"Mother?" Leo asked, staring at the figure once more, "But how?"
"I could ask you the same question." Vanessa replied, walking over to him, "Oh, sweetheart! This is a miracle!"
Vanessa then reached to grab his hand, but Leo pulled it away instantly. The thought of the eight months that had been robbed from him and Greenlee was resurfacing in his mind. It was time that Leo could have spent with his wife, if the threat of Vanessa's gang hadn't loomed over him.
"You are so lucky that I'm not calling the police right now." Leo said as Vanessa looked curiously at him, "I'm sure Pine Valley's finest haven't forgotten everything you've done, Mother."
"This is your idea of welcome?" Vanessa asked incredulously, "This is the way to treat your mother, who has been thought dead for months?"
"Do not even begin to play that card!" Leo said angrily, "It was because of you that I was taken away from the people I love for eight freaking months! You know what though, Vanessa? I am glad that you're alive. It means that I can make you pay for even thinking about hurting the woman I love more than life itself!"
As the stunned Vanessa simply stared at him, Leo sighed and turned around.
"But I will give you one last chance. Leave Pine Valley right now, and I won't tell anyone that I saw you. You'll be free to commit your crimes elsewhere."
WHAM! Rendered unconscious, Leo silently sank to the ground after Vanessa clocked him in the back of the head with a nearby trashcan lid!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
"What?" Leo asked dazed, as consciousness slowly returned to him, "Where?"
"Just relax, Leo." Greenlee said softly, "You're safe now."
As Leo opened his eyes, the semi-familiar surroundings of the standard room at Pine Valley Hospital came into focus, as did the warm smile of Greenlee, who was standing over him. As Leo slowly sat up, he could also see David and Anna sitting in the two chairs in the room.
"Bianca and Maggie found you laying unconscious in the back alley near B.J.'s." Anna explained as the other two joined Greenlee at Leo's side, "They said that they had no idea how you got there, but there was a dented trashcan lid laying on the ground near you."
"Who did this to you, little bro?" David asked. By the tone of his voice, Leo knew that David wanted to hunt down and kill whoever was responsible.
"Vanessa." Leo replied quietly.
"What?" Anna asked, thinking she hadn't heard him right.
"It was Vanessa." Leo repeated to the shock and dismay of the other three.
"That witch." Greenlee spat, rubbing Leo's shoulder, "What does it take to kill her? Garlic and a silver bullet?"
"What exactly did she say to you, Leo?" Anna inquired, as David simply watched on.
"Nothing much." Leo replied, rubbing the back of his throbbing head, "She seemed surprised to see me, and I was the one who carried the conversation."
"So," Anna continued, slightly disappointed, "nothing about where she's been for all these months?"
"No." Leo confirmed, shaking his head, "We honestly didn't get that far before she knocked me out."
"All right then." Anna sighed, "I'm going to go to headquarters and file a report. You will let me know if you hear anything else, right?"
"Cross my heart." Leo promised as Anna silently headed out the door.
"Um, Greenlee." David asked, turning to his sister-in-law, "Do you think you could let me have a word with Leo in private? I promise that I'll release him immediately afterwards."
"Okay." Greenlee agreed, heading out after Anna.
After hearing the door shut, David casually tossed an ice pack at Leo, who caught it with one hand.
"To get the doctor to patient part of this over with," David instructed, "just keep that on the back of your head for awhile. You don't appear to have any other injuries, except for a nice bruise."
"Okay." Leo said, starting to hop off the bed. However, David put a hand on Leo's arm to restrain him.
"Now, for the brother to brother part." David informed for a smile, "What exactly did Mommy Dearest say to you?"
"Like I told Anna," Leo replied, holding the ice pack to the back of his head, "nothing important. You know, I think she actually expected me to welcome her back with open arms and was shocked when I didn't."
"Good." David sighed in relief.
"Huh?" Leo wondered, looking at David curiously.
"I was concerned that she may have said something harmful to you." David confessed, "We both know how Vanessa likes to hurt people with words, as well as physically."
"I'm fine, David." Leo assured with a smile, "Although, we'd better watch out, man. We might actually be getting as close as brothers should be."
"Scary, ain't it?" David chuckled as he clapped Leo on the back.
To be continued......................
"I could ask you the same question." Vanessa replied, walking over to him, "Oh, sweetheart! This is a miracle!"
Vanessa then reached to grab his hand, but Leo pulled it away instantly. The thought of the eight months that had been robbed from him and Greenlee was resurfacing in his mind. It was time that Leo could have spent with his wife, if the threat of Vanessa's gang hadn't loomed over him.
"You are so lucky that I'm not calling the police right now." Leo said as Vanessa looked curiously at him, "I'm sure Pine Valley's finest haven't forgotten everything you've done, Mother."
"This is your idea of welcome?" Vanessa asked incredulously, "This is the way to treat your mother, who has been thought dead for months?"
"Do not even begin to play that card!" Leo said angrily, "It was because of you that I was taken away from the people I love for eight freaking months! You know what though, Vanessa? I am glad that you're alive. It means that I can make you pay for even thinking about hurting the woman I love more than life itself!"
As the stunned Vanessa simply stared at him, Leo sighed and turned around.
"But I will give you one last chance. Leave Pine Valley right now, and I won't tell anyone that I saw you. You'll be free to commit your crimes elsewhere."
WHAM! Rendered unconscious, Leo silently sank to the ground after Vanessa clocked him in the back of the head with a nearby trashcan lid!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
"What?" Leo asked dazed, as consciousness slowly returned to him, "Where?"
"Just relax, Leo." Greenlee said softly, "You're safe now."
As Leo opened his eyes, the semi-familiar surroundings of the standard room at Pine Valley Hospital came into focus, as did the warm smile of Greenlee, who was standing over him. As Leo slowly sat up, he could also see David and Anna sitting in the two chairs in the room.
"Bianca and Maggie found you laying unconscious in the back alley near B.J.'s." Anna explained as the other two joined Greenlee at Leo's side, "They said that they had no idea how you got there, but there was a dented trashcan lid laying on the ground near you."
"Who did this to you, little bro?" David asked. By the tone of his voice, Leo knew that David wanted to hunt down and kill whoever was responsible.
"Vanessa." Leo replied quietly.
"What?" Anna asked, thinking she hadn't heard him right.
"It was Vanessa." Leo repeated to the shock and dismay of the other three.
"That witch." Greenlee spat, rubbing Leo's shoulder, "What does it take to kill her? Garlic and a silver bullet?"
"What exactly did she say to you, Leo?" Anna inquired, as David simply watched on.
"Nothing much." Leo replied, rubbing the back of his throbbing head, "She seemed surprised to see me, and I was the one who carried the conversation."
"So," Anna continued, slightly disappointed, "nothing about where she's been for all these months?"
"No." Leo confirmed, shaking his head, "We honestly didn't get that far before she knocked me out."
"All right then." Anna sighed, "I'm going to go to headquarters and file a report. You will let me know if you hear anything else, right?"
"Cross my heart." Leo promised as Anna silently headed out the door.
"Um, Greenlee." David asked, turning to his sister-in-law, "Do you think you could let me have a word with Leo in private? I promise that I'll release him immediately afterwards."
"Okay." Greenlee agreed, heading out after Anna.
After hearing the door shut, David casually tossed an ice pack at Leo, who caught it with one hand.
"To get the doctor to patient part of this over with," David instructed, "just keep that on the back of your head for awhile. You don't appear to have any other injuries, except for a nice bruise."
"Okay." Leo said, starting to hop off the bed. However, David put a hand on Leo's arm to restrain him.
"Now, for the brother to brother part." David informed for a smile, "What exactly did Mommy Dearest say to you?"
"Like I told Anna," Leo replied, holding the ice pack to the back of his head, "nothing important. You know, I think she actually expected me to welcome her back with open arms and was shocked when I didn't."
"Good." David sighed in relief.
"Huh?" Leo wondered, looking at David curiously.
"I was concerned that she may have said something harmful to you." David confessed, "We both know how Vanessa likes to hurt people with words, as well as physically."
"I'm fine, David." Leo assured with a smile, "Although, we'd better watch out, man. We might actually be getting as close as brothers should be."
"Scary, ain't it?" David chuckled as he clapped Leo on the back.
To be continued......................