This chapter dedicated to the exceptional Pealee, who not only reviews (yay!) but who also gave Kite a place to be when he's not in Philly. Thanks!
People seemed to get hooked on her, like an improbable drug. Scotty didn't have to use any fingers to count which of his exes had remained in contact. This was the second one of Lilly's who had shown up unannounced, and she'd looked about as thrilled as she had last time. Then again, last time she'd ridden off with the guy after exchanging barely a hello.
He looked at his watch for the fifth time in five minutes and forty two seconds. He didn't think Kite would have obtained a Harley in the last two years, so if they were going anywhere, they'd be walking. He didn't think Kite's smooth tongue would work this time. Then again, Lil had said she'd be here soon. He wondered if he should check…
Then she was through the door, arms crossed, eyes downcast. From the look of it, this surprise meeting hadn't gone as well as the last. With barely a look, she passed the table and went straight for the ladies' room. Scotty half raised himself from the chair before sitting back down as the door swung shut behind her; he wasn't going to march into the ladies room to see how she was.
"What's up?" Jeffries asked quietly, tracking Scotty's eyes. Kat had something on with her daughter and wasn't there; otherwise Scotty would have tried to invent some excuse to send her in after Lil. She wasn't the most open person there was, and he was sure him sharing news of Kite being back in town wouldn't be appreciated. Then again, she hadn't held back in telling anyone how she felt about Christina, though she'd used ice queen language rather than words.
"Kite's back. He just bumped into us in the street." Somehow, Vera's ears picked up the news and he leant forward, always ready to hear gossip.
"What? When'd he get back? I thought he was gone for good. Specially after all those awkward hallway meetings." Vera was referring to all the times Lil and Kite had crossed paths after their break up. The overt politeness and forced smiles had tipped everyone off that it wasn't the most amicable break up in the world. Scotty hadn't known exactly what had happened, but he'd known Lilly hadn't wanted to talk about it at all. Any time he'd started to mention Kite's name or offer condolences she'd effectively shut him down with a quick change of subject, immediately damping the pain in her eyes. Obviously Kite had hurt her, which had made Scotty want to punch him as soon as he'd crossed the road and walked towards them. Scotty had mentally urged Lil to leave him dead, ignite the same flair of pain in his eyes. Instead, she'd sent Scotty off like an obedient little brother while she hovered with Kite. He'd tried to walk slowly, make out some of the words they'd said. All he'd picked up was that Kite had flown in this afternoon, and that he'd been trying to call Lil. Then Scotty had been too far away, too enveloped in the sounds of the street to be able to hear their soft tones.
"He's probably filling in for the last DA. He's still in the same state, it's not out of the question. The way they've been going through them here, they probably want someone as stable as Kite back in the office."
"No thanks to you." Vera and Jeffries clinked glasses as they remembered the king hit he'd put on Danner. Scotty kept his eyes towards the door with the woman in the dress on it.
"Crap." Lilly leant on the sink and directed her curse at the mirror. She stared at her reflection; he hadn't seen her at her best. Her lipstick was almost all worn off, the cold air had made her cheeks flushed and her hair, although still sitting remarkably well, was long past being due for a hair cut. She couldn't believe he was back. She'd called him at her weakest; after yet another devastating meeting with her mother, as all meetings with her mother seemed to be. Now he'd suddenly appeared. She knew he could have been sent here; Pittsburgh was in the same state, so they could trade off DA's if they needed, but it seemed a little too convenient.
Leaning back from the mirror, straightening her jacket, Lil sighed, pushed back some hair. No doubt Scotty had told them all that Kite had appeared. They probably thought she was in here gathering her emotions. Truth was, she wasn't so much gathering emotions as trying to ignore them. Kite had stirred something in her that she hadn't felt since she and Patrick were still happy, pre-Christina. He'd been pushy, sure, and he talked a lot and he had a thing about her cats but he'd been secure for a while, stable. Someone to come home with, to fall asleep next to or wake up in the middle of the night and hear them breathing, a reassuring presence reminding her she wasn't alone. But, like everyone else, he hadn't been able to deal with the amount of hours she put in to her work. Hadn't wanted to live as second best to her job. She'd never explained to him the reasoning behind it; that it kept her human, kept her believing she deserved to be out of the neighbourhood where she grew up and in the life she was meant to have. Then again, ever since the woods she'd been increasingly disillusioned about her work. George had unsettled her, made her come to the realisation that this life was it and, like everyone else, she was going to die one day. And that maybe she'd already redeemed herself enough.
Letting herself out of the bathrooms back into the hustle and burble of the tavern, Lilly saw Scotty's eyes immediately flick away from her. He'd probably been watching the bathroom door ever since she went in. She'd noticed him looking at her at work as well, but she pretended she never saw, not wanting to deal with it. Tonight, outside the door, she'd caught his eyes as they'd been looking her up and down. Guiltily, he'd hastily looked away before following her across the street. She didn't know what his problem was, why she'd suddenly become his focal interest. She liked him as a partner, but nothing more. As steadfast and thoughtful as he could be, he was Christina's leftovers. Chris didn't have a problem taking up with Lil's men, but Lilly wasn't going to lower herself to the same level. Besides, Scotty was Scotty; it'd be like sleeping with a brother.
"Scotch, straight." Lilly ordered her drink, threw a note on the bar. She usually stuck to softer drinks but tonight she needed the alcohol. Rush, I still love you, damnit. Definitely needed the alcohol.
"So, Lil…" Vera started talking as she sat down before trailing off. She forced a smile. No need to share with the whole team how unsettled Kite had managed to make her.
"Kite's back for a little while until they manage to find a DA who might actually stay around." She decided to get the conversation over and done with rather than have it hover around them, awkward and unspoken. She knew she was an easy target for the guys because she hated talking about her private life. When Ray had come back they'd all managed to find time to give her the third degree. And the amount of looks she got after she threw Ray out of the interview room…
"What, he won't be staying?" Scotty asked. Lil shook her head, although she wasn't entirely sure what Kite's movements were. She didn't know what she was meant to get out of their conversation; that he still loved her, sure, but was he going to keep it unrequited or did he want them to become an item again? And if they did get back together, what then? Marriage, kids? A stable relationship that would last longer than she and Patrick had? Kite leaving again because she got home late one too many times? She didn't even want to consider everything that needed to be thought about. It had been infinitely easier when he'd lived here, when they were in walking distance of each other's houses, when they hadn't broken up already.
"Only until they find a DA who'll stick around." She repeated herself, drank half the scotch in a few mouthfuls. It hit her immediately, warmed her up.
"Another round?" Vera asked as he motioned to the waitress. Lilly nodded, waved her glass. As long as she could remember Kite's words, she wasn't drunk enough.
"Lil, I'll drive you home." Scotty had stopped at three beers before switching to soft drink. Usually Lilly did the same; a few drinks to take the edge of the day, then iced waters for the rest of the night. He wondered what exactly Kite had said to her to make her down nine straight glasses of scotch over the past few hours. Even Vera had looked around the table as Lil had ordered her eighth, raised his eyebrows. She was holding it remarkably well, though. The only thing that betrayed her was the feverish look in her eyes and the slight blush in her cheeks. She hadn't yet stood up yet, and Scotty wasn't sure how that would go. He'd never seen Lilly truly drunk yet, only mildly tipsy at last year's Christmas party.
"Right, I just need my…" Lil patted her pockets, lifted up her glass to look underneath and shuffled on the seat as she searched for something.
"You lost something?" Scotty moved around the serviettes on the table, wondering if she'd misplaced her keys. Jeffries waved his good night as he left. Vera had already departed ten minutes ago, and Stillman had gone home straight after him.
"Just… I swear…" She stood up, swayed slightly but regained her balance by resting her hand lightly on the back of the booth. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her tongue came out to lick her bottom lip while she thought.
"What'd you lose, Lil?" Scotty watched her lips, not minding the wait while she formulated an answer.
"My coat, Scotty. It's cold out." Scotty looked down to hide a smile. He'd thought she was doing pretty damn well despite the ingestion of all that alcohol.
"You're still wearing it, Lil." He looked up in time to see her look down, run her fingers over the buttons.
"Right." She giggled and Scotty realised he'd never heard her giggle before. She really wasn't the type; she smiled, laughed occasionally, but he'd never heard the cute burble of amusement that had just crossed her lips.
Scotty shook his head, watched her walk around the table towards the door. The bar had been emptying out since nine; most of the people who were there were professional, blue collar types and they'd all need to be at work early Friday morning. Scotty stepped into the cold air, waited while Lil stepped out behind him. She was only weaving slightly but her hand found his arm as she stumbled on the last step. Scotty half turned and her other arm landed against his chest, fingers small, unfurling to support her while she rebalanced.
"Sorry." She dropped her hands, offered him a meagre smile. Scotty smiled back, turned to beep his car open. He brought a hand up to where hers had landed. His coat was still warm from her touch and he let his fingers stray over the fabric until he got in the car. Lilly hadn't noticed; she was too busy contesting the seatbelt. She pulled and it stayed firmly in its place.
"Crap." She muttered, tugging at it a few more times. Scotty started the car and put it in neutral while he leant across her to pull her seatbelt down. He could feel her breath on the back of his neck as he struggled with it, and it prickled his skin, made him shiver. He clicked the seatbelt into place, pulled away from her quickly. It was a struggle to stay professional; he could manage it when she was being Lilly Rush, professional, ice queen, closed book, but right now she was leaning forward so her hair fell over his right knee, trying to do something to his radio.
"There." She sat back with satisfaction as rock music came from the speakers. It was old school rock; Alice Cooper was singing about sweat and black lace. Scotty shot her a sideways glance as he pulled into the street. He knew she hated show tunes, but he hadn't pegged her as the rock type. She was tapping her finger on her leg, humming as she looked out the window. As if she sensed his glance, she looked across in time to catch his eye before he turned his attention back to the road.
"Not an Alice Cooper fan?" Scotty shrugged, turned the corner.
"Just didn't figure you as one."
"You got me all wrong, Valens." She paused, laughed, looked like she was remembering something. Scotty could feel his eyebrows drawing together as he looked over at her. She sensed his confusion, offered him a half smile.
"Just something someone said to me once." She sighed, turned her focus back to the buildings they were passing, the occasional bare tree illuminated under blinking streetlights. Scotty turned down her street, pulled up opposite her house. He looked out her door as she opened it, undoing his seatbelt as he saw a figure stand up on her step. He got out of the car to see more clearly, almost yelled to Lil to stop. She was concentrating on finding her keys in her bag, and it looked like she hadn't noticed that Kite was walking towards her.
"Hey." Scotty heard him greet her as he walked around the car and his fists tensed involuntarily. He wasn't an idiot; he'd seen the look Kite had given her when she'd turned to face him in the street and he didn't assume their conversation would be their end of their interaction while Kite was here, but he hadn't thought the guy would stake out her front steps.
"What are you doing here?" Scotty asked. Lilly was staring at Kite, her keys dangling from limp fingers. She startled at Scotty's loud words, suddenly became reanimated.
"Didn't expect you…" She sounded similar than she had on the answering machine, though less desolate, and Kite figured she'd had a few drinks at the bar. After than conversation, he'd found a bar himself, nursed a double sour whisky for several hours before deciding to come to her house. He'd knocked for a while before he realised she wasn't home. Settling himself on the cold steps, he'd decided to wait for her though he hadn't bet on her partner driving her home. He knew the last thing Lilly wanted was gossip about her private life broadcast over her office; that was one thing she'd been absolutely adamant about. He'd mentioned something about how she looked with her hair down to an ADA once, and it had gotten back to her. She'd found him, eyes blazing, and chewed him out until he felt about an inch high. He'd realised why she was so dangerous in an interview room, apologised with a dozen white roses, and finally, had been forgiven. He didn't want to get on her bad side again, ever, so he shrugged at Scotty.
"Lil and I didn't finish talking." It wasn't far from the truth. There was more he wanted to say, much more that he wanted to hear from you and he'd wanted to figuratively strike while the iron was hot; the glance she'd given him across the crowded floor had been etched in his mind since their eyes met, and he'd wanted to find out if it meant what he thought.
"You hurt her again…" Scotty had stepped closer to him lowered his voice to void Lil overhearing. She'd slowly made her way up to her door, each step obviously an effort. Kite almost smiled; he'd seen her inebriated only once. They'd both had things to celebrate; he'd won a case that put a killer away indefinitely and she solved a murder that had, at first, appeared unsolvable. They'd been meaning to have a few drinks and go to a little Chinese restaurant near her house, but a few drinks turned into too many before they'd woven their way back to her house and fallen asleep fully clothed. He still remembered the giggle she got when she was drunk. He'd tripped over the edge of a curb and she'd burst out with a giggle as she'd helped him up. He hadn't been able to help himself; it had been too inviting not to laugh along with her, even as he'd felt the bruise forming on his knee.
"What business is it of yours?" Kite answered just as softly, his tone as dangerous. He wanted to put this guy in his place; working with Lil every day didn't make him her unofficial bodyguard. The words made Scotty pause, and Kite could see the emotions bubbling beneath the surface. He wondered if Lilly knew her partner had a hard on for her.
Kite heard Lilly finally getting the door open and she flipped on a light inside, illuminating a square outside the size of the open doorway. It dissipated the tension between them slightly, and Kite stepped back. They knew where each other stood, and neither was budging. It was down to Lil now. He turned to look at her, blonde hair haloed in the light from behind her. Her eyes met his, and he could see the internal battle going on; the rationality the alcohol had annihilated was coming up against her better judgement. Kite liked to think her better judgement was what invited him in, but he was probably lucky she'd drank as much as she had. Walking up the steps, Kite was unable to resist shooting a smile over at Scotty, who met him with dark eyes. He stepped past Lilly as she swung the door shut behind him. She waited a moment there, listening to Scotty's car drive away before she turned to face him.
I know Americans say restroom but in Aus it's bathroom, so that's what I've written. The Alice Cooper song is Poison as well, in case you don't guess it. I had a mild infatuation with this song for a while and it's still in my playlist. Hopefully I got the knee-closest-to-the-passenger right, too. We drive on the other side. And I know this chapter is a bit of a deviation… Scotty's thoughts and all… I felt I needed to dimensionalise this fic a little, cover the fact that no person is an island. Besides, I wanted a Kite/Scotty confrontation and a tipsy Lilly, okay? So sue me. Besides, Lil isn't the most sober person when it comes to emotionally charged things she'd rather avoid. And she tends to reach out to Kite when she's drunk, so…
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