Beyond the boundaries of your city's lights
Stand the heroes waiting for your cries
So many times you did not bring this on yourself
When that moment finally comes, they'll be there to help

- "Citizen Soldier," by 3 Doors Down

Blue.

"I just don't understand how you got that mark."

Terry winced, eyes briefly sliding shut as he set his try on the table. They were outside during lunch, one of those rare days in March where the sun was shining and the birds were chirping and all that was needed was a light jacket, if anything.

Across the table, Max set down her try and made eye contact, silently asking the old question they had gone through so many times before.

"What can I say? Mornings are hell," he said, breaking eye contact with Max long enough to flash Dana a comforting- and hopefully charming- smile. "I was half asleep and walked right into the bathroom door."

Max snorted softly, cracking open her can of soda and looking away. Dana glanced at her, eyes clouded with confusion and concern. "I just find it hard to believe that you got a black eye from walking into a door."

Terry slid into his seat, forcing a wry smile. "How else do you think I got it?"

She hesitated, and that brief pause broadcasted more volumes than anything she could have said.

"After everything that happened between you and Charlie Bigelow I'm just… worried."

Terry bristled. He didn't mean to, but it happened naturally after so many years of living down the old reputation.

"I broke ties with Charlie a long time ago," Terry said, his voice hard and cold.

Dana's dark almond eyes went wide and he saw a flash of hurt a split second before a mask of anger covered her face and she stood up and stormed off.

There was a heavy beat of silence, and then Max whistled, long and low. "You know, with charm like that, it's a wonder you don't have more girlfriends," Max quipped, taking a drink of her soda. "Nice job."

He sighed heavily, setting his arms on the table and letting his head fall on his forearms.

"It's your own damned fault," she continued, undeterred. "I know she was pushing the line by implying that you were actually back to being a bad kid, but that didn't mean you had to go and prove her right by being a huge prick."

He just groaned, burying his head further in his arms.

"And if we're going to follow this it's-your-fault vein, if you had been paying attention in the first place you wouldn't be all black and blue."

Terry picked his head up long enough to shoot Max a dirty look and replied, "That little old lady thought I was one of the Jokerz."

"So what?" Max said. "That okayed her beaning you with her purse?"

He propped his chin up on his arms, tired. "She didn't bean me, and I didn't let her. I just didn't want to hurt her."

Max studied him for a long moment of the rim of her can.

"Pansy."

$4$

Sorry for taking so long to update, guys. I've had this finished in a notebook for some time, but I just felt the urge to finally copy it to a Word doc tonight. XD I know, I'm lazy.

I was mostly inspired for Terry's (totally embarrassing) injury from one of Kyoko's old fics, Bandaids. It's a damned good oneshot- well, she's just a damned good BB writer- and I always appreciated the old-lady-gone-rogue joke so I decided to pay homage. ;)