Chapter 13

Billy walked to Ty's car and stood next to the passenger side door.

"I guess I'm driving?" Ty said, unlocking her door and sliding into the cool black leather interior. She leaned over and popped the lock on Billy's door.

"Yeah. I wanted to see how she runs. Make sure she's in good shape."

"I just had the oil changed, the tires rotated and she had a tune up not three weeks ago." Ty started the car and it grumbled into life. She leaned back in her seat and just listened to the engine's growl. Once it was warm it sounded like some angry jungle cat but while idling, it was purring like a kitten.

"Alright." Billy grudgingly conceded. "She still sounds good. Once my shoulder heal, I want under her hood."

"Sure, babe. Whatever you say. You're the mechanic." Ty smiled. She back out of the parking spot while Billy hit the power button on the cd player.

A wraith with an angel's body.

A demon with a smile of gold.

You soul-sucker.

I won't become like you.

A killer with the perfect weapons,

crystal eyes and a heart of coal.

You soul-sucker.

I won't lose myself in you.

He jumped as Atreyu's Bleeding Mascara blared from the speakers.

"Fuck. What the hell is that shit?" Billy glared at her, turning the volume down to a reasonable level.

"Call it my…guilty pleasure? I happen to enjoy Goth Rock."

"That shit ain't music."

"Some of your Kiss is just as loud and screamy." Ty stated defensively.

"Yeah, but that's different. Kiss is classic rock. This shit's just loud." Ty snorted in amusement.

"Fine, old man. No more Atreyu when you're in the car." She took the cd out and put in Disturbed. "That better?"

"Sure. Who is that?" Billy asked, curious.

"Disturbed. It's their new one, Indestructible. I love this cd." Ty gushed excitedly.

They had just pulled up outside of the hospital when they noticed Bones storming out of the building towards where they were parked.

"Shit. What the fuck is he doing here? Ty glanced worriedly at Billy whose expression steeled itself into carefully concealed loathing. They both got out of the car and Ty walked around the back to stand next to Billy. He leaned against the passenger side door and crossed his arms over his chest.

Bones stalked up to them, anger radiating from ever pore in his skin.

"So when in the fuck were you ladies planning on telling me that Joe was in the hospital, practically dead?" Bones spat, glaring back and forth between the two of them.

"You were there. You saw him. He's going to be fine. Since when do you care what happens to your sons anyway?" Ty demanded, bristling ant Bones' tone.

"I care what happens to you little fucks as far as how it affects my business." He ground out through clenched teeth.

"It hasn't affected you at all. Hell, business is better than its been in years so don't even try to blame you caring about what happens to Joe on money. He doesn't have anything to do with it." Ty glared defiantly at Bones.

"Fine. Just don't ever fucking keep something like that from me again." Bones stalked towards his car. Getting in, he pealed out of the parking lot, tires squealing behind him.

"What the fuck was that all about?" Billy wondered aloud. Ty shrugged.

"I think, very very deep down he actually cares about what happens to you and Joey." Ty reluctantly admitted, coming to a stop in front of the elevators.



They waited several minutes and finally an empty elevator arrived. They got on and rode silently up to the eighth floor, both lost in their own thoughts. They got out at the right floor and walked into Joe's room.

Ty gasped when she saw Joe for only the second time since the shooting. He was sitting stiff as a board, face turned towards the window, his hands clenched in fists around the starched white covers. His knuckles were as white as the blankets under them from the pressure he was exerting and it looked like he was fighting back tears from all of the rapid blinking and sniffling he was doing. Ty's maternal instincts kicked into overdrive and she walked quickly to Joe's side. Sitting down, she put her hand on his right cheek and turned his face to hers.

"Joey, what's wrong?" she asked, staring penetratingly into his eyes.

He snorted and looked away. "It's not important." He growled, trying to get Ty to drop the subject.

"That's bullshit. I know Bones was here and I want to know what he said." Ty laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Fuck…Ty…Billy will you give us a minute?" Joe finally asked, hesitantly.

"Whatever it is, you can say it in front of me. If you can tell her, you sure as shit can tell me." Billy spat, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the doorframe.

Ty turned to him and cocked an eyebrow.

Billy shook his head once. He wasn't leaving until Joe talked. What right did Ty have to know what was wrong with HIS brother? And since when did Joe feel more comfortable talking to Ty about his problems?

Joe closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, obviously trying to calm down. "Yeah, Bones was here. He found out about Liz and the baby and…shit. He was so pissed. He demanded that I 'man-up and join the fucking gang already'. Ty…it's just…I…" Joe trailed off, fighting for the right words.

"You don't want to join the gang?" Ty guessed.

Joe's eyes searched her face, then Billy's, relaxing slightly when neither of them looked like they were going to start screaming.

"Of course you don't. Jesus, you have a kid on the way, a fiancé that would be uber pissed if you did, not to mention that that's not Bones' decision to make. It's up the me and Billy to decide who joins so, no worries."

"But what about Bones?" Joe chewed his lip nervously.

Ty laughed. "I'll take care of him. You know how much he loves me."

"Sure, Ty. Thanks." Joe said and they switched to lighter topics of conversation. Well, Ty tried to switch topic but the boys barely acknowledged what she said with grunts or nods of their heads. After about an hour of failed attempts at starting conversation, Ty shut her mouth and just sat on the edge of Joe's bed.

All three of them looked up when Liz walked in the room.

"Hey baby." She purred, walking over to Joe and kissing him lightly on the mouth. She pulled back enough to look at him when he didn't respond. "Joe…honey, what's wrong?" she bit her lip and stared at him worriedly.

Joe glanced at Ty and then back at Liz.

"I think its time to go." Ty got up, snapping her fingers at Billy to get his attention.

Ty smirked when she saw his jaw tense and his hands clench into fists at her unspoken command.

They both left the room and the door had barely closed behind them when Billy snapped.

"What the fuck was that? You can't just fucking snap your fingers and expect me to follow you like some dog." Billy glared at her, obviously restraining the urge to hit her, like he would have to anyone else who tried to pull the same shit.

"I know but it did get you out of the room." Ty laughed. "I just didn't want to be in there when the shit hit the fan." She reached up to cup his jaw in her hand but he slapped it away.

Through the closed door they heard Liz shouting and a nurse came rushing down the hallway. She opened the door and Liz's volume increased ten-fold. "And another thing, you fucking call me if Bones ever tries something like this again. Our baby is none of his damn business."

"Miss, you need to lower your voice. You are disturbing the other patients and raising his blood pressure too high. If you do it again, I will have security remove you from the building." The nurse 

stated firmly, while glancing nervously at the two heavily tattooed people standing next to the doorway. She wasn't interested in pissing off a known ganglord or his woman.

"Sorry." Liz mumbled and threw herself into the chair at the foot of Joe's bed.

The nurse closed the door and walked back down the hallway.

"See? You didn't want to be in there for that." Billy shrugged and stalked angrily down the hall.

Ty caught up to him in three steps and shoved him against the wall. "Don't you fucking walk away from me when I'm talking to you." She growled, glaring into his eyes.

"Don't you fucking tell me what to do." Billy spat, shoving her back. She stumbled but recovered quickly and slapped the back of his head as he walked down the hallway.

"What the fuck did I just say about walking away from me when I'm talking?" she hissed, her emerald eyes sparkling with fury.

Billy shoved her up against the wall and held her there, pinning her with his elbow across her throat. He glowered at her, his sea-green eyes flashing fire.

"You don't own me, bitch. Get that through your thick fuckin' skull." Ty's eyes narrowed and she shoved him away from her.

"What you need to get through your thick skull is that we are equals in this." The waved her hand back and forth between them. "When I snapped my fingers at you, my only goal was to get you riled enough to leave Joe's room before Liz started screaming. I wasn't implying that I controlled you or that I was better than you in any way shape or form. It was a stupid thing to do and…I'm sorry." Ty said. Shrugging her shoulders in defeat, she walked past him and out the front doors to her car.

Billy stood there for a few moments, trying to process what happened. Oh, shit. That wasn't that big a deal. She didn't mean it the way you thought she did. She's not Bones and she would never disrespect you the way he does. Did I really almost choke her?...over her snapping her fingers at me? Fuck. She's not gonna get over that very soon. Damn it. "Fuck." He growled under his breath and half-jogged, half fast-walked to catch up with Ty.

He pulled up short, just outside the doors of the hospital. Ty was slumped over the steering wheel, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably, sobbing. Billy grimaced and walked slowly to the car. Stopping next to the driver's side, he knocked on the window. Ty jumped and wiped her hands quickly over her face hoping to hide any traces that she had been crying.

Billy opened the car door and grabbed her lightly around the wrist, gently pulling her out of the car. She got out and stood next to the open door.

He closed the door and leaned against it, pulling Ty flush against him and wrapping his arms around her waist. Billy stared into her eyes and she looked away to avoid letting him read her like an open book…like he always did.

"So, you gonna tell me what all that was really about back there?" he tipped her chin up gently, forcing her to look him in the eyes.

"I…oh, hell. I don't know. I think it's mostly about Joe and how in the hell I'm going to keep Bones from forcing him to join the gang. Bones doesn't take no for an answer…not even from me." Ty sighed and rested her forehead against Billy's shoulder.

"Babe, this isn't the most important thing to worry about right now. Let's just get through this thing with Danny tonight then we'll worry about what to do to Bones, alright? Trust me on this. We'll figure it out, okay?" He pecked her lightly on the cheek and she smiled.

"Thanks for being so sweet."

Billy smirked down at her. "Just don't let it get back to the guys?"

"Never." She reached up and gripped the back of his neck. Pulling his head down, she kissed him fiercely once and stepped away. Looking at her watch, she cursed. "We gotta get going. It's noon and I have a bunch of shit to do before the party tonight."

XxxxX

Thanks to SexySadie and Extraho for their reviews! If you liked it, let me know! I will hopefully be able to post now every Sunday, that's my goal anyway. Thanks for reading