AN-This is the last chapter of my one shot that you for sticking it out with me and reading it. As always please read and review to let me know what you all think.
Sitting watching the sun slowly setting was beautiful, especially if you had the right company. Merri had been sat so content lying up against Dwayne's side she didn't realise how cold she had became till she moved a little and shivered. Dwayne noticed instantly and nudged Laurel to stand up. Once Laurel stood up he followed and stood up in between Merri's feet.
"Let's get you inside, your getting cold and that can't be good for you. Once were inside we can make fresh coffee and I can finish making dinner" as he reached for her hands as he helped her stand up.
Making there way into the kitchen Merri sat at the table when Laurel made coffee and Dwyane switched the stove back on as he set about finishing making dinner and cooking the rice. He stood cooking as he watched Laurel and Merri talking and he was happy to see them get on so well. It could be due to the fact even though Merri had not a single sport bone in her body she could talk to Laurel about more age appropriate things. Laurel probably saw Merri as more of a sister than her dads girlfriend, he wasn't bothered how they got on as long as they got on. He heard the conversation change from random stuff to more girly stuff like clothes and make us, now was the time he tuned out and went back to cooking.
Soon the air was filled with the smell of the gumbo and the other dishes that had been prepared.
"So what you ladies wanting to eat then so I can dish them up" as he turned the stove off and picked a plated up looking over at the table.
Both Laurel and Brody looked at each other then back at Dwayne who was stood waiting for an answer.
"Gumbo" they said in unison as they both started to laugh.
"Gumbo it is then" as she dished up two bowls of gumbo and carried them to the the table.
He returned with his own plate of red beans and rice and they sat in silence for a couple of minutes just enjoying the food and the company. It was Merri who broke the silence by nodding at Laurel then at Dwayne. Laurel took the hint and nodded back
"Dad you know I passed all my exams and all I have finished my course for this year. I was thinking of taking my gap year now and hanging here for a bit before Orion and I go traveling" as she watched her dad carefully to see how would react.
"You seem to have thought about this and had a conversation with Orion. If it's what you want then that's fine by me, long as you're happy" as he put his fork down and smiled at his daughter.
Laurel got up for the table and went to stand behind her dad as she wrapped her arms round his neck and hugged him.
"Thanks dad, I spoke to Mom and she said the same as what you just said but she did say I should check with you first" as she let go and went to sit back down.
"Your mom was always the wiser out the two of us when it came to you and what was best. Now I have to realise that you're not my baby girl anymore and I can't keep you wrapped up. You have to spread your wings and fly the nest. I am proud of everything you have achieved, especially music wise as I know that at least I did something right when I spent all them hours with you teaching you how to play. You go explore and thank you for including me in your decision. You didn't have to but I appreciate it" as he saw a stray tear roll down his daughters cheek.
They both reached across the table and took hold of the others hand and squeezed as they smiled at each other. Merri was pleased to see father and daughter happy. It was a shame the same couldn't be said for her own dad. They sat and talked about all the places that Laurel and Orion had discussed visiting for what seems like hours. It was only interrupted as Merri yawned and stretched which caused her to wince a little.
"Right someone needs bed and there medication" as he got up from the table and went and got the bag the hospital had sent home with Merri.
Taking the medication out he passed it to Merri before looking at the other stuff in the bag.
"I will take this up with us as its dressing so it's better this is kept up stairs as the bed is the best place to change these. Once you take them we can go up" as he watched her finish the last of her coffee before she pushed herself to standing.
"Ready" as she slowly made her way to stand next to Dwayne who wrapped his arm round her as she came to stand at his side.
As they reached the door Dwayne turned to look at Laurel.
"I can lock up and tidy a bit before I go to bed" as she smiled at her dad.
"Thanks princess, see you in the morning" as he turned his attention back to Merri.
Slowly climbing the stairs Dwayne could tell Merri was getting frustrated with her slower than ever pace. He knew on any given day she took stairs three at a time and could have been up and down 50 times in the time it took her to climb them now.
"There is no point getting worked up about something you can't change. You will be fighting fit soon enough and back at work breaking fingers and drawing on people" as he smiled knowing he was winding her up.
"That's not far, I only did both of them once" as she sat down on the bed.
"Even so, I only punched a suspect once and they sent you to watch over me" as he bent down to take her shoes off.
"And you're complaining about this because?" She asked him as he took her socks off and managed to resist the urge to tickle her feet.
"No definitely not complaining" as he stood up and she stood at the same time.
"What are we are wearing for bed tonight?" As he lifter her top up and over her head.
"Nothing but underwear, it's too hot for clothes" as she wriggled her legs and stepped out of her jeans as Dwayne picked them up and put them with the rest of her clothes.
Finally removing her bra as it needed to come off to change her dressing she was left in just the panties he had help her into earlier that day.
"Done, let's get you lying down and we can check you dressing and change it then we can get some sleep" as he removed his shirt and jeans and watched as Merri slowly sat back down.
"You need help or can you manage?" As he watched her close her eyes as she slowly lay down.
"Done, now hurry up and get this done. I want sleep and I want you beside me to keep me safe" as she watched Dwayne slowly remove the dressing and cleaned and dried her chest as he placed a new dressing on.
He stood looking down on her and he couldn't help but stare.
"Dwayne you're making me paranoid, get in to bed" as she tried to cover herself with the cover.
"You have no reason to cover up in front of me or feel paranoid. No matter what happens you will always look beautiful to me" as he switch the light off and climbed in to bed.
"If I have nothing to be paranoid about can I ask why you so far away?. I was hoping that since I have suffered so much you could at least hug me and make me feel better" as she turned her head to face him and give him the pet lip.
"Don't give me that look, no fair. How about you get comfortable and I will fit around you, that way I can't hurt you" as he turned on his side to face her.
Merri lay on her back and debated which way to turn. If she turned to face out over she could be spooned from behind and feel safe and secure with Dwayne's arm round her. There was also turning to face him so she could bury deep into his chest and feel him breath at the same time as listening to his heart beat as he held her to him. Facing him it was as she turned slowly on her side to face him. He watched her turn towards him and was happy to see she had finally choses. He shuffled across the bed and waited till she moved in to him and wrapped her arm over his waist as she slid one of her legs over his as if pinning him to the bed and her.
Once she was settled he finally wrapped his arm round her and held her as he buried his face in to her hair then moved to her neck. He was surprised how much he had missed being able to hold her. Just one night and she belonged here in his arms. He placed small kisses to her neck.
"I have missed this, just holding you and keeping you safe" as he placed another kiss to her head as he moved back a little so he could look at her.
"You're not the only one. This " indicating to the way they lay together "is worth coming home for" as she reached up and brushed her lips across his.
"You won't hear any argument from me" as he kissed her back and let her bury her face against his chest.
"Sleep. You get to spend the day with Laurel tomorrow as I got to show my face in the office" as he went back to burying his face in her neck.
He felt her move a little and he knew what was coming.
"Oohh the real world and work. Can.." But he cut her off.
"No and no, you are on sick leave and you will stay on sick leave which means no office. Laurel has stuffed planned for you both. No idea what so don't ask. Go to sleep and you will find out in the morning" as he placed what the hoped would be a finally kiss to her head as he closed his eyes.
It was if he could physically feel her thinking of a way round what he had just said. Running his fingers gently up and down her back he started to hum very gently and very quietly. He hoped it worked as they needed sleep. He hadn't done this since Laurel was a baby and she wouldn't settle. He was pleased as he felt her breathing started to slow as she slowly fell asleep. He lay still looking down at her as she slept and he had to say he was happy again. She was back where she belonged. Now he had to keep her there, he knew she was a hot head and tended to charge in guns blazing then when she got shot think it wasn't a good idea. That was who she was and he loved her for it either way. As he felt his eye start to close he was pleased the last thing he saw and felt was the women he loved asleep in his arms.
Dwayne Pride was not a morning person, never had been and never would be. He did get up with Laurel during the night when she was a baby but then it was normally under threat of actually bodily harm but mostly when he knew Linda had been up before. Yet somehow he found he woke up happy. Then he realised why as he spooned the woman in his arms trying to hold her tight but not too tight to cause any problems. As he shifted to move as close as he could get he felt her shuffle back so they were pressed right together. Moving his head a little so he could rest it on her shoulder as he placed a kiss to her cheek.
"Well good morning beautiful. I take it by the grin on your face you slept well" as he watched the smile grow on her face when she realised he was awake.
"I haven't slept that well since the last time I was here with you. I really could get used to this" as she brought there joined hands to her lips and kissed the back of his hand.
"You ready to get up or you want to stop in bed a little longer" he asked as he slowly started to separate his body from hers.
"I may stop here till you come back from your shower, have five more minutes" as he finally moved away from her.
When he climbed out of bed he tucked her back in and made sure she was okay before he went to the bathroom to take a shower. Merri decided the bed was getting cold with Dwayne not in it so kicking the blankets back she rolled to her side and very gingerly pushed up on her arms. When she was finally upright she took another mental inventory of her injuries to gauge what still hurt, what if anything hurt more and what didn't hurt anymore. Her bruises were starting to finally look a lot better other than the colour they were now going. It seemed her only major pain was her incision site. She wasn't how it worked on pain scale as today was the first time she had felt any real pain from that secondary injury. When she had finished her battle wound checklist she stood up from the bed using the nightstand as support. She was getting there and was rather pleased with herself at how much she had managed to achieve.
"Merri what the hell you doing? You should have waited for me to help" as she heard and then saw one very upset Dwayne standing in just a small towel.
"You can't be with me all day, I got to start getting me back and to do that I go to do this" as she held her hand out to him and he took it.
"Well now you're up where you headed?" As he kept a hold of her hand but stepped aside.
"Bathroom" as she stepped forward and started to make her way to the bathroom with Dwayne hand still in hers.
"I will be just in ear shot if you need me" as he pulled the bathroom shut behind her.
Getting her robe off the back of the door she slipped it on and was about to fasten it up when she stop. Stepping up to the mirror she looked at the difference in her chest from when she saw it a few days before. The bruises had gone yellow and some had started to disappear. The major thing was the dressing that sat there hiding the scar that would be there when it healed up. She looked better than she had but worse than she should. Never mind, she needed to get back on her feet and back to work. At least this time she had someone by her side to help her which she had never really had before, not when she had been battered and bruised due to her work.
Shaking her head she decided it was time for a shower. After switching the shower on she waited for the voice to drift through the door.
"You sure that's a good idea on your own?" As she smiled at his concern.
"Give me a second then you can come in and sit here just to make sure" as she finished up using the loo then opened the door.
"Hey again" as he came in the bathroom with a sheepish look on his face.
"Well take a seat as I want a shower" as she stepped in to the shower and closed the door.
As she stood getting washed she could feel him watching her so decided to talk about something.
"What time have LaSalle and Loretta said they would come over?" As she knew he would have arranged something.
"After work at some point, depends on work load I suppose" As he bent down and fastened his shoes.
"Thought you would have arranged something" as she went for broke and reached up to wash her hair.
This wasn't as bad as she expected it to be as there was only a slight tug in her chest. After washing her hair she went for broke and decided since her top half was clean it was her bottom half a turn. Again she found herself surprised how much easier it was compared to the other day.
"You okay in there?" Even though he could see through the door and see she was managing.
"All done" as she switched the shower off and opened the door.
She wasn't even out the shower when she had a towel round her and another round her shoulders for her hair. She could definitely get used to this.
"Anyone told you you're a keeper Dwayne Pride" as she stepped up to him and kissed him.
"Once they did but not recently. You saying you want to keep me around?" as he put his arms round her waist and pulled her to him.
"How could I get rid of you. Who else is going to feed me and make sure I don't do too much?. Who else is going to hold me when I sleep and make me feel safe and as loved as you do?" as she rested her head against his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart.
All Dwayne could think of doing was kiss her hair and hold her. It was an amazing feeling to know someone needed him again and more importantly loved him.
"Have I told you lately that I love you" as he kissed her head but left his lips resting where they were.
"Not today" as she moved her head off his chest and looked up at him.
"I love you to now let's get ready before I...ohh wait I am cold again" as she stepped back and saw the goosebumps on her arms.
"Funny how you being cold got us here in the first place" as he moved so she was at his side as they left the bathroom.
Arriving in the bedroom Dwayne sat on the bed while he watched Merri get ready. He said he would let her try to do stuff herself and so far she was either doing really well or she was pushing herself and she would pay for it later. The problem was it was Merri and she would push just to be back on her feet again. His thoughts were interrupted by Laurel's voice coming from the doorway.
"Morning dad, morning Merri. How you feeling today then?" As Laurel came in the bedroom and sat on the bed just along from Merri.
"A lot better thanks, I didn't expect to feel so good. I have done everything myself so far, it is hurting a little but nowhere near as bad as it's been. I may not need the two weeks the doctor suggested" as she winked at Laurel and heard Dwayne cough behind her.
"You will take whatever the doctor hands you and be grateful. I know I will be as at least you're safe here" as he stood up from the bed and went to stand beside his girls.
"Let me cook my girls breakfast before I leave that way I know you have had something to eat that doesn't contain a bag of sugar" as he offered a hand to Merri and Laurel.
When they were all downstairs Dwayne set about making breakfast while Laurel and Merri made coffee.
"So what's the plan for today then Laurel?" As they both sat at the table with the three cups of coffee.
"Well we could bake some cakes" looking at her dad as he opened then shut his mouth "or maybe just have a day of chilling with huge bags of popcorn and junk food for a day of really bad romance dvd's. If we get sick we can always take the family car to the park and get some fresh air" as Laurel looked at her dad for the keys.
Dwayne placed the plates on the table in front of the girls then got his own. He watched as they both set about it eating like they had never been feed.
"You're both hungry I take it" as he watched them attack their breakfasts like they hadn't been fed for a month.
They both laughed but didn't stop eating.
"Just proves what a good cook you are that we can't wait to eat it" Laurel told her father as she continued to eat.
Dwayne looked at Merri next and was about to ask what her reason was when she answered him.
"Is hungry a good enough reason for you" as she picked the piece of toast and took a bite.
"Well at least you both enjoyed it" as they both finished and put the forks down.
"So what do you want to do then?" As Laurel turned in her chair to face Merri.
"How about we watch a couple of movies then" as she winked at Laurel " we can make a picnic and go the the park for lunch" knowing fine well a picnic lunch would appear on the counter before Dwayne left.
Sure enough as they filled the cups up and went to pick some movies to watch they could hear a picnic lunch being made up in the kitchen. As Merri loaded the DVD player Laurel moved the furniture round as according to her nothing was in movie watching position. After finally rearranging the whole lounge just about Laurel was finally happy as she dropped on the couch and tucked her legs up as she picked her coffee cup off the table. Merri just stood and surveyed what used to be her lounge and had to admit it looked better for movie watching purposes. As they were both getting comfortable on the couch Dwayne appeared at the doorway and just watched them. They were both wriggling around and moving cushion and talking at the same time. The smile that light his face was priceless as he watched his whole life in front of him. His girls were getting on and he couldn't have been happier.
It was Merri who noticed he was standing watching them first. Laurel followed Merri gaze and was meet with the site of her dad standing with a big grin on his face as he watched them.
"Is it even worth asking why you're standing with that dopey grin that you save for special occasions that normal end up all sloppy?" Laurel asked her dad.
Walking into the room he went and sat in the middle of the couch causing both women to move their feet.
Before her Dad sat down Laurel managed to catch Merri's eye and gave her the here we go look. Sure enough when he sat down he reached across and took Laurel's hand and Merri's hand.
"Seeing you both sitting here laughing and joking and just getting on. To see my daughter and girlfriend watching cheesy dvd's together eating popcorn and junk makes me the happiest person in New Orleans" as he took it in turn to reach across and place a kiss to Laurels head then to Merri's lips.
Looking between them he let go of their hands and stood up.
"I have to go so you two be good and I will check back when I can" as he again bent and kissed Laurel's head and then moved across to kiss Merri.
The problem was kissing your girlfriend in front of you daughter was a little awkward.
"Dad put her down and Merri your to battered so put my dad down" as Laurel spoke up so they would break apart even though she was laughing.
Giving Merri one last kiss he stood back up and headed to the door.
"Your picnic is packet in the kitchen and the keys are on the bench Laurel, Merri is not to drive under any circumstances no matter how much she bugs and pleads with you okay" as he gave them one last look before he left the room and they heard the front door close behind him.
"Told you he would get sloppy didn't I. You will learn how to interpret the looks of the famous Dwayne Pride and know if you need to run or not" as Laurel told Merri as she stretched her legs out again.
"The thing is I can read him so well at work, from looks he gives me when we are working in the office to looks he gives me in interrogation but here" indicating the room and the house as a general "I have no idea how to know what he's thinking. He's a funny one to read and it's my job to do that" as Merri reached for her coffee of the table and felt a slight pull in her chest.
She must have made a face as Laurel sat up and rested her hand on Merri's shoulder.
"You want something for the pain now Dad's gone?"as Laurel went to stand up.
"How did you.. Actually I am not even going to finish that as I know you are your father's daughter. The answer is yes please to your question"as she picked the cup up and sat back.
Laurel got up from the couch and went to get fresh coffee for them both and the pain relief for Merri. When she returned Laurel passed Merri the tablets then her fresh coffee after taking the empty cup off her. She waited till she knew Merri was settled back in the couch before she sat down and picked her coffee up. Settling herself back she picked the remote up after putting the junk food on the couch between them she pressed play.
They had a fun morning watching sappy love stories and crying at the end of Titanic.
"For two people in Dwayne Prides live we are a pair of softies" as Merri blew her nose after passing Laurel a hankie.
"Nothing wrong with a good cry at some film. I have to say I am pleased we share the same taste in movies" as Laurel got up and turned the TV off before gathering up all the junk that was left and carrying it to the kitchen.
Merri stood from the couch and had to stretch as she had been scrunched up for so long. She was pleased no one was in the room as she gave a definite hiss as she stretched both arms and pulled her chest. Now was the time to panic as she looked and saw a spot of fresh red blood on the dressing. Don't panic Merri, she kept telling herself as she made her way up to the bathroom where the fresh dressings were. When she managed to get upstairs she put the seat down on the toilet and sat down as she wriggled out her t- shirt and saw the spot on the dressing was growing.
"Laurel can I borrow you a minute please, bring the first aid kit out the cupboard above the coffee maker with you" as she sat waiting for Laurel to come up.
She heard Laurel coming up the stairs and nudged the door open with her foot so Laurel could see where she was. Laurel entered the bathroom and as soon as she saw the blood on the dressing she pulled her phone out.
"Laurel wait please till we at least see what has happened. If we take the dressing off we can have a look and see if it warrants a phone call. It's not hurting so that must be a good sign" as she looked at Laurel then down at the dressing.
Merri slowly pulled the dressing off and was pleased to see it was healing nicely except a tiny piece that had tore a little when she stretched.
Laurel had the first aid kit open and let Merri look for the wipes before she put the kit down and got a new dressing out the bag. Once the wound was clean she let Laurel check it over so she could be witness to the fact it was not worth a phone call to Dwayne. Once the clean dressing was on Merri got ready as Laurel cleaned away the rubbish.
"You ready for that picnic now?" As Merri watched Laurels bottom jaw drop.
"You are kidding me right? You just split a stitch or something and you want to go on a picnic. Now I see what Dad means" as Laurel just looked at Merri who tried the puppy look on Laurel since it worked on Dwayne most of the time.
"Fine but if anything goes wrong you tell dad then" as Laurel glared at Merri but she just smiled back a Sweet little smile at Laurel.
When Merri was ready they both made their way down stairs and went in the kitchen. Laurel got the keys off the counter and grab the picnic bag.
"Can you lock up and I will put these in the car" as Laurel headed out the door.
Switching everything off Merri grabbed her bag, keys and phone before following Laurel out the door. The drive to the park was fun as they talked and laughed about the joy of college. Arriving in the park Merri and Laurel got out and Laurel got the picnic out the trunk. The women linked arms as they walked and went to find somewhere to sit. Finally finding a nice spot under a big tree Laurel took the blanket out the bag and laid it out for them ground for them to sit on.
"It's such a beautiful day, I miss doing this on days like today" as Merri got comfortable on the blanket before Laurel joined her.
They say and watched the world go by as they ate the picnic that had been made for them both. They talked more about life and Merri got to hear some stories about Dwayne from before she arrived. They had a beautiful day just hanging out together and getting to know more about each other. They decided to call it a day when the sun started to slowly dip behind the trees so after packing away the leftovers and the blanket the two women walked back to the car.
"I take it by the fact neither of are phones rang today that they got a case" as they got in the car and started the drive home.
"I thought that to" Merri said sounding a little depressed at the fact the boys were working.
"You will be back out there soon enough kicking ass alongside dad and Chris" Laurel said trying to cheer Merri up.
"I know it's just tough when it's all I have ever done" Merri responded as Laurel parked the car outside Merri's house.
"Come on in side and we can raid the left overs from last night and watch a movie" as they both got out the car and headed inside.
"You make coffee, I will heat these up then we can sit and wait for dad coming in. What movie you want to watch ?" As Laurel placed one plate of food in the microwave while Merri switched the coffee machine on.
When the food was ready and the coffees were made they made their way to the couch and sat down in the same places they had that morning when they had there movie marathon. Merri decided it was comedy time as she need to cheer up after working out the boys had a case and she wasn't there. It turned out to be a good choice as they were soon both laughing at the film. When the film was finished both Laurel and Merri helped clear away the plates and cups and then sat at the table in the kitchen drinking hot chocolate.
"Thanks for today Laurel, I had an amazing day" as Merri rested her hand on Laurels which was resting on the table.
"Nothing to thank me for, I had fun. Tomorrow we can go shopping and see if we can find you something that doesn't look like a pair of jeans. I have never seen you in anything but jeans since you got here. We need summer clothes as it get really hot here. A lot hotter than what you're used to" as Laurel went on to tell Merri some stories of the summer fun that could be had in New Orleans.
When Merri yawned causing Laurel to yawn they knew it was bedtime. As they both locked up Merri left the hall light on for Dwayne coming home as they both headed up to bed. Laurel nabbed the bathroom first as Merri went and checked to make sure that she didn't need to change her dressing and the wound had indeed stopped bleeding. When Laurel was finished in the bathroom Merri went in and got herself ready for bed. As she came out the bathroom she looked at the clock she could make out in the small bedroom and saw it was a little after 23:00. It looked like an all nighter for the boys. She knew this would happen at some point since she started her relationship with Dwayne but she expected to be pulling the all nighter with him.
"Dad will be home as soon as he can. He will not miss an opportunity to snuggle up with you which I should find very gross but I don't" as Laurel came out her room and followed Merri in to her bedroom.
"Dad worships you and he will not be pulling as many all nighters now he knows he can home with you or to you. He used to be that way with mom but as time went they drifted apart and well her you are. I never thought when they split I would be in a position to say I actually liked my dad's girlfriend but you're well...you're you and that makes it cool. Anyway we need sleep as we got shopping to do tomorrow and then I have plans to show you all the places that are special to the Pride family. You get a tour of town and get all the weird and wonderful stories about dad and me at the same time, well more than you got today" Laurel told Merri as she watched her climb in bed then climbed on beside her.
"Thank you Laurel, not just for today but for all this. You have no idea how much it means to be accept by you" as Merri squeezed Laurel's hand which in turn caused Laurel to give Merri a hug. When Laurel finally stopped hugging Merri she smiled and stood up.
"Night Merri, sleep well" as Laurel switched the main light off.
"Night Laurel, you to" as Merri watched Laurel closed the door over and went to her own bed.
Merri lay down and got comfortable but ended up tossing and turning. She moved over the bed and pulled one of the pillows Dwayne had used to her as she took a deep breath and inhaled the scent that was uniquely him. That was a little better, not perfect as it wasn't him but better. Her last thoughts as she fell asleep was if and when Dwayne would be home.
If felt like she had just feel asleep when she felt the bed dip behind her causing her to stir. She went to turn over to see what had disturbed her sleep to find a body pressed tight against her back and a arm slung over her waist.
"God I missed you today" as she felt a few kisses placed to her head and neck.
"What time is it?"as she snuggled further back into Dwayne's arms.
"Just after 01:00" as he continued to place kisses to her neck.
"Take it you got a case then" Merri said even if it was stating the obvious.
"We did but I had you to come home to" as he gave her a gently squeeze.
"Laurel was right, she said you would be back" as Merri turned over so she could face him.
As Merri focused her eyes on his face she shot up and made to switch the lamp on but her chest have a sharp pull.
"Shit" she mumbled under her breath.
Now they were both wide awake as they both sat up and looked at each other.
"What didn't you phone me?" As Merri got to see in the light the cuts and bruises on Dwayne's face.
"Well I could say the same about your chest, and don't have ago at Laurel. I told her to text me if anything happened and she did but she told me it was sorted as she saw with her own eyes" as he looked at her chest.
"How about we do a show and tell, you first" as he pointed at her chest.
"Fine" as she lifted her top off and looked down to see fresh blood on the dressing.
"Bathroom now" as they both climbed out the bed.
On entering the bathroom Merri took the dressing off to see the wound was bleeding from the same place as earlier. Reaching for the first aid kit she found some gauze and pressed it to the spot where it was bleeding. As she held it in place she applied as much pressure as she could bare to try to stop the bleeding. Standing with the gauze pressed to her chest she looked up and finally got to see the state of Dwayne's face in the full light of the bathroom.
He had a fat lip caused from a small cut in the corner. There was a bruise on his left cheek which would covered half his face by morning. Then there was the cut that had been stitched on the corner of his left eyebrow would no doubt cause a black eye by morning. To finish it off there were grazes down the side of his face on the right side with one at his eye and then another on his cheek. He had took a beating on his face but she wondered if there was on more.
"Shirt off now" was all she asked as she had a feeling there was more.
Pulling his T-shirt off he knew she would find out anyway but had hoped to wait till morning. There in the middle of his chest was a circle shaped bruise forming. She knew what had caused that by the shape and placement on his chest.
"You got shot at?" As she looked between the bruise and his face.
"What do you want me to say?" As he stepped up to her and pulled her hand back so he could see if her chest had stopped bleeding.
"Stopped, let's get it cleaned and covered" trying to deflect the subject to her injuries and not his own.
"Dwayne don't try that crap with me" as she wiped her chest with a wipe and then applied a dressing.
"Yes I got shot at and so did Christopher. It's called part of the job remember" as he watched her pull her top on and pulled his back on.
"Is LaSalle okay or does he look like you?" As they made their way back to the bedroom.
"No bullett bruises but he does have a black eye and a cut on his face" as he climbed on the bed and waited for Merri to go round and climb in.
"What on earth do you boys do when I am not there. You're hopeless the pair of you. The sooner I get back the better, at least I can save both your asses" as she got comfy again and waited for Dwayne to wrap her in his arms and hold her tight.
Turning over she looked over his face again and shook her head.
"You're not off the hook for this, we will talk later about the fact you should have called or texted or something" as she reached up and ran a finger down his cheek over the graze.
"Well you should have..." but was cut off when she reached up and kissed his lips.
That was the conversation done as he kissed her back. As she settled against his chest when she finally stopped kissing him she felt him shift a little.
"We make a great pair here. Laurel will not be impressed when she's you in the morning" as she closed her eyes and listened to his heart beating.
"Laurel is used to this, she will probably want the details but will shrug it off as it's not the first time" as he kissed her head and closed his eye.
Slowly the couple fell asleep holding each other as a means to draw comfort and strength from each other. They loved each other and would work it when the sun came up.
Dwayne was right about Laurels reaction when she seen her father that morning. She asked how it happened, had a good luck and even got to see the bullet bruise which he was not impressed with Merri for telling her about.
They sat and had breakfast together before Dwayne left for work leaving the girls to go shopping. They had a fun day again taking in some sites as they shopped. Laurel took Merri to one of her favourite eating places which she was sworn to secrecy over as all it served was fast food. When they finally arrived home that night they were meet with Dwayne's car parked outside and the smell of cooking as they entered the house. They showed Dwayne all the stuff they bought while shopping as he cooked and then they sat and eat dinner together. Laurel told her dad all the places she planned on taking Merri when they went out the next day and he even added a few suggestions in himself.
They and both agreed to keep Merri busy to stop her wanting to come to work or get bored and so far Laurel was doing a brilliant job. They next couple of days were spent sightseeing and shopping and doing general girly things with Laurel. Dwayne went to work every morning and made sure he got home at a decent time so he could hear about what his girls had been doing that day. They slipped into a routine of the girls spending the day together out and about while he worked but he knew it wouldn't take long.
Sure enough a week after coming out of hospital Merri's wound had all healed over and the cuts and bruises Dwayne had received had all but gone. He had a day off and they all spent it together in the garden as they had invited the whole gang over. With a barbecue cooking under Dwayne's supervision they had a fun day all catching up as a family. LaSalle was back to his normal self aggravating Laurel about college football while Sebastian keep dropping in random if somewhat weird facts and trivia in to conversations. Loretta took time to talk to Merri and catch up on how she was doing and more important to catch up on the gossip about Dwayne and her. Dwyane was pleased he had yet again put Merri off work as she had her friends and colleagues round her.
That night as they lay in bed together they lay talking and sure enough Merri brought up about coming in to work the next day even if she just sat and watched them work. He needed a distraction and quick. Luckily she was facing him so he kissed her passionately. He drew the kiss out which in the end turned out to not be one of his best distractions as he felt certain parts of his body react. Other than the incident in the shower they had not been physically intermit due to the fact they were both still recovering from there bumps and bruises. That was until now when he realised Merri had no intention of stopping. At least she was distracted but so was he now. As they finally joined together he kissed her as she moaned at the intimate contact they now had. Slowly moving together they brought each other to completion as Merri muffled her scream by biting on Dwayne's neck as he bit his lip.
"Well that was a long time coming" Dwayne said as they lay spooned together in the bed.
"It was but I am still coming in to work tomorrow. Your distraction no matter how amazing it was didn't work long term" as she linked her fingers with his on her stomach.
"Fine. See what if anything Laurel has planned just in case and as long as you behave you can come in" as he rested his face in her neck as he felt her fall asleep as he fell asleep a few minutes later.
Sure enough next day she went in to work and unbeknown to Dwayne she arranged her back to work fitness interview for two days later. If she passed she passed, if not she would have some idea what she needed to work on to get back to full fitness. She knew Dwayne would not be happy but she needed to come back where she belonged and when a call came in it took all her willpower to pin herself to her chair. She knew when they came back she would get to do something even if it was computer checks she would be working.
Sure enough when they boys came back she sat at her desk and waited, she knew Dwayne was itching to ask her to help but she wasn't at work. She sat and stared over at him till he finally gave in and she started to run background checks. That was a good start as she slipped back into things as if she had never been away. That was how the day went with her running checks and pulling up names for the boys to go chase down. She knew that she had to mention to Dwayne at some point that she had her back to work interview but she put it off while they worked.
Even at home eating dinner catching up with Laurel she avoided it. As they lay in bed later after making love she still didn't tell him. She didn't feel the time was right, she would wait till the right time and tell him. The problem was the right time never came as she woke on the morning of her back to work interview encased in his arms. They got ready and left together arriving at the office thirty minutes before her interview. She found an excuse to leave and headed over to where they did not only the physiological part of the interview but also the physical side as well.
She passed the physiological side with flying colours but she wasn't sure how she would do with the physical side of it. She hadn't really done much since the incident other than a couple of sneaky jogs with Laurel. She entered the gym and was put through her paces and at one point she did think she had failed as her heart rate didn't return to normal as quick as it normally did but they seems happy enough and she was given a clean bill of health to return to active duty immediately. Thanking the doctor she left and took a slow walk back to the office. She knew Dwyane was going to throw a fit when he found out she had kept it a secret but then again the boss in him would be happy to have his team back to full strength.
Walking back in with the reports declaring her fit for works she looked at LaSalle then at Dwayne who where looking at plasma going over the case. She stepped up to them both and passed the file to Dwayne. He looked at it then her then opened the file. He looked at the paperwork seeing the passed stamped across the sheets then he looked at her as he closed the file and looked before throwing it on his desk.
"Interrogation now" was all he said to her as she followed behind him.
Once inside he shut the door and just looked at her.
"I am waiting" as he sat on the edge of the table and looked at her.
"I know I should have told you but I didn't think I would pass so didn't see the point. I also knew you would have said wait so I booked it two days ago. I kept meaning to tell you but I just never found the right time. I am so sorry Dwayne but your team is back together again now" as she stepped up to him and smiled hoping to keep his temper at bay.
"Don't Dwayne me when you talk about my team. I am in a spin as to how I should feel here. As your boss I am pleased to have you back as we missed you but then as your boyfriend, well that's different. I knew you would be back soon enough but never expected it so soon. I can't keep you safe out there but in here I can" as he finally looked at her.
"Out there I don't need protecting, I can do that myself just as well as you can. Let's do our job today and we can talk tonight about it okay" as she stepped a little closer and kissed the tip of his nose.
As she kissed his nose he wrapped his arms round her waist and pulled her to him and held her tight as he buried his face in her chest. She wrapped her arms round his shoulders and they just stood holding each other until there was a knock at the door as LaSalle entered.
"We got a lead on are suspect, you both coming?" As he saw the way they were standing and realised he had disturbed them.
Letting go off each other they followed LaSalle out and geared up ready to leave. After spending nearly thirty minutes chasing the suspect and his accomplish they ended up in an empty factory building. As they all put their Kevlar on and checked it she saw Dwayne itching to check hers over so to keep him happy she let him. They entered the building and as soon as all three were in there was bullets flying through the air and shouts of instructions.
Ten minutes later all three NCIS agents left the building as the two suspects were bundled into a car and taken back for questioning.
"Glad to have you back Brody" as LaSalle slid his arm round Merri's waist and gave her a hug.
"Yes it is good to have you back" as Dwayne mirrored LaSalle and slid his arm above so both men had an arm round Merri. The three of them headed back to the car and were just about to separate when LaSalle spoke.
"Shame you got shot at on your first day back" as LaSalle climbed in the car.
"It's all part of the job LaSalle, another day at the office doing what we do" as she climbed in the car and they set of as a team to work together no matter what happened..