and slammed her into the brick wall. She didn't get her arms out in front of her to catch her fall, so she struck the wall full-force with the side of her face and shoulder. She jumped away from the wall immediately. Away from his hands now, she stood a chance. She backed away from Johnny and went for her mace again. Damn, why didn't she keep her bag on her shoulder always? Lance was at her side before she could pull out the mace. He pulled her arms behind her back and Johnny retrieved the mace.
"Time we got this away from you -" he said, and landed a punch on her jaw. She winced and he hit her in the stomach. Grabbing her away from his cousin, he threw her onto the asphalt. She could feel herself getting bruised and scraped up all over. Twice, tonight, she'd been an idiot -
"Get up," said Tran. She was already half-way to her feet when he spoke, which Johnny didn't like. He shoved her down again, and kicked her in the back. She was already on her way up again when he struck her over the head, hard. Ellie blacked out.
Ellie was floating somewhere at the bottom of a dark pit, and there was pain everywhere. God, she hurt. She was cold. Wincing, she forced herself to open her eyes. It was dark all around her and it took her a moment to adjust. She finally realized she was still behind the bar, alone. Coming conscious had doubled the pain and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. She took a deep breath and tried to assess the situation. She looked down at herself -- fully clothed, although she was a dirty mess. She wasn't sore anywhere to worry her that they'd raped her, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She shuddered, suddenly very afraid. She was behind some filthy bar, so beat up she could barely move, and no one knew. Who was going to pick her up? Not Dom, certainly - not after what had happened that night. His temper - he wouldn't come if he knew. It pained her that she had ruined everything with Dom, the man that, out of the whole team, she had come to love and respect the most. She shoved that thought from her mind, and realized she had her cell in her back pocket, if it hadn't been crushed. Groaning with the agony of moving, she retrieved it. It was all right, miraculously. As she turned it on, an annoying series of beeps alerted her that she had fifteen missed calls. All from the same person, she realized. All from Dom. Maybe, just maybe, he'd come pick her up if she called… she was too much in pain to feel embarrassed. The punched in Dom's cell number and heard it ringing. He picked up on the second ring. He must have looked at the display screen before answering, because he said,
"Ellie! Where are you?" His voice was thick, worried.
"Dom -" her voice came out no more than a whisper. She cleared her throat and tried again.
"Dom - can you come pick me up?"
"Where are you? Are you okay?"
"I'm a little roughed up," she said. Dom noticed how thin and weak her voice was. "I'm behind Roselita's - that bar on eighteenth street. Dom, please just come pick me up, I'm sorry -"
"Ellie, I'm coming, okay? Hang on, alright?"
She mumbled something in response, but he didn't hear it. Her phone clicked off.
Ellie huddled into a ball, whimpering at the motion. Tears slipped down her cheeks. She'd screwed a whole lot up in the last few hours. She was scared, and angry at herself. It seemed like hours, waiting for Dom, and she was afraid he wasn't coming. It was really only minutes, however. It felt like hours to Dom as well. He was terrified. She'd sounded awful. He didn't care what the hell she was doing in the garage, he just wanted her to be okay.
Dom raced back around the bar. It took him a moment to see her, huddled in the shadows.
"Aw, shit," he breathed and knelt beside her.
"Dom -" she said. "I'm so sorry! I am - a -" she broke off as he placed a finger over her lips.
"Shh -- shh - it's okay, it's alright, okay? Just calm down. Come on. Let's get you out of here." He lifted her up as gently as he could, but she cried out anyway. He almost winced himself at the thought of hurting her. As he passed under a light, he saw just how beat up she was, and he inhaled sharply. Dammit, he would kill whoever had done this to her, the motherfucker! There had only been one other time in his life when he had felt like this.
A/N: So, right, there's chapter three. Sorry; I'm evil to my characters ... mwahaha ... jk, but I had to find a way to get Dom worried about her, because, of course, this is a Dom/OC romance, so ... Anyhoo, review!
Chapter Three: You a cop?
Darkness had fallen, and Ellie was on hands and knees, sneaking along the bottom rim of the house, under the windows, on her way to the garage. It didn't take but a second to get inside through a window. She peeked around a bit, checking out the cars inside, and then set off down the ladder to the lower level. She was unconscious before her feet hit the floor. Vince had jammed the back of her head with the butt of his gun.
"Jesus, Ellie!" he said, when he saw who it was, then he frowned. Grabbing the back of her collar, he dragged her into the room, and dropped her on the floor. She groaned indistinctly. He gazed at her suspiciously, then said,
"She moans like a cop!"
Dom stepped out of the shadows, his face a blank. He crossed his arms and watched her silently as she came back to consciousness.
"Ellie," he said, as she blinked her eyes groggily. "This is one of those times when you need to be very clear about what you say. Nod if you understand me." She looked at him. Vince thrust the gun at her and yelled,
"Nod!" Dom held up a hand, and Vince backed off. Ellie nodded.
"Tell me what the hell you're doin' down here," he said.
"Dom --" she said. "Dom, I haven't got a thing to tell you. I swear. I can't -- it's that --" He had never seen her flustered, but she couldn't get the words out now.
"What are you saying?"
"Dom, she's a COP!" said Vince.
"You a cop?"
She shook her head.
"I'm gonna believe you, just this once," he said. "But you put one toe out of line, and I swear to God, Ellie-"
She nodded. He turned and left the room. Vince cast her a venomous look and followed. After a moment, she got up, and left the building. Dom's car was gone when she returned.
* * *
Ellie frowned unhappily. She was tearing through the streets of L.A., unhappy and guilty. And angry with herself. How could she do this to these people? These people that she was starting to love and care about? They had accepted her so willingly as part of their strange family of sorts… she'd never felt so guilty. God, she needed a drink. She pulled over in the first beer-joint she saw, checked to make sure her mace was in her pocket and her gun in her bag. She walked in, ordered a Corona, and sat down. She nursed the beer for a while, meditating over what had happened. Two beers later, she decided she'd better go before she got drunk. It was then that Johnny Tran slid in the booth beside her. She looked at him, and scooted over to put some space between them.
"What're you doing here?" she asked.
"Just wanted to check in on a friend."
"Friend? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Buzz off, Johnny, I'm in the mood for you right now."
"How can you know if you're in the mood for me? You've only seen me once." At that point, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"Turn me loose," she said, calmly and quietly. He didn't respond, only held her tighter. She went for the mace in her pocket.
"Hey!" he said, catching her wrist. "You don't want to mess with me, honey. I know something you don't." Ellie made to throw her hand up and catch him in the chin with her fist, but she didn't get that far, because suddenly Lance was peering over the edge of the booth, and he had her shoulders in a secure grasp, and a gun at the back of her neck.
"Stand up," said Johnny. She complied, and they made their way out of the building and around back. Ellie felt her heart pounding. Johnny didn't say anything for a moment, just stared at her. Then he said,
"What's Dom running in the desert next month?"
"All this about a car!?" said Ellie, incredulously. Johnny grabbed her by the shoulders and slammed her into the brick wall. She didn't get her arms out in front of her to catch her fall, so she struck the wall full-force with the side of her face and shoulder. She jumped away from the wall immediately. Away from his hands now, she stood a chance. She backed away from Johnny and went for her mace again. Damn, why didn't she keep her bag on her shoulder always? Lance was at her side before she could pull out the mace. He pulled her arms behind her back and Johnny retrieved the mace.
"Time we got this away from you -" he said, and landed a punch on her jaw. She winced and he hit her in the stomach. Grabbing her away from his cousin, he threw her onto the asphalt. She could feel herself getting bruised and scraped up all over. Twice, tonight, she'd been an idiot -
"Get up," said Tran. She was already half-way to her feet when he spoke, which Johnny didn't like. He shoved her down again, and kicked her in the back. She was already on her way up again when he struck her over the head, hard. Ellie blacked out.
Ellie was floating somewhere at the bottom of a dark pit, and there was pain everywhere. God, she hurt. She was cold. Wincing, she forced herself to open her eyes. It was dark all around her and it took her a moment to adjust. She finally realized she was still behind the bar, alone. Coming conscious had doubled the pain and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. She took a deep breath and tried to assess the situation. She looked down at herself -- fully clothed, although she was a dirty mess. She wasn't sore anywhere to worry her that they'd raped her, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She shuddered, suddenly very afraid. She was behind some filthy bar, so beat up she could barely move, and no one knew. Who was going to pick her up? Not Dom, certainly - not after what had happened that night. His temper - he wouldn't come if he knew. It pained her that she had ruined everything with Dom, the man that, out of the whole team, she had come to love and respect the most. She shoved that thought from her mind, and realized she had her cell in her back pocket, if it hadn't been crushed. Groaning with the agony of moving, she retrieved it. It was all right, miraculously. As she turned it on, an annoying series of beeps alerted her that she had fifteen missed calls. All from the same person, she realized. All from Dom. Maybe, just maybe, he'd come pick her up if she called… she was too much in pain to feel embarrassed. The punched in Dom's cell number and heard it ringing. He picked up on the second ring. He must have looked at the display screen before answering, because he said,
"Ellie! Where are you?" His voice was thick, worried.
"Dom -" her voice came out no more than a whisper. She cleared her throat and tried again.
"Dom - can you come pick me up?"
"Where are you? Are you okay?"
"I'm a little roughed up," she said. Dom noticed how thin and weak her voice was. "I'm behind Roselita's - that bar on eighteenth street. Dom, please just come pick me up, I'm sorry -"
"Ellie, I'm coming, okay? Hang on, alright?"
She mumbled something in response, but he didn't hear it. Her phone clicked off.
Ellie huddled into a ball, whimpering at the motion. Tears slipped down her cheeks. She'd screwed a whole lot up in the last few hours. She was scared, and angry at herself. It seemed like hours, waiting for Dom, and she was afraid he wasn't coming. It was really only minutes, however. It felt like hours to Dom as well. He was terrified. She'd sounded awful. He didn't care what the hell she was doing in the garage, he just wanted her to be okay.
Dom raced back around the bar. It took him a moment to see her, huddled in the shadows.
"Aw, shit," he breathed and knelt beside her.
"Dom -" she said. "I'm so sorry! I am - a -" she broke off as he placed a finger over her lips.
"Shh -- shh - it's okay, it's alright, okay? Just calm down. Come on. Let's get you out of here." He lifted her up as gently as he could, but she cried out anyway. He almost winced himself at the thought of hurting her. As he passed under a light, he saw just how beat up she was, and he inhaled sharply. Dammit, he would kill whoever had done this to her, the motherfucker! There had only been one other time in his life when he had felt like this.
A/N: So, right, there's chapter three. Sorry; I'm evil to my characters ... mwahaha ... jk, but I had to find a way to get Dom worried about her, because, of course, this is a Dom/OC romance, so ... Anyhoo, review!