Caesar
Caesar woke up feeling beyond relieved. He'd just read the text Gunner had sent him in the middle of the night to tell him what had happened, and knowing that no one was coming after his family anymore made him feel better than he had in a while, although he felt bad for not being able to help last night. He wished someone had told him sooner, but by the time he and Yang would have gotten there, it would have been over anyway. He turned his head to see Char still asleep, and he smiled. He knew his kind of life was hard on her and that the risk was always there that they could be targeted, but he appreciated that she didn't make him feel bad about it and just did her best to problem solve in the moment. It made him think more and more that maybe he should get out of this life, that he should do it for her and his children.
If only he didn't panic at the thought of what he'd do with himself after quitting.
The morning progressed, and soon they were up and feeding the kids and talking about going home. He loved the smile on his wife's face as she hummed and started to pack things up. Caesar was going to go back first to clean up and make his home family friendly again. Toll was going to meet him there.
From the clipped texts his friend had sent, Caesar was pretty certain things had ended between him and Norah, and he felt bad. He also knew Toll would bounce back. He usually did. If he didn't, then Caesar knew he had some work cut out for him, but he was up for the challenge. He had his brothers' backs and always would.
"You want me to stay?" Yang asked. "Just in case?"
"You don't have to," Caesar answered, zipping his bag shut. "The guy said it was him terrorizing us to distract Lee, and he's dead now, so there's no one to worry about now."
"Okay."
"Thanks for being here," Caesar said, reaching to grasp his hand into a firm shake.
"My pleasure."
"You ready to hit the road?" Char asked, coming to give Caesar a kiss goodbye.
"Yea. I'll call you when it's clear to come home." He kissed her again, feeling her relief and happiness too. Then he was out the door and walking to his car with Yang at his side.
It was time to go home.
Rose
She waited for her father to come out of his room dressed before taking him home. The hospital had cleared him, and he had a list of things to do and not do along with some medication to take. She really hoped this never happened to him again, but that was the thing with old age—it brought health problems, if you didn't already have some.
"I can taste freedom," Joe joked as he came out finally, his bag in hand. They walked to the exit together, and Rose felt herself start to relax. Things were going to be okay now. They could carry on with life again.
"Have you heard from Norah?" Joe asked.
"Not yet," Rose answered. She'd given her sister some space the last couple of days. She anticipated having a conversation with her around their mother and their uncle, but she wasn't even sure if she was ready for that herself. She had her own feelings about their mother's death, and she didn't know if she wanted to share them out loud with anyone.
"I think we should go visit her soon," Joe said next. "I think she'd like that."
"Yea."
She got him into her car and closed the door. She started driving home and tried not to think about her mother anymore.
Lee
They'd woken up but hadn't moved. Lee still had Norah in his arms, and they were just looking at each other without saying anything. Eventually, he reached to trace her face with his finger, and she closed her eyes.
"Tell me about your family," she whispered after a moment. He inhaled slowly before exhaling at the same speed. He moved his fingers down her neck, trying not to remember Ben's hand wrapped around it.
"My parents died when I was eight and Lincoln was five. We lived with my aunt for a while until she got cancer and died too. We were put in foster care until Corinne and Frank brought us home; they adopted us a year later when I was thirteen and Link was ten. Their son, Ben, hated us the moment we came into their lives. He made it very clear from the start, and there were some instances where he'd try to significantly harm one of us...mostly me, and most of them I never told anyone about. He was four years older than me. He always made it clear that they were his parents, not ours."
"He sounds awful," Norah said, opening her eyes again. Lee's fingers were down to her waist now.
"He was. It wasn't like I didn't try to get along with him, but he just wouldn't have it."
"And then he killed Link."
"Yea. And apparently our parents too."
"You must be hurting so bad right now," she said softly, and he pressed his lips together firmly. He really was, but he was used to it. He'd always known hurt or pain of some kind. It was a part of him.
"It'll pass," he murmured back. He slid his hand back up to press against her right cheek, and she turned her face into his palm. He felt small tremors go through him as her lips pressed against his palm next, her breath hot against it.
"I wish you had just told me," Norah said next, moving her face again so she was almost nose to nose with him. Her fingers were linked with his.
"I'm sorry."
"And I should have told you," she added, referring to Ben.
"We can't change it now," he advised. "We can only move forward."
"Yes," she agreed. Lee wondered what that looked like for them when Rupert came in and climbed aboard the bed as well, nestling in between them and giving a happy sigh. Norah started to laugh, and Lee joined in a moment later. The dog was apparently glad to see his humans getting along again.
"Where's the cat?" Lee asked, lifting his head to see her over Rupert.
"Probably hiding somewhere," Norah answered. She sat up slowly, slipping from his grasp. He cringed inside at the sight of faint finger marks on her neck left from Ben. She looked at him again, and he knew she was cringing inside at the bruises and cuts on his face. He honestly barely felt any of it, that's how used to it he was. "I'm going to eat something. You want anything?"
"I'll come."
She slid out of bed and padded to the kitchen. Lee gave Rupert a quick rub around the ears and got a tail thump in response. Then he got up and met Norah in the kitchen. They weren't talking about their relationship right now, and he was feeling a bit unsure about it. He would understand if she didn't want to be with him. Hell, she could still be with Toll for all he knew. He had no idea.
"I just want to sit and do nothing," Norah said, groaning a little as she sat on the chair on the porch a bit later. Lee joined her.
"That can be arranged," he promised, looking over at her.
She smiled.
Gunner
They were walking down the road together hand in hand. Victoria was swinging his arm lightly as they went. Gunner was feeling content and happy, and his worries about her relapsing were at bay for now.
"Have you heard from Bobby?" he asked after a while.
"Yes. We text every day," she answered, smiling. After hearing that Norah and everyone was safe and okay, she'd started to relax again. Gunner even was starting to relax too. He knew the tension and adrenaline would start again once a new mission popped up, but for now, he was going to enjoy this peace and quiet.
"You going to see him again?"
"Soon. I don't want to upset his mother any further," Victoria replied.
"If she didn't want the possibility of a birth parent reconnecting with their child, then she should not have done adoption," Gunner rationalized. "I mean, there's always that risk when the child is an adult that they'll want to find their birth parents, and why would someone hinder that?"
"Because I'm an addict and she doesn't want him to get sucked into that life," Victoria countered.
"Okay, but still...you're his birth mother, and he's an adult. She can't control what he does or wants."
"You make it sound so simple," Victoria said, squeezing his hand. "I think that's one of my favorite things about you."
Gunner smiled. He liked helping her to feel better. He'd gone so long feeling useless in this world and like a waste of space. He'd always felt like it was too late to do anyone any good, but lately, he was starting to feel like he could be useful and help others. He was realizing that it wasn't too late after all.
And it was all because of Norah.
If he was honest, meeting her and having her pull the truth of what happened to him and start to heal from it has made him start being this person he now liked. If he hadn't met her, he didn't know where he'd be right now. He might even be dead. It's what made him feel so bad for what happened to her last night. He should have done better to keep her safe.
"Is she alright?" Victoria asked, reading his mind.
"I haven't heard anything new, but Barney said she was claiming she was fine last night."
"She'll be in shock."
"Guaranteed."
"I'll reach out to her," Victoria promised. "See if I can help at all."
"I think she'd like that." He pulled her into him for a small sideways hug, and she reached to pat his chest fondly.
He felt like any other content couple in the world, and it was amazing.
Barney
He read Lee's text and felt relief. Norah was okay. She was with him at the house. He had not slept well at all from the constant fear that she'd lied to him and was going to hurt herself anyway. He had to trust that she was genuine, that she wouldn't do it.
But he'd trusted Marcy not to do it either.
"You look like hell," Tool commented as he came into the kitchen area for coffee. He definitely felt it, but he just grunted in response and went digging for a mug. Tool gave a cough and cleared his throat before taking a sip of his at the table. "Norah doing okay?"
"So far," Barney answered. "Lee's keeping an eye on her."
"Good."
They both looked up as Toll came in, and Barney knew right then that Norah had ended things with him last night.
"You okay, brother?" Tool asked, noticing as well.
"I've been better," Toll replied. He sat down heavily on the free chair at the table. He face displayed he was clearly depressed.
"I'm sorry," Tool offered.
"It's no one's fault but mine," Toll replied after a sigh. "I thought it could work out."
"It's hard when the one we want wants someone else," Barney said, and Toll looked at him.
"You know?"
"Long time ago," Barney answered. "And it was my own fault."
"Any advice?"
"Don't be too hard on yourself for putting yourself out there," Barney replied. "You're worth it, Toll. You just gotta find the right one who is looking for you."
"So I've heard," Toll said grumpily.
"If it helps, I've been calling Lee an idiot about it ever since he let her go. If he'd listened to me, this wouldn't have happened to you."
"Again, it's no one's fault but mine," Toll repeated. "I'll get over it."
"Well, we're here to help with that," Tool offered, and Toll gave him a small, grateful smile.
"Thanks, brother."
"Caesar's coming back, right?" Barney asked, changing the subject.
"Yea. I'm helping him clean up. I'm heading over there in a bit."
"Need help?"
"Nah. We got it," Toll answered. Barney gave a nod. He knew that Toll and Caesar were the closer friends together in the group. He understood.
The phone rang, and they all looked at it. Barney gave a groan. That was the line called when a job was coming. Tool reached to answer it, and as he jotted down information, Barney knew that very soon, they'd be going to work again.
Norah
She watched as Lee spoke with Barney on the phone. He nodded, confirming some details about things. She understood he was being told he was going to work soon. It made her heart clench to think about him leaving when he was already so hurt from last night.
"When?" she asked after he hung up and rejoined her on the couch. They'd spent the day doing nothing but talk or sit in comfortable silence, and Victoria had texted her to check in, as did Char. She appreciated them so much and was going to miss them. It was darker outside now, and she couldn't fully see Lee's face from the low light.
"Two days," he answered. She nodded slowly.
"How long?"
"Hard to say. Maybe a week. Maybe longer."
She resisted making her angst known. She had been struggling all day with thoughts around what she wanted to do, and she knew what made logical sense, what she had to do, but felt so sad about it. She knew she couldn't live this life, though. She couldn't always be afraid that she'd never see Lee again every time he left for work or wonder if she was going to get kidnapped again or killed in order to harm him. She knew it wasn't fair to ask him to quit, though. This was his life. She knew she either had to be a part of it or walk away, and in order for her to survive and not have constant anxiety or heartache, she had to walk away.
"Okay," she said simply. After a while, Lee left and went to the bathroom. She heard the shower start a moment later. She closed her eyes and waited, contemplating on her next move. She knew it was a bad idea, but she couldn't help herself. She waited until the water stopped before moving.
She found him leaning his hands on the vanity and looking at himself in the mirror. Seeing the bruises on his face made her heart hurt. He turned his head to look at her moments after she arrived.
"You okay?" he asked.
"No," she answered truthfully. He nodded, and she walked slowly towards him. He said nothing as she reached to touch his face with her hand, but he did close his eyes. Norah knew what she was about to do was the worst choice ever, but she didn't care in that moment. She moved into him and touched her lips to his gently, lightly. Lee inhaled through his nose slowly, letting her do this. When she pulled back, he met her eyes. She hoped that hers was answering the question in his.
Apparently satisfied, he moved in to kiss her again. It was raw and desperate almost. He gripped her face with on hand and pulled her into him with his other. He kissed her harder and faster, entangling his fingers in her hair and tugging slightly. Norah let him open her mouth with his and kiss her deeper. She held onto his shoulders tightly as though he might disappear, mindful of his injured one.
Lee kept kissing her as he nudged her backwards out the door and into the hallway. Norah jumped into his arms at one point, letting him carry her to his room while she kissed him over and over. He sat on the end of the bed while she rested her knees on either side of him, her arms around him snugly and still kissing him. She loved him. She knew she did. That's what made it so much harder to leave him.
"Norah," he said into her skin as he pressed his face against her neck. "I love you. I love you so much."
Hearing him finally say it was overwhelming. She almost started to cry, and she tried to say it back, but the words got caught in her throat. She knew he was aware of her feelings, though. She didn't have to say it out loud. She hoped that he knew how much better this entire experience was for her because they were in love. Norah finally knew why they called it making love, and it hurt so much to know this was the last time.
She let him hold her afterwards until he fell asleep. Then she slid out of his arms and out of bed. Once dressed, she turned to look at his sleeping form. Saying goodbye was too hard. She preferred it this way; she knew he would too. She wondered if he suspected it was coming.
"I love you too," she whispered, tears forming quickly in her eyes. She turned away and left, going to her room to get her things and her cat. Since she didn't have much, it didn't take long. She cried as she loaded her car and started it. She cried as she drove away.
By the time she crossed the state line, she was all cried out.
Lee
He knew she was gone the moment he opened his eyes. The pain in his heart was enormous, but he'd known it was coming.
And he didn't blame her for leaving.
He sat up, pressing a hand to his face. He sat there in the dark, trying not to cry. He'd come so close to having something so incredible, and now it was gone. He eventually got up and had some water. He didn't have to look to know that she really was gone. Her shoes weren't at the door, and Sassy was not trying to climb his leg.
If he knew how to be anyone else, he'd quit being a mercenary and go after her. If he could actually do that and have a normal life, he would, but he knew he wasn't built for anything outside of this. How could he be? It was all he'd ever known. It was his identity. He had no idea how to change it. Yes, he dabbled in construction/building on his off time sometimes, but that wasn't a regular thing. He hadn't picked up any jobs lately just because of how busy he'd been killing people. It wasn't something he really wanted to do all day every day anyway.
In the end, he went outside and sat on his porch in the dark, trying to collect his thoughts and think about anything else than his pain. But all he could think about was how it felt to be with Norah.
Caesar
"You're really hurting right now, aren't you?" Caesar asked as he and Toll worked to remove all booby traps and reorganize his house to look like a home again. Char and the kids were going to come back tomorrow.
"So much," Toll said. "God, I just can't stop thinking about her. I'm so mad at Lee for getting her all messed up. If he'd just left her alone, I think we could have had a shot."
"I dunno, man," Caesar said thoughtfully. "Those two seemed drawn to each other from the beginning. No offense, but I think you were out of the race before it even started."
"Am I just second place?" Toll asked.
"What do you mean?"
"I always feel second place to Lee," Toll explained. "I mean, how did he get picked to be second in command anyway? I am just as good as him in the field."
"You're not second best," Caesar advised. "You have lots of talents that Lee does not have."
"You can't explain it either then," Toll said, realizing.
"Man, I don't know why Barney chose Lee over you. What I do know is that you are a valued member of this team. Without you, our team would crumble. Stop comparing yourself because no one wants you to be the same as someone else. We like you for who you are."
"Honestly, I feel like that's something my mother would say," Toll said, and Caesar felt the shift of emotions then. He knew Toll had lost his parents a long time ago.
"Well, good. Maybe you'll listen."
Toll gave a slight laugh and reached to rub at his eyes. Caesar patted his back fondly and gave his shoulder a shake before continuing his work cleaning up.
"Thanks, Caesar," Toll said after a moment. "I appreciate you."
"Ditto." Caesar gave him a grin, and Toll smiled back. It was a small step, but it was something. Caesar knew his friend was going to be a while recovering, but he had no doubt that he'd come through to the other side and be okay.
Tool
He was watching the smoke from his new pipe drift up to the ceiling. He was contemplating a tattoo design; he just needed to put his pen to the paper and get started already. The door opened, and he turned his head to see a banged up Lee walk in. He could tell from his gait that Norah was gone.
It surprisingly hurt more than he thought it would.
"When?" Tool asked as Lee approached and met his eyes.
"A few hours ago."
"She didn't say goodbye," Tool noted, reading Lee's face.
"Not verbally," Lee replied as he sat down on the stool. He pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment before sliding his fingers down and curling his hand into a soft fist on the counter.
"It takes a lot to be with someone like us," Tool said after a moment, and Lee nodded slowly without saying anything. It hurt Tool to see his friend so down and out. It also hurt to think he wouldn't see her again. He was very fond of her. He sighed and tapped his pipe, making Lee notice it.
"Am I off the hook?" he asked.
"Let's see what you got," Tool said, and Lee pulled out an object from his pocket that did not resemble a pipe at all. Tool didn't know what the hell to even call it. Lee set it down and nudged it over to him with his fingers. Tool picked it up and examined it, feeling a laugh building. A small snort escaped anyway.
"I gave it my best shot," Lee said rather defensively.
"I know, brother," Tool replied, handing it back. "Now you know the work that goes into making one. Don't let your damn dog near my things again."
"I won't."
"And you're not entirely out of the woods yet," Tool added, waving a hand over his own head. "I might still get creative." He smiled as Lee just heaved a sigh and shook his head. Barney joined them a moment later, and he took in Lee's desolate expression.
"Did you break my niece's heart again?" he demanded.
"No, she broke mine," Lee answered, looking at him. Barney's face softened then, and he reached to rest a hand on Lee's shoulder.
"She left?
"Yea."
"You know where?"
"No. I imagine she went home."
"You're probably right," Barney agreed. He sat down on the adjacent stool and rested his folded hands on the counter top. "Honestly? It's probably for the best. Her family can keep an eye on her." Tool knew Barney was still worried about her, but he knew Norah wouldn't do that. She knew the effects of it too well.
"I didn't want that to happen to her," Lee said. "I thought I'd taken the right steps to make sure it wouldn't."
"Sometimes we do everything we can to avoid something, and it wasn't enough. Then the question becomes: Was it supposed to happen?" Tool said, making them both look at him.
"If she had never come here and met us, this would not have happened," Lee tried.
"But she did, and it happened," Tool argued.
"I am too tired to try to even understand what you're saying right now," Lee retorted.
"I'm saying that fate is fate. We can't change it. We like to think we can, but we can't," Tool said. "Don't spend hours beating yourself up over it; you can't change it. All you can do is learn from it and move forward."
"But she's scarred forever," Lee said. "And that's because of me."
"Just let him beat himself up, Tool," Barney stated, leaning back slightly. "He's not gonna let it go." Tool gave a small sigh, knowing Barney was right. Lee was looking down at the counter top now, quiet and brooding. His foot was bouncing on the rung of the stool, indicating he was dealing with some strong emotions.
"I love her," he said quietly after a moment, and both Tool and Barney shared a look again. When they said nothing, Lee looked up at them. "I really thought that would be enough to convince her to stay."
"Sometimes love isn't enough," Tool said softly. "I'm sorry, brother."
"Yea," Lee said, his voice lower. "Me too." Tool was about to offer him something to drink when he slid off the stool and headed for the door. Tool and Barney watched him leave, and they heard his bike start up a moment later before tearing off.
"What a mess," Barney said with a heavy sigh. Tool said nothing, but he definitely agreed.
The Next Day
Rose
She was humming to herself as she wiped down the kitchen table from supper. Oscar was entertaining himself in the backyard for a bit until bedtime while Joe was reading the paper. It felt normal again, and Rose was grateful for that.
There was a sound of a car parking outside, and Rose looked at Joe with a puzzled look.
"You expecting anyone?" Joe asked her.
"No," she answered, shaking her head. Winston was busy tonight, and she had no friends. She went to look when the door was pulled open and her sister walked in with a bag over her shoulder and a cat in her arms.
"N-Norah," Rose stuttered, taken aback. "What are you doing here?" She took in the finger marks on Norah's neck and the bandage on her left shoulder, and she felt instantly alarmed and scared. "Are you hurt? What happened?!"
For a moment, Norah looked like she was going to have some sort of tough response in return, but instead, she burst into tears. She dropped the cat, who ran away like lightning to search for a place to hide. Joe was on his feet in an instant, coming over to them.
"Norah, my girl," he said, reaching to hold her face. "What's wrong? What happened?"
"I l-love him," Norah sobbed, grabbing ahold of her father's hand and gripping it tightly. "I love h-him, but I h-had to l-leave him."
"Slow down," Joe said softly. "Why did you leave?"
"His b-brother tried to k-kill me," Norah stuttered on through her tears. "I b-barely made it, and I...I knew I c-couldn't stay t-there."
"Oh, Norah," Joe said, pulling her into his arms now and rocking her back and forth slowly as she cried harder. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. Oh, I'm gonna kill that Barney."
"It's not h-his fault," Norah said, shaking her head. "H-He wasn't i-invovled."
Rose was still shocked about the news that her sister had almost died. What had been the last thing she'd even said to her? She couldn't remember. She moved to rest a hand on Norah's back as Joe kept holding her.
"Dad, I love him," Norah said again. "I l-love him so m-much."
"You made the right decision, dear," Joe said to her, smoothing a hand up and down her back now. "That's not the kind of life you want to live. I know it hurts, but you're safer this way."
"It h-hurts so b-bad," she cried. It pained Rose to see her sister so upset. Oscar had come in at this point, and he was about to run to Norah excitedly when he frowned and noticed she was crying. Rose went to usher him away.
"Why is Aunt Norah crying?" Oscar asked once they were in his bedroom.
"Something scary happened to her, and she's just letting out her emotions about it," Rose answered, smoothing a hand over his head. "She'll be alright."
"You promise?"
"Yea," Rose answered, nodding. "I promise." As she listened to her sister wailing in the kitchen, she desperately hoped she was right.
A Few Days Later
Norah
She slept a lot, only getting up to eat or relieve herself. Oscar came to see her, but then he got consumed with getting ready for school. Rose worried about her but kept her distance. Joe was the one who came to see her and kept getting her up and doing things. She'd been so worried that her father would be furious about what happened, but he surprised her and stayed calm. She wasn't sure what to make of that.
She hated seeing that bandage on her arm when she looked in the mirror. It reaffirmed why she'd left. She'd been mindful to leave Dino a letter explaining why she was leaving him so suddenly; she hoped he wasn't mad at her.
"Norah?" Rose said now, coming into her room. "You need anything?"
"Why do you avoid talking about Mum?" Norah asked, getting to the point. She was tired of dancing around it. Rose gave a sigh and came to sit on the bed next to her.
"It just hurts too much," Rose confessed. "I'd rather not think about it let alone talk about it."
"What went through your head when we found her?" Norah asked. "All I remember thinking is how did she get the water so red? It didn't sink in that it was her blood in that moment."
"Norah," Rose whispered.
"I know it hurts," Norah said, "but not talking about it is killing me worse than if we don't. Please, Rose. Tell me what you thought." She watched her sister pinch her nose and take some breaths. Then she dropped her hand and looked Norah in the eye.
"I thought it was a game," Rose started. "I thought she was going to jump up and scare us and laugh. I thought she was faking it. When I realized she wasn't faking, I got scared. Then I got angry. I was angry at her for so long, and then I just let it go. I shoved it down and decided to leave it in the past."
Norah felt some tears slide down her cheeks now, and Rose began to cry quietly too.
"As the days passed, I realized I had to look after you. Dad was barely able to function, and you needed someone to keep you grounded, to keep you going. I took that role."
"You shouldn't have," Norah whispered.
"Well, someone had to do it," Rose reasoned. She put a hand on Norah's side then. "Look, I know you want to keep digging around through it, and that's up to you, but I can't. I've dealt with it in my own way, and I want the door to stay shut on it for good. Please?"
Norah couldn't ignore the pleading in her sister's voice. She understood. It wasn't like she wanted to feel the pain every day. She wanted to close the door and not look back either. It was just harder for her.
"Okay," she agreed quietly.
"I'm not ready to talk about Barney either," Rose said. "Soon, but not today."
"Okay."
"You going to get up?"
"What time is it?" Norah sat up slowly, noticing it was dusk.
"After 8:30."
"I'm gonna go out," Norah announced, moving to stand up.
"Are you sure?"
"Yea. I need to get out."
"Okay..."
"Don't worry," Norah promised. "I'll be fine."
"Call me if you need me," Rose ordered. Norah nodded and left the room. She needed to just get out of there and breathe. She ached from missing Lee. She hurt from her near death experience. She wanted her mother.
She got to her favorite bar and pushed the door open. She went to order, leaning against the bar top when she turned her head and saw a familiar person. They sauntered over to her and leaned on the bar top next to her.
"Well," Randy said, "long time no see. Wanna hang?"
Norah looked at him and felt all her emotions, all her pain, and all her exhaustion hit her at once. She looked at him and saw a former version of herself that, in this moment, she greatly missed.
"Sure," she said to him. "Let's hang."
Randy smiled.