Sup? All right, I really don't have much to say, but...Yeah...Okay...R&R!
Magical Princess: Sure, for now.
kk241289: Again, thank you! You're right, though, that was only a little taste of what happened to them. That was nothing--and I mean NOTHING--compared to what happened...You'll see. Never heard the assume thing, huh? Well now you can use it on people!
scullymulder1234:1--That bug thing got cleared up, ya know? You'll find out what happens soon enough. Oh, and what dots?
charmedangel429: Omg, did I forget respond to your review from Chapter 7? Sorry if I did...My head's off...Anyway, thanks for the Chapter 7 review! Um...Yeah...Sorry if I'm confusing you...
jenNy: Hmm...Cherries and sugar and a spoon, eh? Tempting...Victor and Leo will get in a fight, 'cause Victor hates Leo, and then Leo went and got himself shot. Dan...I won't say anything about him. I'll leave you to guess. Torture, I know, but at least I'm having fun with it! Muahahahaha!
Chapter 9 - Scarry Talk
Leo was asleep in bed when Piper came inside with Yukon. He could hear them coming inside and woke up slowly. It was his third day off work, and Piper was sure he got plenty of sleep from it, not that he was complaining himself.
"Hi," Piper said quietly as she came into their bedroom.
"You're angry with me," Leo guessed from her tone. He sat up.
"What? No…" Piper came and sat down on the bed next to her husband. "I'm just tired…Sore…"
"You, too?"
"It hurts?"
"Uh, yeah," Leo said, somewhat sarcastically. "My shoulder, more, though."
"Did you pull it?"
"No…I dunno… What about you? Come, complain with me."
Piper smiled. "I'm sore all over…" Her smile changed a little to a somewhat embarrassed one. "I uh…fell…at work today…" she said through her smile.
He tried not to laugh, but it wasn't working. "Piper…"
"I know, I know! I tripped over some boxes…Hurt my neck and shoulder…"
"Where, right…"—Leo put his hand on Piper's shoulder—"…here?"
"Yeah…" Piper closed her eyes and leaned her head forward as Leo maneuvered to sit behind her to massage her shoulders and neck. "Mmm hmm…"
Leo reached down to take the bottom of Piper's shirt. He pulled it up over her head and tossed it aside. She lay down on the bed on her stomach as he massaged her shoulders and sides. He ran his hands up her back and unclasped her bra to move it aside, as he also moved to straddle her back with his knees. He massaged her back and she told him where to go.
"Mmm…Lower…No, up, up, up…Little lighter…" He ran his fingertips along her sides and back and she shivered. "Mmm…"
"Shh."
"Sorry," Piper said sarcastically.
"Hush. This should be vice versa, you know…"
"Hush."
Leo withdrew his hands from Piper's back.
"I mean…I love you?" Piper tried.
Leo smiled.
Two days later, Leo went back to the station to see what was happening. He couldn't stay away for too long, and since Piper was working at the restaurant, she wouldn't be able to get angry with him for going. He found Ron, Jake, Kevin, Josh, Adam, and Cortez sitting in the lounge with Jamie.
"You're all fucking perverts, you know that?" Jamie laughed. "Perverts."
"Ooh. Ouch! God, a shot at my heart! It hurt, Jamie. That one hurt," Cortez said sarcastically, clutching his heart dramatically.
"Well, I'm allowed to be a pervert. I'm not married," Josh said.
"No, I'm allowed to be a perv. You can be a perverted freak once you are married. 'Cause then you've got someone to live out the perverted thoughts with," Ron said.
"Yeah, and it got you a kid."
"See? Kill two birds with one stone. I'm satisfied, and Marie's on maternity leave for another six weeks." Ron laughed to himself.
"There are so many other ways I could word that, but…" Jamie trailed off.
They laughed as Leo walked into the lounge. He took one look at the people in the room and knew what was going on. "Oh, no, you guys are sharing all of your sleazy sex stories again, huh?"
"Yeah, it's not the same without you."
"Ah, well, that's only because you're all jealous of me," Leo said as he walked over to the counter and grabbed a mug from a rack and rinsed it in a sink.
"Jealous? Why?" Josh asked.
Leo filled the mug with coffee. He looked at Josh. "Because my sleazy sex stories top yours by far."
Everyone but the Wyatt brothers laughed. Jake and Ron hid their faces in their hands. Leo had a look of genuine confusion, as if no one believed him.
"I doubt that, Leo. I've been around the block more than once," Jamie challenged.
"Yeah. I'm married, too, Wy," Adam added.
"Yeah, well…" Leo took a sip of coffee. He walked up to the circle table the others were sitting at. "That may be," he said quietly, leaning down. "But uh…Still, mine top yours."
"Doubt it," Jamie scoffed.
"Do you now?"
Jamie nodded. Leo leaned over and whispered something in her ear, and she put a hand over her mouth to keep herself from laughing. When he was finished, he stood up straight and left the room.
Seconds later, after Jamie relayed the story to the others in the lounge, the entire room erupted with laughter.
"Oh! Bad image, Leo! Bad image!" Josh yelled after him as the lounge door swung closed.
The next day was Saturday, and Piper had left the restaurant to her sisters to care for. At about five o'clock in the afternoon, when Leo had gone to take Yukon to the local dog park, Piper looked up to a knock at the door. She left the kitchen, where she'd been making dinner, and opened the front door. Her face immediately turned to shock. "Um…Mike, right?…What…?"
"I just came to ask a few questions…I figured I wouldn't get another chance to talk to you, so…" Mike said, glancing around to be sure Leo wasn't home.
"Yeah, yeah. Uh, come in. Leo's out, by the way, so it's fine to talk." Piper opened the door a little wider and let Mike in, closing it behind him. She led him into the living room. "Please, sit."
Mike sat down on the couch and Piper sat on the chair. "This is a beautiful house. How long have you lived here?" he commented.
"Thank you, um…We've been here since…just after we started college, but it was actually an inheritance from Leo's aunt. We were lucky to get it, really, because his aunt didn't like me that well." Piper smiled.
"I just um…had a few questions about Leo…"
"Yeah. I know he probably isn't being the friendliest person in the world…"
"No…Actually, I'm just curious about the scar from a gunshot wound on his shoulder…I asked Cortez about it—"
"Yeah uh…Cortez probably gave you a summary about it…"
Mike nodded. "Yeah."
Piper nodded to herself, thinking back and forcing herself to relive the memory. "Well um…" She gulped. "It all happened kinda fast…I mean, Leo went out really late and got into trouble. It was bound to happen…" She shook her head. "But um, these two guys pulled guns on him and he defended himself. One of them shot him in the shoulder and then he was shot again. If he had followed protocol and called in for backup earlier, then things would have worked out…better."
"Better?"
"Yeah. He, um…It took him so long to call in, that after he did, he passed out. He nearly died from the blood loss…Actually, he, um…His heart stopped on the operating table, but the doctor's were able to get it, thank God…" Piper paused a moment to compose herself. "He was in surgery for, like…four and a half hours. I was frantic…Everyone was. I'm not sure how we even got through it…Leo was in the hospital for a week and a half and took three extra weeks off of work. He got put back on light jobs, but took back the dirty work…I guess it's some sort of thrill for him…" She shook her head again. "Anyway, it was like an emotional turning point for him. I think the reality of death hit him, and he realized he was mortal…" A smile graced her face. "That's a good thing…"
"How long ago was that?"
"Five years…It was a year after Yukon took that bullet for him. He was more serious since he got shot, though…He took certain things less lightly, and was more careful on the job. He still is, even if it doesn't show it…" After a sigh, she added, "Leo's not good at showing emotion all too well around some people…"
Mike laughed out loud. "Like me?"
"He'll get to know you. You'll see."
"That's what everyone says, but I dunno…"
"Ah, he will…Believe it or not, Leo's an emotional man. He just only shows emotion around…his family, really, and it's a difficult task to get to a point where you're considered family…It's a process to get his trust. Like a game, almost…"
"So, I'm on…what, Level…Negative Fifteen?"
Piper laughed. "Negative Thirteen is more like it…" She was silent for a second. "Leo doesn't like getting shot," she said quietly, somewhat distantly.
"Oh? I had a totally different impression."
Piper smiled. "Okay, he doesn't mind showing off a scar or two, but he…he doesn't brag about that stuff around me. I think I bring him back down to earth on certain issues…That's a good thing…"
"Yeah, well…I think I'd better go…" Mike started to stand up.
"Um…Yeah. Leo should be back soon, and…" Piper trailed off. "…I'll uh, lead you out."
As Piper stood up to walk toward the door, her tank top rose slightly, showing a little bit of her stomach. Mike's eye caught a large scar on her side, just above the line of her jeans. There was the end of another scar crossing over it slightly, but it continued on below her jean line. He noted the scars, but said nothing.
The next day, Leo wasn't allowed out of the house. That was established when he woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, panting, out of breath, and on the verge of tears.
His dreams were killing him.
He slept through most of the day, getting much-needed rest, but staying unable to retain it because the dreams he was having were so vivid and real. He didn't tell Piper what he was reliving, he didn't tell her anything other than "I'm fine."
Piper watched her husband from the doorway. He was sleeping peacefully, it seemed, but she had no idea of what was going on in his head…
"No, Leo, I can't go in there—" Piper said, shaking her head. Tears were already slowly making paths down her cheeks.
"It'll only take a moment, Piper. I swear, it'll be over soon. He can't see you, remember?" Leo reminded her, moving his hands to her waist to hold her to him. "All you have to do is identify him."
"Leo…" Piper sobbed.
Leo held her close and walked her up to the one-way glass. Inside the room they were looking into, there was a police officer, but other than that, it was empty. A prosecuting lawyer, defending lawyer, and Adam were standing with Piper and Leo, waiting.
"Okay, all you have to do is tell us what number is on his shirt if you see him," Adam explained, even though Piper knew the procedure.
She barely nodded, and a sob escaped her lips. Leo wrapped his arms around her from behind. She grabbed his hand tightly.
Adam pressed a button to the right of the glass. "Bring out the first group," he said into the speaker.
The officer inside the room nodded and opened a door. Five men came outside, all of them looking menacing, and all of them wearing numbers on their shirts, numbered 1-5.
Piper shook her head, feeling Leo give her hand a reassuring squeeze. She took a slow, deep breath. "No, he's not in there."
"Bring out the second group," Adam said into the speaker.
The officer nodded. The men from the first group left through a door on the other side of the room, and another group came in.
Piper's breath caught in her throat. Her entire body started trembling, and a fresh set of tears rolled from her eyes. She squeezed Leo's hand so tight that her own hand started to hurt.
She nodded a little, her eyes locked on the man wearing the number 7. She knew he couldn't see her, but he knew she was back there. "That's him…" she muttered, tears choking her voice. "Number seven."
"Thank you, Piper," Adam said quietly.
Leo put his arms around his wife and walked her out of the room. He could feel her shaking still, and had her lean on him in an effort to calm her nerves.
"So much for lucky number seven," the prosecutor said to the defense lawyer. "Book him."
Leo woke with a start, sitting up quickly. He took in a quick breath, and opened his eyes to see Piper at his side. Her hand took his and she used her other to stroke his face and hair.
"It's okay," she whispered. "What happened?"
"Nothing," Leo said, trying to forget the dream.
Her face set so that she almost looked angry. "It's not nothing, I know that."
Leo shook his head. It's fine, Piper…"
"No it's not. Don't lie to me, please."
He looked into her eyes and put one hand on her upper arm. "I'm fine."
Piper wasn't convinced. She lay down beside Leo and curled up against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and she closed her eyes.
Leo was back asleep in no time, but Piper stayed away and watched him, making sure he was okay. She knew what he was dreaming about—she always had. Though he never clarified exactly what he was remembering. Piper guessed it was because he didn't want to upset or hurt her. She tried to press him, but he always dropped the issue.
She wasn't afraid of being hurt from remembering. It was the past. She couldn't change it, and she couldn't run from it. She knew she could take the hurt if it would help Leo. She hated seeing him this way…
So there's another little portion of what happened to them... (From Leo's dream, remember?)
Just so you all know, Leo getting shot five years ago has nothing to do with the other thing that happened to them.
Here's a little hint: Remember how I made Dan out to be the bad guy in Home Sweet Home? Think about it...Have I used Dan yet? I have Dan in like all of my stories...HINT HINT, PEOPLE! HINT HINT!