Disclaimer: Credit to Jonathan Nolan, Greg Plageman, and the POI writing team. Bolded sections are straight from the episodes.


QUEENSBRIDGE PARK

Chapter 48: mid Blunt


Their latest Number, Harper Rose, leaves Detective John Riley inside Club Boost to deal with the Brotherhood members sent there to kill her for stealing their drug money. She hurries out and straight into the arms of his partner, Detective Lionel Fusco.

"NYPD. Come with me," Fusco says, flashing his badge.

"Sorry, Detective," she says, whipping out a nightstick. "But I don't really feel like spending tonight in holding."

Unimpressed with her weapon, Fusco pulls out a taser. "You really want to do this?" He relieves her of the stick and takes her arm. "Come on, you."

He puts her in the back of his cruiser and waits for his partner to finish up inside the club.

Amid the flashing lights, Reese moves with lethal grace across the dance floor. With a few jabs, he renders the first man unconscious. He snatches up a nearby champagne bottle and uses it to dispatch the remaining two with several quick, well-placed blows.

And as he coolly flips the bottle and returns it to the ice bucket, he happens to look across the dance floor and sees Elena Cassidy standing there, watching him with wide eyes.

Elena knows John is some sort of superhero vigilante, but there's a difference between knowing something and seeing it in action.

She also knows the normal reaction to such a violent display should be fear and the urge to run away. Which is what most of the people in the club are doing as the dance floor clears and there's a rush for the exit.

But she's never had a normal reaction when it comes to John Reese.

A panicked, inebriated patron runs into her, his knee hitting her still healing leg. As pain shoots through her thigh, she staggers and would have fallen to the floor if not for the arm that catches her around the waist.

She finds herself staring up into John's eyes, clearly seeing the concern shining in them despite the flashing lights still strobing through the club.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes," she says, trying to regain her balance. "No," she amends when her leg gives out from under her.

Luckily, John hasn't relinquished his hold on her.

"NYPD," he says, flashing his badge as the lights come on and the club's security approaches them. "Keep an eye on those three," he says, jerking his head toward the men groaning on the dance floor. "I'm going to escort this young lady out. My backup should be here soon."

"Did you really call for backup?" Elena mutters as he helps her limp out.

"Sure. Lionel's outside."

She gives him a disapproving look, he gives her a sly one, and for a moment, they both forget that they've been avoiding each other for weeks.

"Club seems an odd place to rest a gunshot wound," he observes. "At least you're wearing sensible shoes."

She feels terribly short next to him in her flats. "I'm not a complete idiot," she retorts. "Just a partial one," she groans before her knee buckles again.

She's not in any danger of falling, not with how securely the arm around her waist is holding her, but his other arm encircles her anyway, steadying her.

And just like that, she's surrounded by him again.

"It's all right, I've got you," he assures her.

He always got her. That was their problem, wasn't it?

"We're terrible at staying away from each other, aren't we?"

"El ..."

"Ellie!" A voice calls out, its owner trying to fight against the crowd flowing out of the club. "Ellie, over here — hey, what ... Rooney?"

Adam Saunders looks from Elena to Reese as they emerge on the sidewalk with the last of the clubgoers. "Are you all right?" Adam asks her. "Mac said some crazy fight broke out right after I left for the bath ..." He glances at Reese in realization. "Right."

"I'm fine, I just tweaked my leg." Elena grimaces as she surveys the damage. Her dress is short to begin with, but has ridden up amid all the excitement, exposing the bandage around her thigh that is slowly turning red. "Damn it."

A tall man and a blonde woman hurry over, joining their odd little group.

"Ellie! Are you all right? Oh, your leg ..." the woman tuts, fussing over her.

Reese can see Fusco's raised eyebrows all the way from across the street. He can also see Harper sitting in the back of the cruiser. And knowing Harper, she's about two seconds away from escaping.

Sirens herald the arrival of several cop cars and an ambulance. Reese turns to Saunders.

"Make sure they take a look at her leg and see that she gets home safely," he orders.

"Hey." Saunders may stand a head shorter, but he meets Reese's gaze steadily. "Don't make the mistake of thinking you're the only one who cares for Ellie, okay? Or that you're the only one capable of taking care of her."

Reese doesn't answer, but as he crosses the street, he glances back and locks eyes with Elena for a brief moment. She watches him go with a look of resignation.

Reese reaches Fusco's cruiser just as Harper is about to make a break for it. He quickly cuts off her exit and gets into the back of the car with her.

"So, who's the girl, Riley?" Harper asks as they drive away.

Reese can feel Fusco's eyes on him in the rearview mirror.

"None of your concern, Harper."

"But she's your concern, isn't she?"

He ignores her and the look Fusco is giving him.

Harper leans back in the seat. "Can we stop someplace to eat? I'm starving."