Chapter 23

When Leon was healed everything went on as usual. But not today. It was a normal day on the job for Leon, but today it wasn't a normal ride for Leon, In fact it was a day where Leon wished what should have happened could of happened. Leon and his partner were chasing a couple of bad guys until they finally got them corner. Leon yelled, "Stop! That's far enough. Put down the gun and turn around! Slowly!" The man turned around and Leon recognized him immediately. The bad guy shot Leon's partner in the face. "Max?! Shit!" Then one shot was fired.

The next day, Leon was at the shop telling D, Kuri, and Chris what happened. "And the bitch of it is, Max isn't the one that's tearing me up." D paid attention the most. "The other guy's name was Harry Seals. A childhood friend of mine. The 2 of us used to play together all the time. Right up until he moved away in junior high. I hadn't seen him in 10 years. He was probably as surprised to see I'd become a cop as I was to find him holding up banks. The Harry I knew had a good head on his shoulders, and a sense of right and wrong. I've never have guessed he's wind up making his living with a gun. I had the son of a bitch cornered. Had my gun right on him, but I hesitated before pulling the trigger. My partner died because of that. Because of me. 30 years old. Had just proposed to his girlfriend. Now I've gotta call her and tell her that her fiancé is dead…because of me. A good man died tonight because I got cold feet. I knew what needed to be done. But I wouldn't shoot someone that I'd…" Then he finally stopped. "Sorry. This isn't your problem. I need to deal with it on my own. I'm going home."

D asked, "You don't want to look in on Chris?"

Leon said, "Not today."

Then D got an idea and picked up a covered box. "Wait a minute, detectve." He handed him the box. "Here, I want you to have this."

Leon asked, "What is it? Another flower?"

"No, it's just a little something to help you get through all of this." said D.

Leon declined. "Count, I really don't have time for a pet. Plus my apartment's so small, it's the reason why Kuri is here."

D said, "It's all right. This little guy doesn't need very much attention."

Leon gave up. "Fine. I'm in no mood to argue with you tonight. I know that you're trying to help, and I appreciate it."

Then Leon left. "You're quite welcome. Sweet dreams."

Kuri asked, 'What did you give him?'

"I just gave him a shoulda-coulda-woulda moment. No harm will come to us, but it will help Leon move one." said D.

At Leon apartment, Leon unwrapped the box and saw a butterfly. 'A damn butterfly?!' Thought Leon. 'Of all the pansy-ass little…' Then he calmed down. 'Yeah, it won't be much trouble, but if any of the guys from the station see me with this, I'm gonna be laughed off the force. Sure is pretty though…' Then he thought back of his friend. '10 years…I hadn't seen the guy in 10 fucking years…What the hell happened to him?'

Then Leon thought back when the 2 were just kids. "Leon!"

Leon turned his head and saw Harry. "Oh, Hay Harry! Looks like you're all packed."

"Yeah. I'll be back for Christmas break. Provided it's not snowing or anything. We can shoot some more hoops then. In the meantime you'd better write to me." said Harry.

Leon said, "I will." Then the car started to drive away. That's when Leon started to chase it. "Wait a minute! Harry?! Harry!"

Leon woke up and saw he was still in his apartment. He was asleep the whole time. 'Just a dream.' he thought. 'Would've been nice…if I'd had a bit more time with him then. If I said what I really wanted to say. If I told him what I felt…'

At work, Leon was late for work. Then Jill told him, "Hey, Everyone! Max Regained consciousness!"

Leon asked, "What the hell are you talking about? Max is dead. He took a gunshot to the head."

His boss said, "Christ Leon, he's your damn partner. Be a bit more sensitive will you? He didn't die. If you had gone to the hospital with everyone else last night, you would of known that. He suppered serious blood loss and trauma, and is likely facing years of recovery…but he's alive."

And believe it or not, Leon didn't like that. Leon asked Jill, Pinch me here, will ya?" She did that. When he found out he wasn't dreaming, he was more then happy. But was it all real?

That night Leon dreamed of his childhood again. "Hey Leon! Rise and shine man."

Leon woke up. "Harry?"

"C'mon, 5 minutes till PE." said Harry.

Leon asked, "What?"

"It's not like you to fall asleep in class like that. Too many late nights watching cinemas?" asked Harry.

Leon yawned. "I wish! My mom cancelled cable." It was a joke. "No, I was just tired. Had a weird dream about you, though." He pointed at Harry. "You were a bank robber. You shot a cop and a bunch of other people. It was pretty twisted."

Harry said, "Sounds cool…"

Leon said, "You may not think so in a minute. I was the detective working on your case. I had finally caught up to you and was in pursuit. It was raining pretty hard. I manage to corner you. You turned around…and then I…I…" Then he grabbed Harry's shoulders. "Harry! Whatever you do. When you grow up, don't become a bank robber!"

Harry clogged him in the head. "You idiot!"

Leon said, "I'm being serious. If you ever need money that badly, come talk to me firsts."

Harry smiled. "Sure, whatever you say."

In the real world, Leon was having coffee when he got hit in the back. "Leon!"

Leon turned his head and saw Max alive and well. "Ma?! You're already out of the hospital?"

Max said, "C'mon Leon. You know it'll take more then a scratch from a little popgun like that to put me off duty."

Leon said, "But you were nearly killed. Half your face was blown off."

Max said, "It's nothing a kiss from my fiancé won't cure." Leon was still confused of what was going on. "So today's the day right? We're finally gonna move on your friend Harry Seals."

Leon asked, "Harry?! Max Harry's dead. I shot him yesterday. Right after he shot you."

Max asked, "You feeling alright?" He opened the book. "Leon, Harry's a bank teller who's been skimming off the accounts of some of his customers. He's a criminal to be sure, but hardly the type you pull your gun on."

Leon thought, 'What the hell is going on? This makes no sense!' He looks at the records. 'Wait a minute…Harry's alive? And he works at the bank? Something's different. Still I might not understand it…but it's hard to deny that this way's better. This way no one has to draw their guns. This way, no one has to die.' Then Leon smiled. "Yeah, I like this turn of events much better.'

Later one, this time Leon and Harry were in high school. Harry said, "Hey, Leon, back to earth man." They were in the library. "Let me guess, you were having that dream again. The one that plays out like a bad episode of NYPD Blue. Where you shoot me after I shoot your partner."

Leon said, "Yes and no. I was still a cop. But you weren't a bank robber. Instead you ere some sort of white-collar criminal embezzling money from a bank." Harry chuckled. "Hey, a crime's a crime. If you're hard up for money."

Harry stopped him. "I should come see you first, you've only told me 100 times. Personally I like the bank robber dream better."

Leon said, "It doesn't matter. I doubt you'll ever need money. In fact, I'll probably be the one asking you to spare some change. With your grades, you'll be taking your first company public before you turn 30."

Harry smiled. "Well, what about you? Think you'll become a cop?"

Leon said, "There's no way I'd work in law enforcement. It's dangerous, hard work, and the pay sucks. Most people hate you. and have you seen the first on the force? Look I want a job that will give me a good, steady income. That's all. I want to get married, raise a few kids, send them off to college and enjoy a nice quiet retirement. Who knows? Maybe I'll be the one working for a bank."

And it turns out he was working in a back. "Chief?"

The man said, "Don't give me that 'chief' nonsense. You're accounts are short again. Now, as your branch manager, it's my duty to inform you that if you're unable to reconcile them by close of business today, you're out of a job." Then he handed him some papers. "Here's the paperwork. Now get to work."

Leon was confused. He walked out of the building and saw he was working in the bank. He decided to just roll with it. While at his computer desk, his boss went to him. "You're working too hard Leon. Why don't you go home? We all had a late night last night."

Leon said, "Well this report…"

"Forget it. So what did you think of the party? Mr. Wood's daughter seems to take quite an interest in you…" He put a hand on his shoulder. "A fella were to bag a broad like that, it could only help his career. She's not bad on the eyes, either. Anyhow, good luck, and go home already!"

Leon arrived home and looked at his chest after he took a shower. 'I don't understand…I've been shot in the arm…the stomach…the leg…the shoulder…I should have scars shouldn't I? Cut it out Leon…You've never been shot. Those were just dreams.' Then he got an idea.

He ran to Count D's pet shop and banged on the door. "Hey D! Open up!"

D did. "Leon…do you know what time it is?"

Leon walked in. "Forget about that. I want to know what you've done to me. I'm wearing a tie, for Christ's sake! I didn't even think I own a tie! What ort of mad scheme have you pilled me into this time?"

D turned away. "Now, now…Please calm yourself. I'll go make some tea."

Leon sat down and asked, "Where's Chris and Kuri? Did you already put them to bed?"

D asked, "Who?"

Leon said, "Quit messing around. Christopher, my little brother and Kuri, my adopted sister, your lover? Where are they?"

"Little brother and sister?" asked D. "Leon you told me you were an only child." Then he picked up a newspaper. "As for Kuri. I think you got confused with this news article." He showed him what he was talking about. There was a pictured of a dead a body and the headline was 'Orphanage under fire: Dead girls reveals true horror'. "Such a shame. We were childhood friends. I would give up anything to see her again."

Leon grew scared. "Cut it out, Count. You know I have a brother, and sissy isn't dead. Our mother died when he was born and after she adopted Kuri and they now lives with us. I don't know what kind a game you're playing here, but it's not funny."

D said, "The disrespect you show your poor mother is astonishing. Your parents just separated a few weeks ago. You were fired when you and your wife were planning to have children. You remember that don't you? You were quite upset by it."

Leon was stunned. Then he woke up when someone called out his name and this time he was with 4 other people. The same ones that he was chasing in the beginning. "Hey Leon! What's up with you man? I'm sick of you zoning out on us. Man your ass had better not be stoned. You so that shit, you do it on your own time. You hear me?"

Leon grew scared. "What?"

One of the brutes gabbed his shirt. "Now I don't know how they do business up in that white-collar world of yours, but when you run with my crew, you act like a fucking professional! Now, we're gonna sit down and we're gonna map this heist out to the last motherfucking minute, do I make myself clear?"

One of the other guys said, "We're gonna get us past the alarms tomorrow when they make their daily drop. Once in, Moses here will guard the door. Tony and Bill, you 2 are on crowd control. I don't want anyone at that bank developing a fucking hero complex. You 2 make sure that don't happened. If they have any problems, Moses. I don't want you helping them. Your ass stays in the door. I don't want anyone coming in or out. You hear me?"

That's when Leon realized, that he is in Harry's place. "While they do all that, white collar and I-that's you Leon—will collect the cash from behind the counter. You do remember how to do hat, don't you white collar? And seeing how you work at a bank, I shouldn't have to bried you on pain canisters now, should I? We do all that and we're outta there in less then 5 minutes. Trish will be waiting round back in the car to gut us the hell outta dodge." He handed Leon a gun. "Think you can handle that? Good! Here's your motherfucking gun."

Leon ran back to eh shop. "Count! Hey, Count D, open up!"

But the one that answered the door wasn't D. It was someone else. "What is it? Do you know what time it is?"

Leon asked, "What the hell?! Where's Count D? He runs this pet shop."

The man said, "Pardon? This restaurant has done business here for decades. As far as I know there is no pet shop on Chinatown."

Leon grew pale. 'Bu that's not true. None of this is true.' the thought. That's when the saw the butterfly again and went after it. But as he ran his clothes changed into the ones Harry wore on that day. 'Where am I? Why am I running?'

Then he heard a voice. "Stop! Put your gun down…and turn around now!"

Leon thought, 'I'm gonna get shot!' He turned and pointed his gun. That's when he saw Harry as a cop. 'Wait a minute…Harry?' That's when he accidently shot Max.

Then Harry saw Leon, he started to cry. "Leon, why?! Why are you doing this?!"

Leon then thought, 'Why? Yeah…why am I doing this?' Then he shit himself in the head.

As he lay on the ground dead and Harry ran to him, the same butterfly from before flew from his body and was flying up into the air. But it landed in D's hands. "This what you wanted, wasn't it? You wanted things to be different. You wanted to have a normal, quiet job, you wanted to avoid being asked to kill. And more important…you wanted to die instead of your old friend." Then he killed the butterfly. "Suck a foolish desire…"

But it was all a dream. Leon woke up to T-chan biting his leg. "OW!"

Then Chris came into the picture. "Hey, big bro!'

Leon was again confused. "Chris?" He checked his shirt and saw the scars that he used to have.

Chris said, "The Count said, to call you over for breakfast if you're still alive. Whatever that means. I mean you'd think he's say "If your brother's awake". Are you and D in another fight? Cause I don't want Kuri to be referee again.'

Leon looked at the cage with the butterfly and saw it was head and torn apart. Then T-chan came in with the paper. Leon read it and it was just as always. 'Yeah…I'm back in the real world, all right. In all it's harsh, violent, cruel glory.' Then he saw Harry's face. 'And I…I wasn't able to stop him. My partner lost his life because I hesitated…but…he was my childhood friend. I couldn't shoot him. And I can only guess he felt the same way. That's what I'd like to believe and I don't see any reason why I can't.'