Chapter 11 TKO The Way To Go?
Barney's Continued
Ava stopped crying and looked around with puffy eyes. The guys were obviously uncomfortable with her crying but had let her break down and do what she needed to do. It had been a while since she'd let herself break. She hadn't properly mourned for the lost baby, but now she felt a heavy weight lift from her shoulders. She wiped her eyes as Connie handed her a box of tissues. She grabbed one and blew her nose with a laugh.
"Been awhile since I've broke down," she muttered.
"Everyone is allowed to break," Dixie said, "It's our job to help put you back together."
"It's what family is for," Connie said nodding along with Dixie.
"Have you seen a doctor since it happened?" Dixie asked concerned.
"My Aunt Sara hooked me up while I was there with someone very discreet," Ava murmured, "I should probably try to find someone similar around here to see how everything is healing."
"Best to ask Barney or Lee," Connie said, "They'd know the one to go to."
"I doubt they know a decent gynecologist tho," Ava joked.
The other two laughed as they noticed Ava slowly bouncing back with her attitude.
"True," Dixie hummed, "My doctor seems pretty discreet. I wonder where Gunnar found her?"
"Gunnar found your doctor?" Ava asked.
"He wanted a female doctor," Dixie smirked, "Doesn't like the idea of another man touching me intimately."
"That's actually very sweet," Ava cooed.
"I know," Dixie smiled as her eyes wandered the room for Gunnar.
"I'm glad we have you now," Connie said looking at Ava.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Well Dixie and I do a lot of the same things when the guys are gone and it always felt like we were just biding time until Dixie pops."
"I am NOT a turkey timer," Dixie joked huffily.
Connie pulled Dixie's shirt up enough to see her belly button sticking out, "You sure about that because that there says you're done."
The women all laughed as Gunnar rose a confused brow. All he noticed is them with their hands on Dixie's belly and laughing at something.
"Women are weird," Smilee said standing next to him.
Luna whacked him in the stomach with a glare.
"No," Gunnar said with a smirk, "They're crazy."
As Smilee's laughter let up, Barney and Lee came through the door with a few boxes of takeout orders. Barney started handing out the ones from his box as Lee delivered the women theirs.
"Thank you," Ava said with a genuine smile before turning back to Dixie, "If you ever need a babysitter you know who to call."
Dixie smiled at her appreciatively as she stuffed her mouth with dumplings. Lee smirked at them and shook his head. Just as he opened his own container, his phone rang.
"Bet I know who that is," Connie whispered loudly to Ava.
"Lacy," Ava said sadly.
Connie and Dixie turned to Ava to see her face sad and her shoulders slumped.
"You like him," Dixie pointed out.
"Doesn't matter now does it? He's taken and I'm not a homewrecker," Ava said firmly.
"Lacy's house certainly isn't home," Connie snorted, "He's here more than there. I think he's finally starting to realize something isn't adding up with her."
"What do you mean?" Ava asked.
"He used to be at Lacy's every spare moment, but the last couple months he's been here a lot more," Connie smirked and eyed Ava, "Tho I've heard he's been here every morning since you came."
"I thought he was always here in the mornings?" Ava asked confused.
"Nnnoooope," Dixie sang out.
Ava furrowed her brows and tilted her head for a few moments. Dixie knocked her chopsticks on Ava's carton to get her attention.
"You're supposed to eat it not stare at it," Dixie joked.
"She'd much rather stare at a someone and not a something," Connie winked.
Ava blushed at their true statement, "Not my fault he's sex on a stick in those jeans and don't get me started on that accent."
"So you like Lee's accent huh?" Dixie joked as she noticed Lee standing behind Connie leaning against the beam with his carton of food.
His eye twitched as he realized he was the topic of conversation and he tried to listen better causing Dixie to smirk wider.
"Well I've always loved British and Scottish accents," Ava said shrugging not knowing Lee was now grinning.
"I don't think I've ever heard anyone described as sex on a stick tho," Dixie prodded.
Ava blushed darker, "Well those jeans on him should be outlawed."
Dixie smiled widely as Lee's brows rose and he turned a bit towards them. He noticed Dixie grinning like a cat who got the canary at him and he looked away again. Dixie looked back at her new friend as she nodded mentally. Lee now knew he stood a chance with Ava, hopefully that would help them out. She sat back and patted her belly.
A small foot streamed across her belly causing her to smile wider. Ava's eyes widened as she'd noticed it too.
"Did the baby just do that?" she asked excited.
"Yeah," Dixie said pulling her shirt up again.
Ava put a hand on her belly again and felt as the baby's foot came in contact with her hand. She smiled up at Dixie before bringing her hand back to herself.
"Thank you," she muttered quietly.
"Anytime," Dixie winked, "I'm sure after the baby is born it won't take Gunnar long to knock me up again."
Connie snorted and laughed, "So true."
"I want to go to the courthouse first and get properly married before another one tho," Dixie said adamantly.
The women nodded in agreement and finished their meals.
"So when is this demonstration?" Connie asked rubbing her hands together.
"After my tummy settles?" Ava suggested.
"Tool said to take it easy today," Barney said as he gathered their cartons.
"I slept the day away and I'm stir crazy," Ava said raising a brow, "Besides everyone is already here."
Barney nodded grudgingly, "Doc's up then."
"Doc?" Ava asked.
"Yes My Lady?" Doc asked from across the room.
"You volunteered for the smackdown?" Ava asked.
Doc frowned, "I volunteered for some demonstration on self defense."
"But everyone is taking bets," Dixie pointed out, "So smackdown is expected?"
Doc huffed, "Let's get this over with."
"I'm letting my tummy settle thank you very much," Ava glared at him, "Give me twenty minutes to at least digest part of my food."
He shook his head at her, "Fine fine."
The guys laughed at their fake frustration. Luna plopped down on the arm to the couch next to Connie blocking Lee's view of Ava. He frowned and realized he felt uncomfortable not being able to see her. He moved over towards Barney and helped him gather up the other cartons before taking them to the kitchen.
Barney stopped him from going back in the main room with a hand on his shoulder, "I hope you know what you're doing."
"What do you mean?" Lee asked confused.
"Ava," Barney grunted, "I'm smarter than I look. I notice you following her around. I appreciate you keeping an eye on her, but I know you aren't doing it for me. Just remember she's had it rough and that Lacy is still the one warming your bed. Tho you know how we all feel about Lacy."
"You mean how YOU feel about her," Lee said pointing at him.
"No," Barney sighed, "The whole crew."
With that Barney walked back into the main room. Lee stayed in the kitchen for a few minutes deep in thought. Had he been so into Lacy that he'd blinded himself to how the whole crew felt about her? Why did Connie and Dixie never seem to try and hang out with her anymore? He knew Luna prefered hanging with the guys, tho even she liked Ava. Perhaps it was time to rethink things.
When he walked back into the main room, everyone was heading into the gym. He followed too as he was curious about what his little woman could do. He shook off the thought again with a heavy sigh.
Doc, Tool, and Ava stood on the mats in the center of the room.
"You want to leave your shoes on," Ava warned.
"The idea is to try to grab her from behind. Hair's off limits," Tool said.
"You want any padding?" Ava asked with a smirk.
"Pleeease, do I look like I need padding?" Doc asked as a few guys chuckled.
"Don't say she didn't warn you," Tool said shrugging making Doc a little leery.
Tool stepped away to join the small crowd. Dixie and Connie looked more excited then the rest making them wonder what kind of inside information they had. Ava turned away from Doc and motioned with a hand that she was ready when he was.
He waited a few moments and looked at the crew before looking back at Ava.
"Why do I have the feeling I've just been fleeced out of twenty bucks?" he muttered before he approached Ava and tried to grab her and lift her off the floor.
Just like with Tool, she swung her weight downwards before elbowing him in the solar plexus. He grunted loudly as he loosened his hold. She stomped on his instep making him hop that foot away. She turned around and whacked her palm into his nose before kneeing him in the groin dropping him like a heavy sack of potatoes.
"Fuck!" he yelled as he cradled his nose with one hand and his groin with the other.
"That was SING," she said.
"SING?" Caesar asked.
"Solar plexus, Instep, Nose, Groin," Connie, Dixie, and Ava said at the same time before looking at each other and bursting out laughing.
"Laughing at my pain ain't right," Doc muttered from his knees as he took in deep breaths.
"Handed you your ass," Luna said, "Almost a TKO I'd say the way you're swayin. That's twenty bucks once you can count again."
Bets were paid out while Tool helped Doc off the ground.
"We asked if you wanted padding," Tool said.
"Uck Ov!" he tried to say as he held his nose.
"I actually feel your pain," he said pointing at his own nose, "But at least she warned me about my nuts ahead of time."
Lee walked up to Ava with his hands in his pockets, "That's actually pretty impressive. Think you did it better than Sandra Bullock tho."
Her eyes popped wide as she stared at him, "You watch chick flicks too?" she muttered, "How are you not chained up somewhere at home to never venture into crowds of women?"
He barked out a laugh, "What reason would someone have to keep me away from other women?"
"You're a chick magnet that oozes sex," she said before slapping a hand over her mouth and widening her eyes further, "Did I seriously say that outloud?"
He smirked at her, "Well I'm not the type to stray."
"Thank goodness for that or the whole of womankind would be doomed," she muttered before pausing, "If only every guy stuck to his woman."
Before he could respond she'd walked out of the gym and into the crowd of the crew complimenting her on dropping Doc. Galgo was the most vocal about it.
Lee ran a hand over the fuzz on his head as he lost himself in thought.
"You know," he heard Ava say in the other room, "You and Aunt Sara would get along well."
"How so?" Galgo asked.
"You like to talk and she likes to listen," Ava said smiling.
A few loud laughs were heard as Lee grinned. One day at a time he thought as he walked into the other room.