Oliver

He spilled, running quickly through Ned's and Sharon's story.

"That's crazy." Felicity shook her head after he'd told her everything. "This is a small town. Things like that shouldn't happen here. Is it safe anywhere?"

He shrugged since he didn't think so, but he didn't admit it to her. "He has a scar on his chest. Someone burned him with a small blow torch to make the point he'd never have Sharon. And believe me fire gets your attention."

His chest tightened as the burn scars on his lower back ached.

That quick, with no warning, he lost his hold on now.

They'd strung him up.

Leaving him to fight to keep his balance.

He screamed in agony, unable to hold the screams in as his skin burned, lit on fire with blue flame.

Russian met his ears.

He wished he knew what they wanted.

But he didn't.

Fucking pain.

Too much.

He screamed again.

But, no one believed that he didn't know.

The stench of burnt flesh filled his nostrils and they flared.

Damp, moldy, air clogged his lungs.

But he didn't beg.

Because he knew better.

He tested the metal chains, his muscles bulging as he hung from the basement ceiling. Pulled tight, strung up on his tiptoes, shirtless, he struggled to stay upright as his arms strained to hold his weight, as the sound of the torch lighting hissed again.

"Oliver, where are you? Are with you listening to me?" The female voice seeped in from far away and something in his brain connected it to another time.

But, someone moved and reflex caught the hand before it touched him, and he twisted the hand harshly at the wrist.

"Oliver!" She cried out, painfully, and his brain somewhat engaged before he snapped her wrist.

The wrist twisted in an attempt to escape, while another hand slapped his chest.

Hard.

He growled, his heart pounding painfully, as he dropped her arm like it'd burned him. "Damn. You shouldn't have touched me, Felicity. I almost hurt you."

She took a step back.

Her eyes wild, hurt plainly on her face as she cradled her wrist. "Sorry, you were here. We were having a conversation remember? I didn't know you'd checked out."

"I'm the one who's sorry. I'm not sure what just happened. I . . . don't know what happened." He scrubbed his face.

"Is that the way your back got burned? By a blow torch?"

Somedays found her too smart for his own good.

"Yes, but . . . I . . . the memories . . . Felicity, they're jumbled in my head. I don't know what's real right now? Understand?"

She smiled lighting up his world.

"Look at me. Touch me. I'm real." She opened her arms, and he stepped into her embrace, breathing the flowery vanilla scent that belonged to his girl, his woman, as he pulled her smaller body next to his, savoring her.

But in his nose, he smelt burnt flesh, tasted the burnt taste in his mouth, making him want to spit.

"Did I hurt you?"

He pulled back from her, his eyes sweeping over her frame. Accessing, he searched for pain in her eyes, for any regret, while his heart pounded.

Finding none, his chest lightened, but he couldn't stop his hand as it swept down her arm, checking for injuries, while watching her closely for any reaction.

"I'm good. Not hurt. You startled me is all. We were talking and then but you weren't here where you? I didn't know you flashed. Normally, your eyes cloud."

"They do?" He jerked his head up and looked into her blue eyes.

"Yeah, your eyes blank out when you're gone into your head. But today you gave no sign you'd flashed on me. I'll be more careful about touching you when we talk about blow torches."

"You shouldn't have to be careful when it comes to touching me." He hung his head. "I don't know what to say, except maybe this isn't going to work between the two of us. This proves that I'm going to hurt you of these times."

"Don't go there." She stepped into his space and wrapped her arms around him

"Listen to me; I almost hurt you this time. Jesus, I could have easily broken your wrist."

"I'll pay more attention."

"I'm dangerous. We both know that."

"You are but I know you. I trust you and you came back before you hurt me."

"But?"

"But, nothing, I'm not giving you up that easy. And neither should you."

"Felicity, maybe I'm not what you need. Maybe we should stop trying." He swallowed hard since she remained everything he needed in life, and he hated having this conversation, but he needed to give her an out.

"Never. You're everything I need. I love you." She hugged him, and he hugged her back.

Coming up on her toes, she planted a small kiss on his mouth before she released him and took a step back. "Let's focus on Ned's and Sharon's problems right now? Our problems aren't going anywhere. Right?"

He sighed and gave her a half grin

"Right?" She smiled and prompted.

He nodded grinning at her. "Okay. You do know I love you."

"Don't sound so convinced. We're doing the best we can and working on our problems."

"Are we?"

His eyes found hers.

She gave him a half grin, with a head tilt. "You're still plan to see Riley in two days right?"

He nodded and rubbed the back of his neck as his brain beat him up. Damn, he could have hurt her. How could he let that happen? He'd been out of control.

Again.

"You've only seen him once. You've got to give it time to work."

He frowned down at her.

"Now, let's talk about helping Ned and Sharon. Come on, let's focus on what needs done today."

He focused. "We're looking for someone who had enough pull to get Ned shipped out and kept him thousands of miles away from Sharon for years."

"So this person has connections."

"I would think so, and I hope you can find some type of paper trail."

"It's going to be darn hard to find anything from that picture you sent me. Eighteen years ago, snail mail still ruled and most photos weren't digital. Both of which leave no trail. I'd need to see the real picture for starters and the note."

"I never said it would be easy. Don't think the note will be much help. It's typed or off a computer."

"Computers were expensive in 1995. Not many people had them. But, I still need to see the original."

"I'm sure Ned will share. He's carried it in his wallet as a reminder for all these years."

"Now that's a little creepy."

"Said it reminded him of what's at stake here and what he couldn't have."

"Your someone's a man."

"A man? Why?"

"Any woman with half a heart would never keep a pregnant woman from her baby daddy, especially if that woman planned to go be with him."

"Baby daddy, huh?" He grinned.

"Yeah."

"Well, I'd never imagined Ned wanting to be called a baby daddy. He's hard core ex-navy."

She found his eyes. "And, he's Adrian's father. And no woman would keep a child from their father, if the man wanted to, you know?" She bit her lip and looked down.

He did know and knew what she didn't say. If the man wanted to be a father, he'd make the effort, unlike her father, and maybe Ned would have made the effort.

Her face fell. "Sorry, now I'm hardly lightening the mood."

"You always lighten my mood, but that's no proof it's a man." He reached and touched her face. "I've met several evil women in my life. Regardless, man or woman I'm treating the threat as real. So, we need to proceed with caution."

"Understandable but the last threat happened over eighteen years ago, seriously do you think someone's still watching after all this time?"

"If I'd have set this up, I'd be watching."

"But you're calculating like that."

"Yes, I am. But, so is who's ever running this show. In the beginning, I'd bet it was Sharon's father or his hired muscle who kept Ned from crashing her wedding."

"Agreed. But maybe not since someone kept Ned from ever having her later. Her father was dead five years later, and unless her father could, somehow, reach from the grave to teach another lesson. It wasn't him."

"Felicity, someone's still watching. Trust me."

"So, we're looking for someone who's sat back the lasted for eighteen years. Watching and knowing he's cost Ned his son's entire live. And that person doesn't care that Adrian didn't have a father. I hope Adrian doesn't die, if he does."

She touched his arm but she moved carefully, and he hated he'd done that to her. Damn it, he'd scared her and possibility hurt her.

"That would be terrible for everyone. Now, are you sure you don't need that arm x-rayed? You're favoring it."

Her smile looked forced and his chest ached. "I am not. See all better." She waved her hand but she winced and his gut tightened. "Let's go back to Ned."

He glared at her and growled her name.

"Oliver. See I can growl too. But, okay, if you believe Ned then I believe him. And I can't wait to dig into this mystery. I'll talk to Sharon about possible suspects on the drive down to the hospital."

"Yeah about that. Ned hasn't told her yet. So don't you tell her."

"I suggest Ned call her and tell him to drop his truth bomb ASAP. You know me, I'll slip and tell her."

"Yeah, you will. I get right on calling him."

"And I'll go find Sharon and get her headed that way."

"Call Ned."

A text sounded. "Speaking of which."

"Another Ned text? He's embracing this 'I'm a dad thing."

He grinned as he looked at his phone. "That's one way of putting it. But that doesn't mean he should act on it right now. What he needs to be is smart about how he approaches this."

She shook her blonde head. "Oliver, he needs to be at the hospital. Adrian's seriously injured and could die. Sharon needs him there in case she falls apart."

"I don't disagree. But he can't openly do that. It's too dangerous for all of them."

She shook her blonde head and frowned. "It's been eighteen years since Ned heard from this person. Besides, that's a long time for someone to hold a grudge. Who knows if that person's even still alive? This could be a non-issue."

"Stealing eighteen years from three people is little more than a grudge, it's twisted and insane. And I've had a lot of experience with insane."

"That you have. But that doesn't mean this person's crazy."

"Right it's sane to keep Ned and Sharon apart all these years?"

"I didn't say that."

"Plus Ned and Sharon are completely in the dark as to who this person is."

"Pretty sure Sharon's in the dark period. Not seeing her as a person on top of her game." She waved her hand.

"We all can't be geniuses. But back to insanity, how do you sit back for all those years watching if aren't enjoying the show? Which means that person knows Ned's Adrian's probation officer and that someday this will all come to a head. So yeah, if this person's still alive, believe me, they've had two years to plan for this drama. "

"Okay, you're right. Someone's waiting for the other shoe to drop and knows exactly what they're going to do when it does. So, we'll do this your way and treat this as a live threat. Yeah, totally shopping in Corpus for tech." She fist pumped. "I'll get a gadget that will turn his lights on and off. I'm sure he owns a smart TV. I can program it to turn off and on too. Oh, and I'll need tech to put eyes and ears on his house, and I'll use the satellites to track traffic."

"You still have access?"

She looked over her glasses. "Seriously? You have to ask? You do remember who John's married to?"

"Right." He grinned.

"Now, you need to call Riley and ask him to give Ned a ride to Corpus, get him to sneak out then if someone is watching him, they'll think he's at home."

"Do we have to ask Riley?" Still not his favorite person and probably never would be.

"Sorry but yeah. He already knows Ned's story right?"

He nodded. Darn it, the man kept turning up like a bad penny.

"Then it's got to be Riley, since he won't ask silly questions, like 'Hey Ned, why are you hiding in the floorboard?'"

He barked a laugh. "Okay. You're right, it has to be Riley."

Felicity's hand smoothed his cheek and he leaned into her, breathing her clean scent in.

"You need to go and find Sharon."

"She won't leave without me. I have her keys. Now call Ned. Don't text this, Oliver, call or do it in person."

"Okay."

"Now, I'll take Sharon to pack her a bag, and I also need to shower and change, but I can wait until we get to Corpus. I can grab a shower at the hospital. I'll just grab the necessary stuff, and we'll hit the road."

"It's a good hour's drive."

"I know. Now go convince Ned to come, figure out how to get him out his house without being seen, and later, I'll drive back later and set up his tech, so it looks like he's home, among other things."

Her phone rang.

"And that's Sharon. Love you. Bye. Call me."

She rose on her toes and kissed him, turned and walked away, and yeah, he completely watched her skirt hug her beautiful ass as she walked away.

Pulling out his phone, he called Ned.

"Hello. Finally, spit it out, Oliver."

"Brace, Ned."

"Shit. If I never hear the word 'brace' again it'll be too soon." A Zippo lighter snapped closed, followed by the crackle of a burning cigarette and an exhale. "Tell me he's still alive?"

"Halo-Flights just airlifted him out. He's headed to a trauma center in Corpus for brain surgery."

"Brain surgery? You're shitting me?" More crackle of burning tobacco reached her ears.

"Sorry, but I don't joke about brain bleeds. And Ned, Felicity recovered his phone. He texted his drug dealer right before he wrecked looking to get high."

Silence.

Complete total silence answered him.

Seemed Ned needed an instant to process. He could understand. He'd just dumped a lot on the man, who'd already had a hell of a day.

"You still there, Ned?"

"Jesus, he's messed up. I have a messed up kid. First cutting and now drugs. And you're telling me, he's dying."

"Yeah, I am. And he texted his dealer looking for booze, pills and smoke."

"FUCK!" Something exploded, like Ned had thrown something glass, shattering it against a wall. "Find him. Find the man who did this to us. Find the man who cheated me, who robbed me of them, of Adrian's entire life. And while you're at it, find Adrian's dealer too, and he'd better hope to hell he isn't an adult."

"Adrian texted the dealer not the other way around, and the dealer just feds the hunger. He didn't push the drugs, Adrian hit him up."

"I don't care. Find him then you can walk away. Get me names. I'll take care of it this time. I swear to God, I'm going finish this."

"You ever killed anyone? Taken a life?"

"No." Again with the crackle of burning paper and tobacco. Ned needed to lay off the cigarettes.

Like that would happen, since Ned always smelled like cigarettes. "So let's keep it that way. Let me handle this for now, I know what I'm doing."

"Okay, for now. But Sharon needs me. She's needy, always has been. Spoiled rotten. She's going to fall apart."

"I thought the same thing but she's hung in there, though she seemed pretty shaky, especially after Mae asked if Adrian ever talked about being an organ donor."

"Fuck!"

"Yeah and Mae mentioned a traumatic brain injury. He's in a deep coma. It's up in the air which way he'll go."

"Shit. Could that woman try to have some bedside manners? I've heard she's become a real bitch ever since her own son offed himself."

"Ned! She saved Felicity's life."

"Well, lucky you but she could at least wait for the son, I didn't know I had, to die before farming out his fucking organs. Jesus, sometimes, I swear that hard bitch has no heart at all. How'd Sharon take it? Is she freaking out?"

Okay, Ned had serious problems with Mae. "I don't think it's hit her yet. Mae built her up. Reinforced how strong she'd grown to be on her own."

"Glad she did something right. Farming out my kid's organs when he's not dead yet. Fucking bitch."

He cringed since he liked Mae but faced the reality that Adrian might not pull through this. His own life had become a glass half empty a long time ago.

Yeah, he understood Mae not sugar coating the truth for Sharon. "Hey, do you know anything about what happened between her and Grover? Why she gave up all rights to their baby? Mae said something that made me wonder if they took advance of her."

Ned frowned. "She told me they just didn't work out. He tossed her to the curve." The man hesitated. "Honestly, we didn't spend a lot of time talking that week we were together." The Zippo clicked open and the hiss of paper burning came before he added, "Yeah, I'd say we avoided the whole, Grover, subject entirely. Had other things on my mind."

"Bet you did."

"Yeah, day and night. Jesus, I guess we were too busy making Adrian to talk about anything else."

He grinned, remembering how many times he'd pulled over at a motel when they'd first drove away together.

Felicity had never complained once.

No, instead she'd loved it.

And him.

"Understand that. But she's barely holding on. You need to shore her up, Ned."

"Planning to."

"And you need to call her as soon as we hang up and tell her everything."

"Not planning to burden with that until later. She's not the strong type."

"Maybe she's stronger than you think. She managed to raise Adrian. And if you don't tell her, Felicity will. It will slip out so you better call and tell her. And you should cut Mae some slack. I've figured out that Mae's like that. She's faced death, buried her son. So, she's become blunt and rough around the edges. Probably thinks she's softening the blow being frank."

"The bitch has always been frank. Screw that, he's my boy. My DNA. He looks like me. I should have put it together sooner. He doesn't look a thing like Grover. I'm want to be there when he wakes up, so I'm leaving right now. Which hospital in Corpus?"

"NO, you sit tight. Listen to me. This is serious. I want you to act like you don't know and don't care. We have to work this right. We'll sneak you out of your house. Felicity will come later and plant some tech at your house, so we'll have eyes and ears on everything, always. And people will think you're still home."

"Always? This is crazy."

"Yeah, always. And you're right. Now, pack a small bag to be gone a few days. Someone will pick you up, probably Riley."

"What? Riley? Why him?"

"Easier since he already knows about your past. And you two are somewhat friends from years ago, no one will think much of you reconnecting. You can become best buds and people will nod their heads and not give it a second thought."

"Best buds? Not likely. He was always a nerd."

"Well, I'm marrying a super nerd, and I wouldn't have her any other way. Deal with it. You ask for help. I'm helping you. Listen to me. I'll guide you through this."

"I don't understand."

"All you need to understand is you need to pack an overnight small bag, and you should call in. Tell them you're going to be gone tomorrow. Stomach bug."

"I'm sick?"

"Yeah, puking. I'm going to call Riley, and in a little while, he'll shoot you a text, when he does you open your garage door and when he gets there you two hang out about ten minutes then get in his rig and hide in the floorboard."

"Hide? I don't hide."

"You do now."

"You've lost your mind. You know that."

"You want my help, you'll listen to me. Your kid's dying headed for brain surgery. You want to be with Sharon waiting for news, you'll play along."

"This is crazy but I'll play along."

"Yeah, well, crazy follows me around, so I've had a lot of practice. Just know if you want to be with Sharon, you'll listen to me. You want to be at the hospital Adrian's fighting for his life in, you'll listen to me. You don't want to listen, maybe your family burns up in a fire."

"You're harsh do you know that?"

"Harsher than you know. And I'd lay money that whoever did this to you is still watching and already has a plan. Probably been planning at least the last two years, ever since you retired and moved back. This person's no amateur. What they are is a thinker. A watcher. I recognize the type since I'm the same type."

"Shit."

"Exactly, and we're already more than one step behind here. I promise you someone's watching, and we have to be sure we give him or her something to watch, and not tip them off. Think smoke screen."

"This is crazy. I don't do cloak and dagger."

"You do now. Use your brain. You've looked me up, so you're aware, I have a certain skill set. Now let me use it to help you and Sharon."

Silence.

"Ned?"

"I'm freaking out here but okay, I'm listening."

"So, you hide in the floorboard. And you shut the garage door behind you. Bring the remote, I'll need it later. Oh, and leave the TV on."

"Okay."

"And you stay in that floorboard until Riley gives you the all clear, and then both of you haul ass to Corpus. I'll text you from the hospital. You want to come, you'll do what I say, you got that?"

"I got that but I've got a problem."

"A problem."

"Yeah, I've got a dog. Someone has to check on her every day, walk her and shit. She has pills she takes to help with her congestive heart failure."

"Congestive heart failure?" What next?

"Yeah, water around her heart. Happens to dogs too. She's old."

"Ned, you moved back two years ago, why would you have an old dog?"

The man sighed. "Snookum's belonged to my parents, actually she favored my dad. She's one of the small breads. Shit if I remember which. Fur ball on four feet."

"Snookum's?"

"More like barky little ankle biter, Snookum's."

"Pack a damn bag and leave a note about the dog. We'll deal with the dog."

"Watch her. She's liable to bite you."

"She bites me you won't have to worry about giving her any more pills."

"Oliver!"

He severed the call, his mind on the problem ahead, while he hoped Adrian survived the surgery.

Damn, stupid hope.

But it was all any of them had right now.

Be strong, Adrian, just be strong.

Don't be a donor because you texted and drove.

He looked upward and promised he'd never do it again. And he'd come down hard on Felicity. She wasn't going to text and drive again ever.

He needed her in his life too much. That crap stopped now.

She's his one.

His only one.

And he'd protect her.

He'd do his job.

Always.

So, no more texting and driving or texting and walking.

That shit's OVER AND DONE WITH!

Picking up his phone, he called Riley, quickly shutting his protests down and gave him the news.

"Fuck," Riley uttered. "Give me thirty. Tell him his ass better not smoke his fucking cigarettes in my truck."

"Tell him yourself. But thirty will work. That will give Ned time to call Sharon, to explain and deal with his dog."

"His dog?"

"Yet, some ankle biting dog named Snookum's."

"Snookum's? You're lying."

"Nope. Deal with it. And get his ass to Corpus ASAP."

He hit the end button and he smiled as he pocketed the phone.

Donning his helmet, he mounted the bike he'd scratched up from dumping it at Adrian's wreck, and he hauled ass to Corpus.

Damn stupid hope.

#####OQ#####

Hope you enjoyed this week's story. Next week's Bonus chapter is now up on my website. Please if you like my story, please support my site. www. Write4TVFans. Com (remove the spaces) click on Bonus Chapter on the top bar and enjoy the next chapter today. Oh, as always thanks for the read.

I am on vacation the next two weeks so my internet will be spotty. I will post the next chapter by July 2nd.