In-Jokes: "This Everyday Love" is a Rascal Flatts song. The healing coma is an idea gacked with permission from Flaming Trails. Gary's grief is largely my own from not having my husband around when I need him. The friend of Rascal Flatts' whose husband is a marine is, of course, me. The song they sing is me and Ed's song, "Bless the Broken Road".

Chapter Twelve: This Everyday Love

Six hours later, after arrests were made, police statements had been taken, Lisa's stuff had been retrieved and explanations had been given to Pete and Adele at the hospital – and, really, they weren't going to argue with the same person who'd almost killed Walter Von Braun – Sue, Lucy, Levi, Marissa, Gary and Lisa were all gathered in Gary's loft above McGinty's.

Lisa admitted that, while she knew she healed fast, she had no idea what would happen if she were shot. She'd never had a serious wound like that before. Now, however, she knew.

"It was a healing coma," she explained, "because a bullet clipped my right heart. Would've killed a human, of course. I kind of heal from the inside out, like a horse does. Left alone, the bullets would've been expelled from my body, too."

"This is amazing," said Sue. "You really are what Gary and Marissa said you were."

"Yeah," Lisa said, smiling. She'd let her wings show five minutes ago and explained her ability to speak to animals. "As for the me speaking telepathically to you thing, I did."

"I was able to hear it in my head…" whispered Sue. "I heard…"

"Speaking like that to someone I'm not linked to takes a lot of effort," Lisa said. "I probably couldn't do it again unless I'm under that much strain again. Huh. No wonder I got shot." Levi sat at her side, his chin on her lap, watching her carefully as if he expected her to keel over at any second.

She scratched behind his ears. "Really, boy, I'm fine. Not a hundred percent, but I will be in another day or so."

Levi whined. "I worry…you saved me…"

"Seems to me I worried a lot of people."

"You saved my life," said Sue. "And Levi's."

"Yeah, he just reminded me of that." She turned to Gary, who was sitting beside her, holding her hand as tight as he had in the hospital. She didn't really need the link to know what he was feeling. "Guys, can we have a minute?"

They nodded and left. Gary's string finally snapped and he broke down, sobbing. Lisa held him close, stroking his hair gently.

"It's okay, Gar. I'm okay."

Too upset to speak aloud, he said telepathically, his thoughts trembling, You scared me…I was so afraid I'd lose you…Lisa, please don't do that again…

"Shh," she soothed, tears in her own eyes, now. "I'm sorry, Gary. I couldn't let her be shot. You know that. You know me." She sighed. "I'm so sorry."

I love you so much…I can't stand the thought of losing you…

"I love you, too, Gar." She pulled away slightly to look in his eyes. "Look, how about we put it past us for tonight and go to that concert?"

Gary sniffled and managed a small, wan smile.

"Great," she said. "I have a phone call to make…"

An hour later, they were sitting front row center at the PAC while Gary LeVox, Joe Don Rooney and Jay DeMarcus were singing on stage. Beside Gary and Lisa were Sue, Lucy and Marissa – and, if one wonders what a deaf person was doing at a concert, she wasn't about to say no to Lisa, plus she'd be able to get a feel for the music by the vibrations in the floor. Somehow, Lisa had scored extra tickets for them, as well. She wasn't telling, and when they asked, all she did was smile.

Gary LeVox had just finished singing and was gesturing to the audience to quiet down their applause for the moment so he could speak.

"Thank you all," he said into the microphone. "I'd like to take a minute before we do the next song, because two good friends of ours want me to dedicate it to their significant others. Our one friend's husband is in the marines, and this is their song, so it's dedicated to them. Also, our other friend is in the audience right now, and we owe her a great deal for some…some stuff she did for us. We'll be in touch."

Gary looked at Lisa, who smiled and kissed him as the band played the intro to the song and LeVox began to sing.

"I set out on a narrow way many years ago, hoping I would find true love along the broken road. But I got lost a time or two; wiped my brow, kept pushin' through. I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you. Every long-lost dream led me to where you are. Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars pointing me on my way into your loving arms. This much I know is true, that god blessed the broken road that led me straight to you…"

The End