Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to Power Rangers they are owned by Saban/Disney et. al
I do however own all things Tanzetti and reserve the right to reuse them as I please.
Okay, this is the chapter you've all been waiting for. At least it is if you've been reading this for the M rating. If not well…I guess that's too bad…
Billy spent most of the night pacing through the house. His dad was away in Aspen for a board meeting and Rocky had gone home after cleaning up. Once the blood was cleaned up his injuries didn't appear very severe so hopefully Rocky's parents wouldn't be too upset when the saw him in the morning. The occasional black eye or split lip was a normal occurrence in martial arts training, there was a good chance they wouldn't notice.
He'd tried to sleep but couldn't relax. All he could think about was Marcy, sitting alone at the police station. What if they'd arrested her? What if Jasper pressed charges and she had to go to jail? She'd taken the fall for Rocky without question, confident that she'd fare better than him, but could he really let her sacrifice herself for his friend?
It was nearly six o'clock when there was a knock at the door. Billy answered it without checking and Marcy stood on the doorstep. She looked like death warmed over. Her hair was a mess, her clothes were wrinkled, and there was a large blue bruise across her left cheek.
"It's over," she said. "They dropped the charges."
She took a step forward and nearly fell into his arms. He just held her there, all the emotions from the previous night welling up inside him. He managed to keep the tears at bay, but couldn't control the shaking as she held on to him.
"It's okay," she said softly. She might have been shaking too; Billy wasn't sure because he could barely move himself. "It's over. It's over."
After a few minutes he regained enough composure to feel comfortable stepping away. He closed the door and locked it, then turned back to Marcy.
"Come sit down," he said. "What happened?"
He led her to the couch because it was the closest, and they sat down. He kept one hand wrapped around hers, afraid to let her go that she might slip away if he did.
Marcy nearly collapsed when she hit the soft cushions of the couch. She breathed deep a few times and Billy was certain she'd gotten less sleep than he did.
"I have a friend on the force, he just happened to be the one handling Sarah's case. I called him first and he took care of everything as best he could. Jasper woke up in the ambulance and demanded to press charges. He was drunk, almost twice the legal limit and ranting about me and Rocky beating the shit out of him.
"I told Morgan Jasper attacked us and was ranting about Rocky stealing his girlfriend. He believed I was defending myself but he had to take me in because of Jasper.
"They tried to push me through night court but it was a busy night and I didn't see the judge until about an hour ago. Ashley got one of the lawyers at the office where she was interning to come down and defend me. The judge took one look at the file and dismissed it as a waste of time. No one was going to believe I attacked Jasper maliciously when he was in violation of his restraining order and nearly dead drunk. If he hadn't regained consciousness and called his own lawyer they wouldn't have bothered going through the motions."
"But it's done now?" Billy said. "You can't get arrested again?"
Marcy shook her head. "No. The charges were dropped. There's nothing Jasper can do."
"What about Rocky?"
"As far as anyone knows he wasn't involved. Jasper was the only one to talk about him, but no one believes him. Even his lawyer wasn't very convincing."
"How's Sarah?"
"She's fine," Marcy said, stifling a yawn. "She came to court to testify that I was the only one with her in the parking lot, but they didn't even bother asking her. I sent her home with Ashley."
"How did you get here?"
"I asked Morgan to drop me off on his way home," she said over another yawn. "I didn't think I could drive and I wanted to see you first."
Her head tilted back against the pillows and she gave out a contented sigh. "God I could fall asleep right here."
With her head obscured by the cushions the bruise across her cheek was even more prominent. Billy felt his stomach turn at the sight of it. Without thinking he touched the sore with the back of his hand.
"It's doesn't hurt anymore," Marcy said.
Billy swallowed hard. "I can't believe I did that to you."
Her eyes shot open wide and she sat up. "You didn't. Jasper Kilne did. He did all of this. Don't blame yourself. Do you understand?"
Billy nodded at her demand, but he knew it would take more than her willpower to convince him not to take the blame.
"You need to rest," he said. "I should take you home."
She looked him up and down assessing him carefully. "You don't look in any better shape to drive than me," she said. "I can call Ashley or Devon to come get me."
Billy swallowed hard before speaking. "You could stay here and rest."
Her eyes closed and she relaxed even more into the sofa. "I shouldn't. I spent the night in a holding cell. I feel guilty enough sitting on your couch. I need a shower and clean clothes and…"
"I have a shower," he said. "And there's no point in bothering Ashley or Devon. They're probably not in much better shape than us anyway."
Marcy sighed. "You're right." She pulled herself to her feet and waited for him to lead the way.
His bedroom was in the back of the house, near the garage. It was originally designed to be a guest suit, with an attached bathroom that also opened into the hallway. He'd moved down here a few years ago because it was closer to the lab and he could run his computer connections through the wall without doing damage to the rest of the house. Plus, it gave him some privacy from his dad.
He set out towels and some clothes for Marcy and then went into the bedroom to wait. He laid back on the bed, suddenly exhausted from the night's experience. He still had a million questions for her, but they could wait. He didn't remember the water turning off or the weight on the bed shifting, but suddenly there was the strong smell of shampoo and an added warmth that followed him into his dreams.
When Marcy awoke the sun was low in the sky over the bed. She jumped suddenly, realizing it wasn't her window. Then she remembered where she was and the panic quickly faded. She could feel Billy behind her, his slow, even breathing as he slept, one are draped over her hips. He'd rolled against her in his sleep, but she didn't care.
He'd been asleep when she'd gotten out of the shower. She'd almost laughed at the site of him on his back, one arm draped over his eyes, the slow rising and falling of his chest the only proof he was still alive. The bed was small but it was soft and warm. She spread a quilt that was folded at the end of the bed over them and settled in to rest.
But now she was awake, and she was here, and she had no idea what to do next. She didn't have a car so she couldn't just leave, not that she wanted to, but she didn't want to wake Billy up either. Slowly she eased out of the bed, and made her way to the bathroom.
When she got to the mirror she nearly ran back out. She hadn't bothered to brush her hair and it was a mess. She spent several minutes combing through it with her hands until it looked not quite presentable, but much less frightening. She used the bathroom then picked up her clothes from the previous night and folded them quickly so she could carry them out with her. Her plan was to call Devon to come pick her up, but she felt guilty about leaving Billy alone.
When she left the bathroom Billy was still asleep, the arm he'd had around her now tucked under his chin in a fist. She couldn't resist sitting down on the bed next to him. He looked peaceful when he slept, it was hard to imagine him as the capable warrior she saw when she touched him. She wondered if she could read his dreams.
Slowly, carefully, she touched his cheek with the back of her hand. Nothing. Either he wasn't dreaming or he was about to wake up. She ran her fingers through his hair gently. She felt the light twinge of emotion from the touch and the corners of his mouth tipped up into a smile. She made the move a few more times and the smile deepened. Her hand fell into her lap and she sighed.
"Why'd you stop? I was enjoying that."
Marcy's mouth dropped in shock and she punched Billy in the shoulder. "How long have you been awake?"
He rolled on his back and stretched. "Since you got up. I felt you move and then I opened my eyes and you were gone."
"You could have said something."
"And miss that little scalp massage, no way!"
She laughed and crawled forward, laying her head on his chest. He put his arms around her and held her there. They stayed like that for several seconds, Marcy enjoying his touch, not really paying attention to his thoughts or emotions. She'd been around him long enough that she didn't notice every little twinge of his mind unless she was paying attention. That was probably why she didn't notice he was awake when she touched him, she was just looking on the surface, not really trying to find anything specific. She would have to remember to be more focused in the future.
"Marcy?" his voice came as a surprise, breaking her from her thoughts.
"Yes?"
"Why did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Take the fall for Rocky?"
Marcy took a deep breath but didn't move. "It was the right thing to do."
Billy shifted, forcing her to sit up. "But you didn't have to do that," he said. "You could have just let Rocky face the police. You said yourself he would have been fine eventually."
"He might have," she said. "But even so, what would his parents have said when he called them from jail? What would the parents of his students think when they found out he'd been arrested for assault? How would his family pay a lawyer and court fees and bail? And what if, just by chance, it did go to trial, and he did get in trouble? Parole, jail time, community service, all of that leaves a record. He's eighteen, he doesn't need those kinds of problems."
"But you lied to the police, to your friends."
"I did what I had to do. And I didn't just do it for Rocky, I did it for me. I knew Jasper was bad news but I didn't do anything. I let it go because I didn't want to cause trouble, and it almost cost Sarah her life. Rocky did what I couldn't do. It was my mess to clean up. If I had been in that parking lot instead of him, they wouldn't have taken Jasper to the Emergency Room, they would have taken him to the morgue."
"Marcy…" He reached for her but she shifted away. She hadn't told that to anyone, how she blamed herself for Jasper's actions.
"It wasn't your fault," Billy said gently. "There's no way you could have known his true intentions, what he was really capable of."
"I did know," she said, knowing there was no way she could explain that to him.
"Just because you can read people's personalities doesn't mean you can read their minds," Billy said. "People who have bad attitudes do things for the best all the time, and people who are supposedly good can suddenly turn and hurt others. Look at Rocky. That look in his eyes when we pulled him off Jasper… I've seen him fight, I've seen him get angry plenty of times, but I've never seen him like that. I actually believed he might have been capable of killing him.
"It scared me to think Rocky could be capable of that… It scares me to think you are too."
Marcy pressed her lips together and looked down. She knew she was capable of that, given the right circumstances. She'd done it before. She had killed before, to protect her friends and her family. That was what drove her guilt the most now. After living as a warrior, a protector of the innocent and a soldier in battle, she'd backed off on her own instincts and it had caused her friends to come to harm. It made her feel weak, helpless. Why didn't she have the strength to protect them anymore?
"I'm sorry," she said incapable to stop the tears. "I just wanted to protect my friends."
The bed shifted and she felt Billy's strong arms wrap around her, pulling her into his chest. "It's okay," he said. "I'm not mad at you, I just needed to know why."
His hands were rubbing her back gently as he held her. The tears had stopped but Marcy didn't pull away. She felt safe there, in his arms, like nothing else mattered. She hadn't felt that way in a long time.
"Do you have any idea how much I love you?" he whispered. "Do you have any idea what it means to me that you sacrificed yourself for my friends?"
Marcy smiled into Billy's tee-shirt. She did know. She could feel the gratitude and awe radiating from him.
"I couldn't have taken it if something bad happened to you, though."
Nothing would have happened, she thought. She had protection Rocky didn't. She was a woman, and automatically assumed weaker, even with her reputation as a boxer, she had friends on the police force and a roommate with a good internship at a top law firm. She could have tapped these recourses in Rocky's defense, but they wouldn't have been nearly as successful.
"I'm fine," she said forcing herself to sit up so she could see Billy's face.
Billy grimaced. "I still feel bad that you lied to the police."
Marcy sighed. "I hated lying," she admitted. "Morgan's been my friend a long time and he worked really hard to help me out, but I didn't know what else to do. I couldn't tell him the truth and ask him to cover it up. I don't think he would have done that anyway."
She reached out and put a hand on his cheek. "This was my lie, my burden. Don't take it onto yourself. It's over now, we don't have to lie anymore. We don't ever have to worry about it again."
"How do you do that?" Billy said suddenly.
"Do what?"
"Say exactly what I need to hear. It's like you almost can read my mind."
"Not your mind exactly," she said. "More like your emotions."
Billy smiled. "You're good at it."
The truth was surging forward in her mind. She wanted to tell him, now, tell him everything.
"You know I'd never lie to you."
Her hand was still on his cheek. He covered it with his own hand and moved it to his lips. "I know you wouldn't," he said. Then he hesitated, his eyes going cold. "I only wish…I could tell you more."
Marcy shook her head. "That's not your secret to tell. Besides, I have secrets too. Things in my past that I can't tell you, I may never be able to tell you. Things you may not even understand."
"You don't have to tell me anything," he said. "I'd never force you to reveal your secrets when I can't tell you my own."
"How do you do that?" Marcy asked.
"Do what?"
"Trust me so easily?"
Billy shook his head. "I don't know," he said. "I just know that whatever it is it couldn't possibly change the way I feel about you, so it doesn't matter."
"And what about your secret?" she asked. "Would it change the way I feel about you if I knew the truth?"
"I don't know," Billy said. "I hope not."
She moved a little closer to him on the bed and took his face in both her hands. "One day we're going to have to face up to all of this. All of our secrets, all of our lives."
"I know," he said. "I promise one day I'll tell you everything, but it doesn't have to be now."
She nodded, running her fingers through his hair to the base of his skull and pulling him forward until his forehead touched with hers. She was tired of secrets, tired of hiding. She wanted him to know everything, but at the same time, she wanted to know everything about him as well. Maybe it was better this way, at least for now. His power was temporary and hers was useless, what good would it do to drag out the pain and the secrets when there'd be nothing they could do about it?
So she would wait for his secrets, and keep her own.
Almost on instinct her mouth found his, kissing hard, and deep. He hesitated at first, not sure what she wanted, but she kept kissing him, pulling him in. She pulled at the bottom of his tee-shirt and he shifted, moving his arms so she could pull it over his head. He was gorgeous underneath, toned and perfectly shaped, earned by years of martial arts training and dedication.
He mimicked her own actions, pulling off her borrowed shirt, exposing her bare chest. She hadn't bothered to put a bra back on after her shower. Lucky for him, she thought, thought it might have been fun if she'd given him a little more of a challenge.
She was on her back now as he worked his way down her chest, kissing and touching, spending time on her breasts and her stomach, down to her waistline. He didn't hesitate there, but quickly pulled off the sweatpants in a surprisingly fluid motion. His own jeans went next leaving nothing between them but their own inhibitions.
He lay on top of her, and kissed her, his whole body covering hers. He pulled back just enough to see her face.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
"Yes." I've made my decision, she thought. From now on I'm his, no matter what.
This pretty much ends the Rocky segue. Not long to the ending now. Part two is in progress. The bunnies may need to take a nap first, or they may just decide A Chance in Heaven needs some more attention, or that non fanfic story I need to finish, plus there's that other series….
Oh did I mention the part about feeding my ego and writing a review? Thanks!