"All right, take a deep breath and hold it, Missy."
Rick looked away, his stomach in knots. Suddenly he felt the squeeze of Laurie's fingers in his and he smiled.
Even though there was no way he could watch her nose being treated, he had to hold her hand, let her know he was there.
A sudden crack noise startled him, then Rudy spoke.
"There you go, honey. I think you won't have any bumps or lumps in your nose now. It's going to be swollen for a couple of weeks, but that nose guard should protect you from accidentally bumping it."
Turning back to Laurie, his eyes misted. She was propped up, her face mottled with bruises and her broken nose now covered with a mesh guard. She was trying to breathe through the undamaged portion of her nasal passages, rather then her mouth.
"How do you feel, sweetheart?" he asked, his free hand reaching out and caressing her cheek. She turned her face and kissed his hand.
"Much better, darling. I can breathe almost normal. Thank you, Rudy." She said, looking at their friend. "But…how's Rick's arm? He doesn't have to have surgery, does he?"
"No, Missy. Rick, let me take a look now that I'm here." The good doctor grinned as Rick made a hang-dog look. "Now Rudy, you don't have to go…ow!"
"There, let that be a lesson to you, son. Never fib to your doctor. Now, let me see, well, that is better." Rudy carefully moved Rick's right arm in circles, then up and down. Only when it was bent way back did Rick wince.
"Yeah it is. Now, have you checked Jaime and Steve out? We can't be your only patients?" Rick teased, winking at Laurie. She giggled as Rudy mimicked Rick.
"We can't be your only patients?" I'll have you know your favorite nephew and niece somehow got the mumps from your Aunt Annie's kids. So, I get to tease them about pickles and frighten A.J. about getting them."
"Oh, boy. I'm going to have fun now…Thanks Rudy, A.J. is so going to get it." Rick chuckled, rubbing his hands together.
"Riiiiick, don't be mean. Rudy, now you done it…speaking of Jaime and Steve, how is she doing?" Laurie asked, blushing as Rick made eyes at her.
"She's much better, Missy. As a matter of fact, she's my next call. Only thing, I forgot to see if she's home." Rudy started, only for Laurie to interrupt.
"I think she's home, I was just about to take her pie dish over to her when you drove up. Why don't I see if she's there and drop this off. Rick, show Rudy the cool fly you found in Santa Barbara?"
"New fishing fly, huh? What's wrong with the Simon Blue?" Rudy teased the older Simon, who made a face at his wife as she went out the back door.
Leaving the two friends to entertain each other, Laurie came down the steps, then slowed her walk, remembering sadly that Rex wasn't waiting for water in his dish, or wanting a ride on her horse. Lost in thought, she covered the half mile to Jaime and Steve's little house in a few moments. As she approached the cottage, Laurie called out, "Jaime?"
All at once she had a cold feeling, as if something was wrong. Not seeing a light inside, she went around to the back of the house, and froze.
A balled up pile of material was next to the steps, like a parachute.
"Chris Williams?"
"Jaime? St.." At once someone was behind her, a hand tightly over her mouth and an arm wrapped around her upper body, holding her fast.
"No..let me go!" she gave a muffled cry, anger fueling her struggles as she squirmed and kicked at the person holding her.
"Stop struggling, or I'll kill everyone here!" the familiar voice snarled in her ear. At once she went limp, fear coursing through her. "He must have Jaime or Steve inside…Rick!" she "called".
At the house, it was Rick's turn to sense there was danger, and he looked at the clock.
"Rudy, Laurie should have been right back…..oh, there's Jaime and Steve.." he looked through the front window and saw their car.
"Rick!"
At once he bolted up from his chair, as Rudy looked startled. "No, something is wrong…she's just called out to me, Rudy." "Laurie? Darlin'…are you all right?"
Rick felt her call again, and he turned to Rudy. "Quick, call Oscar and have him get here fast. I'll.."
"Rick, Williams has Laurie!" Steve yelled, running inside the house. Rick blanched. "How'd he get here? Did you hear her?"
"Yes, she cried out to you and me, then said he's got her in our house, and not to come." Steve said, heading outside. Rick followed behind him, as Rudy grabbed the phone.
Ahead of them, Jaime ran at bionic speed to the cottage, then veered to the rear of the property and crouched down, peering in the window.
She cringed, seeing Williams standing over Laurie, bound to one of their chairs, and with a piece of tape over her mouth.
"I don't have anything against you, Laurie….but you shouldn't have stopped me from taking out Austin. I want Jaime…and if I don't have her, no one will. I'll kill you all."
Jaime grew angry at "hearing" Chris's words. "How could I have ever cared about this monster…look what he's willing to do!"
Turning, she saw Steve and Rick behind her, hiding behind their garden fence. Steve quietly told her "Sweetheart, Laurie says he's threatening to kill everyone for you, can you go around the front and distract him?"
Jaime nodded, then quickly ran to the front of the house. Clearing her throat, she called, "Laurie?" She listened as Williams apparently positioned himself in back of Laurie, then took off the tape from her mouth, saying "Call to her, tell her to come on in, or I'll smother you."
"Jaime, I'm….here. Come on in." Laurie called out desperately, unable to do anything else.
At once Jaime opened the door, then entered to the sight of her friend shaking in the chair, Chris Williams standing behind her with a gun to her head.
"Jaime, I'm sorry to see you again like this. Close the door, and don't try anything."
"I'm sorry too, Chris. I would never have thought you would do something so awful as this to me, or to people I care about. Put the gun down, or I'll take you down. Your choice." She said coldly. Behind her former boyfriend, Steve stood, at the back door, ready to spring.
"My choice? I never had a choice….you wanted Austin and left me and poor Callahan in the cold. But I'll give you another chance..choose to come with me and I'll let Mrs. Simon go free. Otherwise…" he jabbed Laurie with the gun in the side of the head and she winced.
"Move that gun away from her or I'll take my chances with your reflexes." Jaime ordered angrily, and at once Williams turned the gun toward her.
"Your reflexes, don't make me …no!" he yelled, as Steve rushed forward and grabbed his arm, nearly crushing it until the former OSI agent dropped the gun, then throwing him forward towards Jaime. Instantly Jaime held out her fist and it connected with Williams' face, knocking him out. As he fell to the floor, she moved to Laurie's side and quickly untied her.
"Honey, are you all right? You had me so worried…."
"I'm okay….Jaime, I was so scared he'd hurt you…he was crazy." Laurie choked, as both Steve and Rick came to her and each put an arm around her.
"Darlin', you were so brave…I was terrified he'd kill you." Rick said, trying to sooth her. Steve leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I'm proud of my buddy…and of my sweetie…" he added, moving to his wife and wrapping her in his arms.
"Thank God it's over….I don't ever want to see his face again." Jaime broke down in tears and Steve comforted her.
At that Oscar burst in, then seeing Williams unconscious on the floor, sighed with relief.
"Thank God you got him." Looking at his four "children", his face grew serious.
"I'll take care of getting rid of him, Steve. You and Rick just look after the girls."
"Thanks, Dad." Rick spoke up, as he lifted his wife out of the chair. "Steve, you and Jaime come over when you can and have dinner with us."
"We'll be there." Steve said gratefully, as Jaime looked up with a faint smile. "Thanks, Sis."
"You're welcome, Sis..and thank you." Laurie returned, her color nearly normal. As Rick carried her out of the house, she put her head down on his shoulder. "Rick, I want to cry, he scared me so much..he was going to kill you and Steve…" she sniffed.
"I know, I know, princess. You're safe now..safe with me." Rick kissed her as he took her to the house, then carried her to their room and sat down with her in his arms. Rudy followed them in, and bit back a cuss word at the new bruises on her face and arms.
"Missy, what did that…let me put something on those." He said, and Laurie nodded. After he looked after her, he beckoned Rick to come with him. Outside of the room, he quietly told him, "She needs to talk it out, son. Just hold her and she'll let it out."
"Okay, Rudy. Thanks for being here." Rick hugged him, and Rudy shook his head.
"You two just stay safe for me, that's all I ask. I'll let myself out."
Going back into the bedroom, Rick pulled his wife back into his arms.
"Sweetheart, if you don't want to, it's okay…but can you tell me where he grabbed you?" Rick asked after a moment. At that Laurie started to cry. "Oh, Rick…I was so busy missing Rex..…I didn't even know Chris was at the cottage, until I had a cold wave come over me. I went around the back after I called for Jaime…and I saw his parachute. I called for Jaime again, and that's when he grabbed me…I thought he was going to smother me when he put his hand over my mouth…If you hadn't answered me…"
"Shhhh, oh, angel….I'm sorry, so sorry he did that to my girl…." Rick soothed her as the anger grew in him. Feeling him growing upset, Laurie stopped weeping, and put her hand on his face.
"Mi corazon, mi amor…" she murmured, and when he looked down at her, his own eyes wet, told him, "I'm all right, my love. You and Steve, you saved us. Just hold me and I'll be okay."
"Always, my sweet girl." He whispered, then kissed her. Breathless, they kissed and cuddled, then Rick got a handkerchief and wiped both their eyes.
"I think a hot meal will make both of us feel better, why don't I start dinner while you rest a few minutes." He started, then a barking noise interrupted them.
"Wait a minute, little guy.." Rob Gamez's voice sounded in the hallway, as a ball of black fur ran in the room, then landed in Laurie's lap.
"What the…well, hello baby!" she gasped, as the ball of fur leaped up and licked her face. "Where did you come from?"
"Sorry, Light…he was supposed to be a birthday surprise…but he was still too young. Remember Rex came to stay with us when you went out of town last year?"
Laurie made an "oh" face as Rick chuckled. "That bad boy, well, hello, little man. What's your name?"
"Jack, I named him Jack because he's a real jumping jack…see!" Rob explained, as the puppy jumped off the bed to nose around something under the bed, then jumped right back on the bed and dropped something in Laurie's hand.
"What the…oh Rob…how did he know?" her voice quavered, as she showed one of Rex's toys to the astonished Chief.
"Uh, I don't know, Light..I'm sorry…." He started, then Laurie wiped her eyes and beamed up at him.
"Oh, Rob, it's okay…he's Rex's son all right. Thank you for my present! See, Jack, this is your Daddy, say hi!" she held Jack up to Rick, who petted the little guy and got a lick for his efforts.
"All right, Jack. Let's get you situated." Rick took him from Laurie, then carried him to the kitchen. Laurie let Rob help her up, then gave him a hug. "Thank you, Rob. I really needed to see Rick smile again…he's such a sweet puppy."
"I'm glad you and Rick will give him a good home. Now I'm going to the Center now, but if you guys need me, just call." Rob added.
"I will, thank you." Laurie took his arm and walked him to their door. As he pulled away, waving, Rick came up behind her and kissed her neck. "All better, sweetheart?"
"All better, love." She put her arm around him and they walked back to the kitchen.
From the back door, Jaime and Steve peered in, then smiled at each other as they saw Rick and Laurie start putting plates and cups out, laughing and dodging little Jack.
"Family dinner never looked so good." Steve sighed, then the door opened and Jaime squealed and grabbed his arm. "It never looked better!"
Opening the door, the Austin's bounded in as their daughter Chrystal appeared in the kitchen. As the door closed behind them, Oscar and Rudy walked past, then grinned.
"Everything's back to normal." Oscar said contentedly.
Fin