So, here we are again: I feel like this chapter ended up as more of a filler-ish type entry but oh well. I flew through the beginning of writing this then kinda lost steam at the end. Hope you enjoy it the who way through.
As always thank you to my reviewers, I just adore you :)
Muffled voices. The scuff of a chair against linoleum. Blinding pain.
Josie tried to opened her eyes slowly. As they fluttered open she was met by so many faces she snapped her eyes shut tight before opening them again. As she blinked away the blurriness she finally managed to take in her surroundings. It seemed that she was laid up in what she could only assume, based on how terrible she felt, was a hospital bed. She glanced from face to face to see Ronan, her father, Eamon, Colin, Emma and Terry all staring down at her with concern-filled eyes.
"Wha – what happened?" she croaked out, her throat feeling as though someone had dragged a rusty nail along it.
Her dad, who was seated on her right side by her head reached out to softly brush her hair away from her face and leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead, "You were attacked Joze, just barely made it." He said, voice cracking with emotion.
She glanced around the room, eyes wide with terror and she clutched tightly onto the sheets, twisting the fabric in her hand, "Pete?" she whispered out before painfully clearing her throat. "Where's Pete? Is he ok? Where is he?" she managed to cry out, becoming so frantic that he wasn't there to the point she almost missed the dark look that passed between Ronan and Eamon. Almost. "What? What is going on?" she demanded of her family.
Josie's eyes swiveled back and forth from her two oldest brothers and her father who all wore matching looks of mingled anger and guilt. When neither of the three responded she looked up at Terry who was on her left side, directly across from her father, "Terry," she pled with him, "Please tell me what's going on?"
Terry gave a hostile look in her father's direction before looking down at her softly, "Josie…he's ok love."
Josie leaned back in the bed, feeling only slightly relieved at his words she stared up at Terry questioningly, "If he's ok, where is he?"
Again: a glare from Terry thrown in the direction of her father and two brothers. She absorbed the dark, angry looks all three wore and finally noted the discomfort of Colin and Emma who were at the foot of her bed. Her question was met by silence. She felt her temper rising through the pain of her neck and throat and as she was about to force someone to answer the door swung open to reveal Dr. Cole.
He gave her a large smile that wasn't quite genuine as the tension in the room was so thick it'd be tough to cut it with a chainsaw, "Miss Murphy – when I told you to drop in, I meant of your own volition," he scolded her lightly, "Now, how's the patient?"
"Just woke up sir," her father answered for her.
She glared up at her father before answering, "I am just fine – where's Pete?" she asked again, hell bent on finding out what was going on and knowing the good doctor wouldn't lie to her.
Dr. Cole pulled a face before answering cautiously, "In the waiting room. Now – let's check your vitals." He launched into examining her before she could ask the follow up of just why Pete was in the waiting room and not by her bed.
Tapping her foot impatiently, Josie answered all of Dr. Cole's questions about how she was feeling and if she remembered everything, etc. etc. Unfortunately, her memory of the attack was a bit dim, as though she was viewing it from the wrong end of a telescope.
"Well you seem to be alright," Dr. Cole said, garnering a collective sigh of relief from those crowded around her bed. "You sustained another concussion when you hit the pavement but your x-rays look ok. You're used to those symptoms but your neck is also going to be pretty sore for awhile and you'll have a rather unattractive necklace of bruises – I suggest colorful scarves." He said with a slight smile before turning serious again, "Now, I want to keep you under observation for a few more hours then you'll be free to go home."
"Thank you Dr. Cole," Josie replied, each word still burning her throat painfully and she was just becoming aware of terrible throbbing in her head. She waited until he exited the room before turning an accusing eye on her dad.
"Daddy – what is going on? What are you doing here? Why is Pete in the waiting room instead of in here?" she questioned as angrily as she could. The three sentence outburst exhausted her and she leaned back into the bed, drumming her fingers against her thigh while waiting for some kind of answer. She'd realized belatedly that it was stranger that her dad and brothers were here than it was that Pete wasn't.
Her dad gave her a tired smile and she gave a small one back, "Well…we're here to take you home." He stated and the smile instantly fell from her face.
Josie swallowed hard, "Home?" she asked, feeling a cold sense of dread at what seemed to be coming.
"Joze – you're not safe here. You've got to come home," Eamon said in what he clearly thought was a soothing tone.
Her mouth dropped open at their words as Ronan continued, "You were meant to be home already," he said, throwing a meaningful look in Colin's direction.
Josie could barely believe what her family was saying to her and she stared at Colin through watery eyes, "Col? What are they talking about?"
Colin blew a long puff of air out and gave her a sheepish look, "I'm sorry Josie…after what happened in the Abbey we had a family meeting and decided it was best you came home. I was supposed to just come over and collect you. But…" he threw a furtive look in Emma's direction, "When I saw how tore up you were I couldn't make you leave Pete. I thought I could just protect you better if I was here."
More tears stung her eyes and she stared at the collected group in silence. Emma clung tightly to Colin's hand, Ronan had his arms crossed against his chest tensely, Eamon and her father flanked his sides as though concerned Josie was going to try to escape and Terry stood in the corner with an openly hostile look on his face as he glared at the three men.
"You 'decided'?" she questioned incredulously, "I'm sorry…seems you're under the impression that I am still a child. I. Am. Not. Leaving. This is my home now, Pete is my home," Josie responded stubbornly. She looked towards Terry, "Now, could you please tell my fiancé to come in here?"
Terry nodded and winked at her as he walked towards the door but was thwarted by Ronan who had crossed the small hospital room in two steps and was now blocking the door. The two men stood toe to toe and Josie tried to leap from the bed to stop them. While in the process she yanked out the IV that she had barely noticed in her arm and gave a loud cry of pain.
Again the attention of the room shifted to her and she was suddenly very aware of the hospital gown she was in, complete with the open back that was threatening to reveal her naked backside. She twisted her arm around to hold the gown closed but still stood in the middle of the room glaring at her brother, "Get away from him. I am not leaving England, I am marrying Pete and you lot aren't going to say anything to change that."
"Like hell we aren't Josephine Bailey – you are coming home with us," her father roared at her and she cringed back slightly, knowing middle-name use was a clear sign of a terrible outburst. "We almost lost you. Twice! And it's all because of that boy and the thugs he runs around with. You may be bound and determined to throw your life away but we will not stand by and watch that happen. You are everything to us, we cannot lose you. And that is why you are coming home with us and you are coming home with us tomorrow!"
Josie's face turned bright red with anger and her neck still throbbed in pain but there was no way she couldn't argue back, "He is not some boy. He is the man I am going to marry and I am not leaving him."
She stood as defiant as she could in her current state of undress and her father along with Ronan and Eamon glared at her in frustration, "This discussion is not over, young lady," her father promised, "You rest a bit – we'll be back in a few hours to get you." With those final words he strode out of the room followed by Ronan and Eamon who both looked only slightly less angry than her father did.
Josie stared at the back of the door that had just slammed shut and she glanced around at the remaining faces in the room. Emma rushed towards her and escorted her back to the bed carefully while Terry crept out of the room. Colin came around to her other side and rubbed her arm gently, "Josie Jo – I'm so sorry."
"How could you do this to me?" she whispered pathetically to her brother. Tears streamed down her face and Emma perched on the bed, pulling her friend into a hug.
"We were worried sick about you. I was meant to come over and collect you, bring you home and make sure you stayed safe," Colin replied before catching Emma's eye, "But I found I didn't quite want to leave…and I couldn't take you away from Pete. It would kill you."
Josie nodded her head at him, "Thank you I guess – for being on my side now."
The three sat in silence as Josie continued to cry softly, "You'll be fine, love. We'll figure something out." Emma promised her quietly.
"How can this be happening? How can I choose between my family and my future?" she asked in frustration, tears still pouring down her face and when she glanced down at her left hand she began to sob at the sight of a ring-less ring finger, where the hell is my engagement ring? She thought, if possible feeling even worse than she had before.
Curling up in a ball in the hospital bed with her thoughts racing she started feeling sick from the pain in her heart. Emma rubbed her back while she cried and Colin finally filled her in on what had happened two nights ago with Hatcher, trying to distract her from her aching heart by explaining the reason for her physical pain.
Apparently, Detective Cross and DiNozzo had seen Hatcher following her. And lucky for her Cross, following his instinct that it wouldn't be for a friendly chat, immediately took action. By the time they reached her she had fallen unconscious and DiNozzo performed lifesaving CPR, without which she would have died. Detective Cross arrested Hatcher onsite and any question that Steve had been involved in Tommy Jr's death was immediately forgotten.
Just as Colin finished telling her how Pete had been by her side the entire time since she'd been brought into the hospital nearly thirty hours ago. He'd remained there until her other brothers and dad had arrived a few hours ago when he'd been unceremoniously booted out of her room and told in no uncertain terms to stay the hell away from her. The sudden bang of the door against the wall made all three jump slightly.
All three sets of eyes snapped to the entrance and Josie breathed in sharply to see a half-crazed Pete framed in the door. He looked terrible. He was in the same clothes he'd been in when she last saw him but there were now large bags under his eyes and his face was twisted with pain, "Josie," he breathed out. Crossing the room quickly he shoved Colin out of the way and pulled her into his body. "Fuck baby, I am so sorry."
Josie clung to him, feeling instantly at peace in his arms, "Don't be," she mumbled, voice muffled into his chest as she nestled into his body. Neither of them noticed when Emma and Colin silently slipped out of the room, leaving them on their own.
Pete simply held her for a few minutes as she cried into his arms before he pulled away from her, stroking her face softly as he placed a sweet kiss on her forehead before moving to her lips. He took her chin in his hand, tilting her face up carefully so he could examine her neck. He cringed, biting his lip in anger at the ring of bruises around her neck where Hatcher had very nearly succeeded in ending her life. He gently leaned down to kiss her neck softly, "I almost lost you again – I may still." He whispered to her.
"I'm not going anywhere," Josie swore as she took his face in her hands and forced him to meet her gaze, "They'll cool down. Colin's already on my side and they'll drop this shit when they realize they either get me and you together or…" she swallowed hard before continuing, "They don't get me at all."
Pete's eyes were a mirror of mingled surprise and relief, "Joze – you don't mean that. Your family is your life"
"I do." She said, staring intently into his blue eyes, "You once said that me and you together was the only thing in this world you were sure of. And it's true: you're my future. You promised to marry me, remember? No backing out now."
He pressed his lips to hers gently, "I love you." He replied simply before carefully pulling her into his arms again, stroking her hair gently as she continued to sob softly into his chest. He laid back on the bed, dragging her onto his body and hugging her tightly, "I should give you this back then," he said with a slight frown as he held out the diamond he'd first given her less than three weeks ago.
"My ring!" she cried in delight as he slipped it back onto her finger. "Where was it?" she asked curiously.
"Oh," Pete said, tightening his hold on her, "Yer dad kinda threw it at me when he kicked me outta the room…"
Josie's face paled considerably and she had no idea how to respond so in usual Pete and Josie fashion she just pulled his lips down to hers, kissing him deeply before whispering, "I love you – we'll fix this, we have to," she swore.
"I hope so babe," he replied doubtfully. He stared down at her as she tried to suppress a yawn, "You should try and get some rest Josie then I'll take you home."
Josie looked up at him reluctantly from her position in the crook of his shoulder, "Guess you're right. You'll stay?"
Pete gave her a slight smile, running his thumb along her lower lip, "A wild Ronan couldn't drag me away," he quipped.
"Hah. Hah," she responded dryly as she burrowed into his arms. She placed a kiss on his chest and smiled slightly while concentrating on the feel of his arms around her. When she woke up she'd have to deal with the disaster that was their current situation but for now she allowed herself to lie contently in Pete's arms.
Pete stared down at Josie's sleeping form, cringing every time his eyes landed on the ring of ugly bruises that marred her neck. He brushed her hair out of her face so he could see her clearly. He took in the familiar smattering of freckles and the full lips that were parted slightly open as she breathed slowly and evenly. The only thing running through his head was that he'd almost lost her – again – because of his involvement in the GSE.
He sat staring at her as she slept, unable to think of anything but the fact that her family now disapproved of him and wanted her out of his life while all he wanted was to marry her and not fuck things up anymore. He was so caught up in his thoughts of her he didn't notice Swill, Ike and Dave creep into the room silently.
The three men stood at the end of the bed waiting for Pete to notice them. Finally he glanced up, too tired to be startled he simply nodded his head, "Aye aye boys," he greeted them quietly, not bothering to get up from the bed lest he disturb Josie's nap.
"Ows she doin'?" Swill asked softly.
Pete gave a slight twitch before answering, "Another concussion. Ring of bruises 'round her neck. Doc says she'll be alright though."
All three grinned back at him, clearly relieved that Josie would be ok, "That's great news bruv –why do you look like West Ham just got relegated?" Ike asked jokingly.
Pete swallowed hard and glared slightly at the boys, "Josie's family is here."
"That's great innit?" Dave asked in confusion.
"No bruv. It ain't. They don't want us together…they want to take her back to the States," he said with difficulty and the three men's mouths fell open in shock.
Swill snorted in disbelief, "Nah, yer 'avin a bubble, Pete. Josie's family loves you."
"Not since I landed her in a hospital bed twice in less than three weeks time," he grumbled as he glanced back down at Josie who seemed to squeeze herself tighter into his side.
The bang on the wall of the door smashing into it startled the boys and Josie jumped awake, a fearful expression on her face. Pete glared over at the door, furious at whoever had rushed in like that and woken Josie up but the livid look on Terry's face caused Pete to hold back a biting comment.
"Josie – I love you like a daughter but if yer brother doesn't keep his goddamn mouth shut about you two bein' together I'm gonna kill 'im," Terry stated, addressing the half-awake Josie.
His words caused her to become immediately alert, "Which one? And you just may have my permission depending on what he's been sayin'."
"Ronan," Terry said bluntly, fists clenching at his sides.
Josie managed to roll her eyes and give a slight smile through the pain she was still in, "Figures – he's an ass. Ignore him."
"Joze, you can't leave us," Terry whined, "All he keeps yammerin' about is how much happier you'll be once yer back in the States and not fearin' for your life."
Josie's face had turned ashen at his words and Pete glared fiercely at Terry as he reluctantly stood up and moved away from her, "I know you mean well but will you shut the fuck up Terr?" he asked angrily.
Terry flushed slightly and his eyes flashed towards the bed she was seated in, "Shit – sorry Joze."
She waved her hand casually but Pete could tell by the tense way she was hunched over in the bed that his words had an effect on her. He scrutinized her as she put a false smile on her face and looked around the room at the boys, "So – did anyone bring me a change of clothes or will I be going home in this delightful paper gown?"
"I asked Steve to go home to grab some for you. He should be arriving any second now then we can get outta 'ere," Pete told her and she smiled back at him, thankful he'd thought to do that.
"Thanks baby," she replied tiredly, the effort of the past few hours having drained her of any energy she may have had before. Josie leaned back in the bed, fighting to keep her eyes open as the boys chattered away about ways to convince Josie's family that she was safe with them.
Pete walked back towards the bed, leaning on the edge of it and putting his face close to hers to whisper in her ear, "You can sleep, ya know? No one would blame you for it."
"I can't turn my mind off," Josie said with a sigh, "It's not fair that we can't just be us, can't ever just be normal for a little bit." She felt a fresh round of tears coming up and she bit hard on her lip to stop them, unwilling to cry in front of everyone.
Pete pulled her into his arms, squeezing her tight, "I know gorgeous. I'll make this right, pinky swear," he said quietly so only she could hear as he linked his finger with hers. Josie sniffled slightly, "Now lemme see that beautiful smile of yours."
Josie gave him a soft smile and she pressed her lips to his gently, "That better?"
"Eh," Pete said, making a so-so gesture with his hand, "Better than nothin'."
Josie stuck her tongue out at him and punched his shoulder lightly, "Jerk," she mumbled and before she could continue she was interrupted by Dr. Cole reentering the room.
"Ah and the gangs all here!" he said with delight at the sight of the boys.
"Ello doc," Swill said, offering his hand in greeting giving him a hearty shake.
The rest of the boys hurried forward to shake his hand as well, exchanging pleasantries as though they'd bumped into each other at the market. Pete watched the interaction and as the minutes passed by with Dr. Cole happily chatting about football, Pete's stare became more of a glare. Finally fed up that the good doctor had seemed to forgot the rather grumpy patient he cleared his throat loudly, only to be ignored by all involved.
"Oi Doc! You forgettin' someone?" Pete said with an evil look.
Dr. Cole blushed slightly, "Oops, how are we doin' Josie?"
"Just fine. I can leave now, right?" she asked, pleading slightly and turning her eyes up at him and pouting slightly.
Pete groaned at the familiar puppy dog look knowing there was no way she wasn't getting her way, "Ignore her," he said, snapping Dr. Cole's attention away from Josie, "Is she alright to leave? And don't mind the bratty pout – yer a doctor for Christ's sake."
"All pouting aside: Josie should be alright to head home. Bed rest and nothing strenuous for the next few days, I trust Mr. Dunham will ensure you're pampered to no end," he finished with a smile in Pete's direction.
"We can get bed rest together seein' as that was my prescribed medicine too," Pete said with a smirk that left the room groaning from disgust.
"Always the same with you two," Ike grumbled and the rest of the boys nodded their heads emphatically.
Josie's face was beat red, hands covering her eyes to block the sight of the knowing looks the boys were all wearing. Lucky for her an interruption arrived in the form of Steve delivering her clothes to her, "Oh thank God…no offense Dr. Cole but I'd just as soon be outta here."
"No surprise there," he said with a grin, "I'll get outta yer way but make sure you come back to visit – minus a concussion, yeah?"
Josie nodded her head and gave a wave of goodbye, waiting until everyone but Pete had exited the room before stepping gingerly onto the floor and out of the hospital gown. She quickly pulled on the pair of jeans and t-shirt Steve had brought her and as her head popped out from under the sweatshirt she'd pulled on she caught Pete's gaze. The intense look he gave her caused a shiver to run down her spine.
"What?" she breathed out softly, feeling her throat tighten from his stare that had nothing to do with nearly being strangled to death.
Pete came close, pulling her into his arms, "I just love you is all. Just thinkin' I'm the luckiest bloke in the world that you're dumb enough to still want to hang around me."
His words caused her thoughts to return to how her family had reacted, thoughts she'd somehow managed to ignore for the past couple of hours. Josie wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his face level with hers, "I'll always want you, no matter what," sealing her promise with a hard kiss.
Not even Josie's family, who she adored with all her being, would be able to keep her and Pete apart. Now that they were safe from Tommy Hatcher's brutality all they had to contend with were the consequences of the life of the GSE – a feat that may prove more difficult than anything they'd ever had to deal with.
My oh my, I just can't seem to give them a break! Thoughts? Love it, hate it - any & all feedback thrills me.