A/N: So this is the chapter where some of Daelyn begins to make sense. I hope everyone likes it. I will warn you that if you are sensitive against things such as physical attack and talk of attempted murder, this chapter may be something you'd like to skip-Alisabeth
Butterflies rioted in Daelyn's abdomen, her purse clenched tight against her side as she kept a clipped pace down the sidewalks of Chicago, mere blocks from her temporary home. Various curses flew threw her mind, some in English, some not and each one worse than the previous. What had she been thinking? The sun was setting over the horizon, casting everything in shadows and with every step she became all the more jumpy, tongue in cheek and her eyes sweeping left to right in a continual pattern. She was scared, beyond frightened really, and all she wanted to do was call somebody for a ride. Passing O'Malley's she ignored the calls from drunken men gathered out front and the lewd looks coming from a woman with them.
Her shoulders hunched against a growing breeze she let out a scream, sharp and shrill, as someone grabbed her the moment she attempted to cut through the parking lot to it's entrance on Mulberry. She reacted on pure instinct, ignoring the sound of running footsteps and thrusting her elbow into her attacker's solar plexus, tossing her head into their jaw when their grip slackened minimally. Listening to them grunt she threw herself as far away as possible, reaching into her purse and extracting her mini can of hairspray as she turned, depressing it's little trigger without fully seeing. Voices reached her ears but they were warbled, as if her head was beneath a torrent of water. Her heart pounding rapidly against her chest she stumbled backward, stomach roiling as a flash of fair hair came at her. She was panicking, her breathing rapid as she began to hyperventilate.
"D, Daelyn it's me, calm down," whoever grabbed her next called in a soothing voice. The feminine tone and slight lilt caused her to calm bit by bit. Her slowing inhalations caused her nostrils to flair, picking up the scent of jasmine and lemonade, something only one person she knew wore. Shay. "I need you to take deep breaths sweetie, Kelly will be here in a minute. Everything will be alright." They were rocking, Daelyn's head pressed against Shay's shoulder as they slowly slid to the asphalt.
Warm, calloused hands joined Shay's petite, soft ones in rubbing soothing circles into her back, the overwhelmingly comforting scent of KellySeveride joining in with that of Shay as sirens approached. Pulling back Daelyn allowed her back to rest against Kelly's chest, looking to her right to see who'd attacked her. She gasped. Eric Whaley?
Kelly smoothed a hand over her hair. "He said he called out to you before approaching but you didn't hear him. He's a little drunk so the story and the truth may not line up," he whispered. Anger at Whaley pulsed through his veins along with worry for his new friend, his heart aching as he watched her shake, feeling the vibrations of it against his chest. Sweeping the lot and squinting as a cruiser pulled up, he felt a little better seeing that it was Officer Mitchell working, a friend of Firehouse 51. Motioning the uniformed officer over, he forced himself to his feet, Daelyn still in his arms.
"We got a call about some sort of attack?" Officer Mitchell offered rather awkwardly, side stepping a still downed Whaley as he approached the trio before him, his personal acquaintances standing like bookends on either side of a swaying woman, her face ashen against raven hued hair.
Eyeing all six-foot-two-inches of the lanky police officer in front of her, Daelyn couldn't help but feel as if she was looking at IchabodCrane, her hands trembling as she stuffed them in her pockets. "I honestly don't know sir," she stated weakly. "I was walking with my head down, and Eric said he called my name but I didn't hear him. I guess I just, I don't know, freaked out when he tried to get my attention by grabbing my shoulder. I'm just…I'm just really confused right now," she admitted with tears gathering in her eyes once more.
Officer Mitchell raised an eyebrow. "Do you know 'Eric?'" he questioned, pulling a steno pad from the pocket of his pants. "And can I get your name?"
"Oh um, Daelyn Conway. And I've met him a few times, he works with my brother-in-law."
"Brother-in-law?"
"Matthew Casey, Firehouse 51," she explained, standing a little straighter, knowing that firefighter's and police officers seemed to have some sort of feud between them in many states, cities and districts. When the police officer grinned, she figured that he at least harbored no ill feelings towards Matt.
Scribbling in his steno pad, Officer Mitchell, glanced at the just waking Whaley and raised an eyebrow. "Self-defense?"
"Hairspray, a head butt and an elbow to the solar plexus," Daelyn said with a little smirk. "I know some states have laws against pepper spray and mace so I've improvised." Her little admission caused the police officer to chuckle dryly.
"Not a bad idea. Now the big question, do you want to press charges ?"
Daelyn froze, lips working to form words but nothing coming out. A hand squeezed each of hers from either side and she pursed her lips in thought. "I don't think so, sir." Feeling Kelly tense at her side she winced, waiting for the onslaught of argumentation. Nothing came except a frustrated sigh. "He's drunk and I just, I'm not sure what has happened and if it was truly nothing then I don't want to soil his reputation."
Officer Mitchell opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off. "And yes I know that I have seventy-two hours to change my mind and press chargers. Thank you for your time and coming out, but I just want to go home."
Her side was burning, low and closer to her back than her front. It itched, felt like it was on fire and felt ice cold all at the same time. A shiver rocked her spine. Passing along her cell phone number when Officer Mitchell asked in case there were any questions, Daelyn stepped forward on weak kneed legs, holding onto Shay for support as the unusually silent blonde led the way to where Kelly's car was parked. Not saying a word as she slid into the backseat she curled up as small as she could, the seatbelt harsh at the base of her throat. As the engine turned over and Kelly lowered the volume of the radio, she merely stared out the window.
"Is anyone at home?" Shay asked, breaking the silence as the car pulled away from the curb and into traffic. Blue eyes meeting green in the rearview mirror she held her gaze, never leaving Daelyn's face as she shook her head.
"Matt's at some parts place across town for a job he's working and Rowan had to take Adi to a six o'clock doctors appointment." Her voice was low, raspy and warbled. A single tear glinted on her cheek in the setting sun. "But I'll be fine, Thor's still there."
Kelly snorted. "Thor may have protective instinct but you're not going back to the house if no one else is there. There are two choices: A) we go back to the apartment or B) Shay and I go back to the house with you and wait there until either Rowan or Matt get home." His voice was hard, jaw clenched and the muscle in his cheek jumping.
Huffing in frustration Daelyn uttered her choice, making Kelly take a left rather than the right that would lead to their apartment. Hands still shaking she fumbled through her purse for her keys, swearing as she dropped them to the floor board and had to stretch to reach them, almost choking against her seat belt. Holding them tightly, she felt the dips and groves of the metal against her palm, the pain from the pressure she was applying barely registering. Chocolate, she needed chocolate. And maybe some whiskey, she added as an after thought. Perhaps a nice hot bath.
Shocked when they pulled to a stop before Matt's house Daelyn, swallowed thickly, waiting for Shay to move so she could get out. Stepping out of the car she faltered as her flats hit concrete, grasping the roof of the car to keep her balance. Voluntarily passing Shay her keys, she took carefully measured steps along the path to the house, palm flat against the top of the railing as she waited for Shay to unlock the first door. Balancing precariously she removed her shoes as Kelly entered behind her, relocking the door and toeing of his boots, nudging them onto the welcome mat stationed to the right. Burying her hand in Thor's fur as he came trotting forward she kept a hold on him, using him almost like a crutch to the couch.
Daelyn could hear her friends whispering as one of them disappeared into the kitchen, a faucet running shortly there after and some cabinets opening. Collapsing onto the couch, she drew her knees to her chest, trying to focus on one thing; getting the words to CarrieUnderwood's "Blown Away" correct as she sang it beneath her breath. She knew she was returning to her shell, but hearing Kelly say something about her not going into shock made her feel slightly better, leaning against him as he sat beside her. Using a defined pectoral as a pillow, she couldn't help but giggle as the muscle twitched beneath her. Accepting a steaming mug of something from Shay as she returned to the living room Daelyn inhaled, catching the scent of hot cocoa and when she peered into the large mug, she found a mound of whipped cream floating amongst a pool of chocolate. Taking a delicate sip she sighed happily, feeling her emotions calming a little. Sipping for more she rolled her tongue against her teeth, eyes widening.
"You spiked my cocoa!" Daelyn exclaimed, picking up the undertones of whiskey, just enough where it was affecting her and not the overall taste of her beverage.
Shay shrugged. "You mentioned in the car that you wanted chocolate and whiskey."
She'd said that out loud? Getting am affirmative from both of the other parties she blushed, settling the mug ion a coaster out of Thor's reach. "Thank you," she said softly, her voice catching in her throat. And in that moment the whiskey, just two sips, set everything free, sobs racking her body as she pressed her head into her knees and swatted at whoever tried to touch her. "Ice, please, I need ice," she cried out, hands winding around her abdomen.
Phantom pain, that's what both the psychologist and the doctors had all told her, telling her that it seemed like when ever her stress levels would skyrocket so would the 'pain.' Three and a half years of careful monitoring and now here it was. Her nerves seemingly on fire she hissed, not bothering to fight as quick hands tugged at her tee shirt, pulling it over her head in one swift motion and leaving her in nothing but the rather plain black and purple polka dotted bra she'd chosen that morning. All motion stopped, a gasp and a curse coming from over her as she contorted, her hands curling into fists and moving on her now bare abdomen so they rested closer to her hip.
"What the hell?" coughed Shay, dropping the towel bound ice pack and reaching forward carefully, using a single finger to probe the six inch long, three inch wide scar decorating Daelyn's right side. The skin white and raised, looking very much like there'd been stitches there at one point, it ended where a large scripture tattoo began, the words winding and covering the lower half of her friends back. She'd seen injuries like this before but bit her tongue, instead taking in what the tattoo said. 'No body can hurt me without my permission.'
"Daelyn," Kelly called out, repeating it another two times, getting louder with each as he tried to get her attention. He was panicking, despite his usually cool, calm and collected attitude of adrenaline inducing situations. Doing the one thing he could think of he reached over and pinched Daelyn, finding the skin at her hip and tweaking it harshly. She snapped, eyes opening wide, chest heaving. Completely distracted by her behavior he didn't even glance down towards the smooth flesh that had been revealed.
"We need to calm her down Kelly," Shay said urgently, seemingly at a loss.
Remembering Daelyn's preferred method of calming down he dug through her purse for her iPod, fumbling with the button and turning it on, attaching it to Matt's iHome and pressing play on where Jensen Ackles "Crazy Love" was paused. He'd heard the song once or twice when he'd babysat Adrian and he started to sing along on a whim, wrapping his arms around Daelyn from behind and pulling her close so that she was pressed against his chest in what could be called a bear hug, hoping that both the strength and heat of him would calm her.
It took twenty minutes, about five songs and the rest of the now cold mug of cocoa to get Daelyn completely calm and coherent. Kelly was still swaying with her bound in his arms, Shay watching confusedly while cleaning up the now melted ice. Shrugging back into her tee-shirt, face aflame, Daelyn took deep breaths, separating from Kelly and moving to the recliner.
"I suppose you'd like an explanation," she said, voice weak and hoarse from her crying. Unanimous agreement. "Well, now that you've seen the scar, I guess I have to tell you. Um," she hesitated. "Three and a half years ago I was a Houston, Texas Assistant District Attorney. I was prosecuting a particularly bad case, I wont force the details on you, and I guess you could say I won. The defendant was arrested but as they were taking him from the courtroom, he claimed he'd get vengeance one way or another but I didn't believe him because he was going to be serving a life sentence."
Daelyn sniffled, tightening her ponytail. "I didn't believe he'd try something and yet two weeks after the final court date I was walking home from the grocery store, talking on the phone with my boss when I was told that he'd committed suicide in his cell. I was so freakin' distracted by the call that I wasn't paying attention." She rolled her tongue and punched her fist against the arm of the chair, refusing to meet either of their eyes. "He'd sent his brother in law after me, a petty criminal. I was still on the phone when he stabbed me and if I hadn't been, who knows how long it would've taken for someone to find me. My boss had heard everything over the line and had my number traced."
"The police officer, Tessa, that I worked with on a few occasions was the one to find me on the side of the road bleeding. Doctors told me that if the blade had been inserted just a little higher and to the left it would have struck me in the kidney and if I'd have lost anymore blood I wouldn't have made it. They said I'd needed about seven units of blood while on the operating table."
Glancing at Kelly and Shay, she winced. While Shay merely looked beyond nauseas, Kelly looked beyond pissed, his eyes horrified. Swallowing to wet her dry mouth, Daelyn wrapped up her story, thankful that she was almost done.
"I had my boss put my papers in while I was still in recovery and my dad came down to help me get out of my lease and moved back to Connecticut. And I guess that's the end, but please, whatever you do, don't tell Matt. He only knows that I used to be an ADA, he doesn't know why I left. Please don't mention tonight either," she pleaded.
Scooting closer to the arm of the recliner as Shay wiggled in to sit beside her nodding, Daelyn felt a little better until she felt Kelly staring at her. Opening her mouth to say something she jumped when the door opened, Matt walking in while on his phone. Flashing her puppy dog eyes, she deflated when all Kelly did was stand, gather his things and retreat towards his car. She didn't hear the engine start but she did feel Shay scrambling to go after him, calling out to him as she ran, shoes in hand and greeting Matt with a wave as she bypassed him.
The scar began to burn once more, not out of pain but out of regret for having said anything. For having decided to go to the library tonight and walk home. For having let herself get that close to Kelly and Shay, two peas in a pod that would stand by each other no matter what.
I hope that was bearable for you guys. Have a good week :)- Alisabeth