Bruised
A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. That thing was a monster to right, and I really appreciate the feedback! Thanks again!
Edit: The title of this chapter has been changed because I wanted to use it somewhere else. Haha. Sorry for any confusion guys. Indulge me.
Chapter Four – Set Fire to the Third Bar
I'm miles from where you are
I lay down on the cold ground
And I, I pray that something picks me up
And sets me down in your warm arms
- Set Fire to the Third Bar by Snow Patrol f. Martha Wainwright
"Hey…" Michelle touched Alex's arm softly. Alex spun around abruptly, but relaxed when she saw who it was.
"Hey…" she exhaled. "You scared me."
Michelle's eyes narrowed a little in concern.
"You okay?"
"Yeah…the meeting's over I guess?"
Michelle shrugged. "You didn't miss much. Don't worry."
Alex sighed, dropping her bag to the desk that was littered in papers. Her heart was still pounding a little from the rush she'd been in that morning to try and get to work on time.
"Yeah…my alarm didn't go off and Claire had late class so…" she shrugged it off, slumping down in the chair of a desk that was nothing more than a poorly organized filing cabinet. Michelle couldn't recall ever seeing Alex sit at her desk and do work. If there was paperwork to be done she usually took it into the Conference room, coercing Michelle into joining her as often as possible. It killed some of the monotony for both of them.
Michelle studied her curiously for a few seconds, trying to gauge the expression on her face. Even when she was rattled, Alex was a good liar. Now she was mindlessly gathering some of the pens on her desk and placing them in an empty coffee mug when Michelle spoke again.
"I had dinner with Rick last night."
Apparently the statement startled Alex because the mug was sent spiraling to the floor with a loud crash. Alex groaned and dropped to her knees, picking up the shards of ceramic as best she could while Michelle knelt beside her and scooped up the pens. She lifted an eyebrow.
Alex colored, rising to her feet again.
"He kissed me."
Michelle knew that already and pursed her lips together.
"And…?" she waited expectantly. Alex groaned a little.
"And I went over after work so we could talk…" she shrugged her jacket off and tossed it on the chair and Michelle had to bring a hand to her mouth to contain her laugh. Alex stared at her.
"What?"
"N-nothing." Michelle cleared her throat, lowering her hand again. Alex's brow creased and Michelle observed the three small marks on top of her chest and the one on the side of her neck.
"You just uh…might wanna keep your jacket on for the rest of the day unless you want the entire office to know how much talking you did last night…"
Alex's eyes widened with horror and she fumbled to tug her jacket back on, cheeks flaming now. She hadn't even had time to glance in a mirror that morning. Michelle touched her arm.
"C'mon…I have stuff in the locker room."
"Start talking." Michelle declared wryly as soon as they had confirmed that the locker room was in fact empty, save for them. Michelle had already started fishing out a compact while Alex tugged her tank top over her head and ducked into her own locker for a t-shirt that would cover up everything but the mark right in the crook of her neck.
Alex turned back and let Michelle go to work. Thankfully their skin tones were close enough.
"I'm still waiting…"
"I told you, I went over after work to talk to him and…and now you're covering up…" Alex groaned and leaned back against the locker while Michelle laughed.
"Did you…" Michelle grabbed Alex's arm and tugged her forward. "Did you have sex?"
Alex pursed her lips together, shutting her eyes tightly and nodding as quickly as she could.
"Oh my god…" Michelle's mouth formed a small 'o' and Alex groaned again, dropping to the bench.
"I know…" Alex whined, head in her hands. "I know, I know, I know…"
"I'm just…"
"Yeah, I know."
Michelle sat down beside her, finding her words.
"More…" she cleared her throat. "More than once?"
Alex nodded, still not looking at her.
"Did – ?"
"I lost count," the words were muffled in her hands. "I ran out the door ten minutes before he had to leave for work. I'm on like an hour of sleep here."
Michelle had to purse her lips together to keep from laughing inappropriately.
"How did it happen?"
"We were…" Alex looked up. "Alright we were…talking about the kiss and we both kind of agreed it was one of those things…at least, I thought we both agreed and then he was just… he kissed me again and…and things escalated."
Michelle was practically grinning now.
"Ugh…Michelle…"
"I didn't say anything."
"You were thinking it."
Michelle snickered lightly. "So…" she nudged Alex teasingly with her elbow. "How was it?"
"Michelle…"
"Must've been good if you were at it all night," she ribbed.
"Michelllleeeeeee…"
"I'm sorry…you can't tell me something like that and not expect to have to give up some dirt."
"Ugh. Ask me something."
Michelle's mouth curved into a devious smirk.
"Fine. On a scale of one to ten…"
Alex groaned. "Fuck, I dunno. Like eighty-two?"
Michelle burst out laughing and Alex laughed a little too, relaxing a bit now, her cheeks still hot.
"Oh god, it was good…really good. Seriously, if that's what sex is I dunno what the hell I've been doing this whole time…Not that. Definitely not that."
Michelle's grin widened.
"Are you sufficiently satisfied?" Alex groused.
Michelle snorted. "Not really. We'll have to work on your disclosure if this is going to keep happening…"
Alex tensed a little. There'd been no time to discuss if anything was going to keep happening.
"I guess we'll have to talk about that today…"
"Yeah, good idea." Michelle rose and Alex did the same. "See if you can actually get around to talking this time though…"
Alex smacked her hard on the arm and Michelle snickered as they stepped back into the hallway.
TOKYO, JAPAN
"Are you sure we can trust him?" Rick was pacing along the hotel corridor. They were back in Tokyo and Bill was really starting to get on his nerves now. Alex had left him, not the other way around. If he still wanted to interact with her that was his choice, not Bill's. If he wanted to sit with her and hold her hand while this doctor Chase had brought in looked her over that was his prerogative…
The first eight hours following her rescue she'd been passed along like a rag doll, alternating between Tony and Bill. Occasionally she would speak but mostly she was silent. During the chopper ride back to the airport in Dalian she'd been strapped into the seat diagonal from his, fighting off sleep as she rested her cut cheek against Bill's shoulder. Her eyes were bleary and unfocused but somehow in her state of delirium they'd still found him. They'd found him long enough to reach out a hand, wordlessly asking for his. He'd squeezed her frozen fingers, ignoring the look Bill shot him in response. She'd been shivering uncontrollably and looked so small curled in the seat with her legs at her chest. He ached to pull her against him and tell her it was all going to be okay; he would make it all okay.
And instead all he'd gotten so far was that minute to hold her when they'd first found her, her palm across his stomach as she got ready to shoot and a few brushes of her hand on the way back to the airport. Bill had wanted to stay the night in China but Jack insisted they were too vulnerable. They had to get back to Tokyo before Cheng's people found them. From there they could decided on their next course of action. Every time Rick tried to steal a second to say something to Alex Bill pulled her away, urging her to rest. On the plane back she tilted her head against the window in the row of seats in front of him. She wasn't sleeping though. From the back of her head he could tell she wasn't sleeping. Her shoulders were too tense and she barely moved.
He definitely hadn't liked when she'd stepped out into the airport in Tokyo and Chase had held her back, cupping her face in both hands and asking how she was doing. Bill didn't seem too bothered by that... Alex had patted his hand lightly and told him hoarsely she was fine before following Bill to the exit.
Rick flinched, knowing she'd kill him for even thinking it; for thinking about how he was supposed to be the one who got to carry her, not Chase; he was supposed to be the one to cradle her against him, not Tony or Bill; and he was supposed to be the one who protected her, not the one everyone was afraid was going to make the whole thing worse for her. No matter what had happened between them the fact of the matter was he wasn't there because his brother had asked him to be, or because he was the only one of them to have successfully pulled something like this off before…he was there for her.
So here they were: Chase wandering aimlessly with a phone pressed against his ear, Rick himself unable to stand still, Jack and Bill were inside the room with Alex and Tony and Michelle slumped in the corner of the hallway with tangled limbs. If Bill hadn't left Alex's side since her rescue, Tony certainly hadn't left his wife's. His fingers laced through hers more often than usual and several times during the flight Rick had caught one of them stealing a kiss from the other when no one was paying attention.
Michelle pressed closer to Tony, pillowing her head against his chest and letting her eyes close. He kissed her hair. She was exhausted, they all were. Abruptly, he tugged gently on her curls with a soft 'hey', angling her face towards his.
"You okay?"
She smiled reassuringly and palmed his cheek. He'd asked her that at least ten times since they'd got on the chopper and she was surprised to find she didn't even feel a little bit irritated by it. Maybe because when all was said and done she'd been just as worried about him as he was about her, Michelle was more than glad to humor his incessant need for reassurance, kissing him softly and snuggling closer.
A few seconds later the door to the room swung open and Jack emerged. Everyone spun around, Chase closed his phone without an instant's hesitation and Rick froze to the ground, staring impatiently.
"She seems okay." Jack breathed in relief. "She's coherent; she's aware of who everyone is. Her memory about everything that happened before her capture is intact, and she can name most of the people who were interrogating her and what exactly they were doing…"
"What about…?"
"She's hypothermic. A few ribs are cracked." Jack bit his lip. "She's in pain, but she's better off than we could have hoped for…so far anyway."
He paused for an instant just as Bill appeared at the entrance, the doctor slipping past them and quietly clasping hands with Jack and then Chase before heading to the elevator. Bill looked livid; his fists were clenched, his eyes were blazing and his jaw was tight. He looked the closest Bill would ever look to punching a hole in the wall. At first it wasn't readily apparent whom the new wave of animosity was directed at, but his angry eyes met Tony's for a brief moment before turning to Rick. Rick frowned a little, forgetting his own indignation. What had Tony done?
"She needs help getting cleaned up." Jack interrupted calmly, looking to Michelle. It took her a second to process what was being asked of her before she jumped to her feet.
"Sure. Of course…" she squeezed Tony's hand as she pulled away.
Jack pulled her into the room and out of earshot. The lights were dim and his voice was low in her ear.
"The doctor said it's fine to put her in the shower but don't have the water too hot. Make sure the burns get cleaned out and then use the balm on the night table. I'm going to try and get her some food that she can keep down. Okay?"
Michelle started to wonder what exactly she was going to see. Jack didn't exactly have a weak stomach and even he looked a little unnerved.
"I'll let you know when I'm done."
"Thanks, Michelle."
Alex sat on the bed, wearing a way-too-big t-shirt with her fingers curled tightly against the comforter. Her hair was matted and stringy and there was mud crusting in it. Her shoulders were hunched and her eyes stayed on the floor as Michelle entered the room.
"Hey…" Michelle smoothed her hair back gently as she sat on the bed. Alex started, but relaxed when she saw who it was.
"Hey." Her words were thick and she hacked a cough to clear her throat, shivering and curling her arms around herself.
"C'mon…" Michelle held out a hand. "You're freezing. Let's get you in the shower."
Alex stuck out some fingers, feeling the temperature of the water and shaking her head. "Cooler than that," she insisted to Michelle, who obliged. Her stomach tightened when Alex moved to shrug her shirt over her head, wincing in pain as she did.
"Here…stick your arms up a little…" Michelle swiftly pulled the t-shirt and gasped. There were large slashes everywhere across Alex's front – her collar, between her breasts, her stomach – some had started healing but some looked fresh, still crusted with blood. One side of her ribcage was swelling purple and her legs were covered in bruises. Alex didn't seem phased by her reaction, reaching for a hand towel as Michelle moved efficiently to discard her of her underwear.
For the first time since her rescue Alex's eyes filled with something other than emptiness as she turned naked to face the shower. Twisting the towel between her fingers, she bunched it into a ball.
"What's that for?" Michelle queried gently. Alex bit her lip.
"I think this is gonna hurt a bit." She said quietly. Michelle's brow furrowed until she saw Alex's back and swallowed the vomit that leapt into her mouth. The entire thing was covered with burns. Some were scabbing over and some were oozing pus and one was red and puffy.
"They're infected." Alex explained immediately, her words stilted. It seemed laborious for her to try and talk. "The doctor wrote me a prescription for antibiotics and the cream's supposed to help. And I'm getting some painkillers so…"
She tensed, her limbs quivering a little as she stepped into the stall. "But I need to clean them out first." She bit down hard on the balled towel, letting her front get a little damp before turning around and backing into the stream slowly.
The scream that escaped Alex's lips, even muffled by the towel, was almost animalistic. Her whole body started shaking and her limbs threatened to give way as one hand jutted out in front of her to steady herself against the wall. Her eyes watered and tears started to fall down her cheeks as she struggled to stay upright. Michelle reacted instinctively a second before she fell, stepping into the shower stall and using her own body weight to steady Alex.
Alex's head dropped to Michelle's now-wet shirt and she sobbed in agony against her shoulder, body still shaking as Michelle's arms moved to find some part of her they could hold onto with causing her anymore pain than she was already in.
Eventually the convulsions stopped and the sobs died down and Alex lifted her head a little. Michelle wiped her cheeks quickly with the pads of her thumbs.
"Okay…" Alex panted. "Okay…I'm okay…"
Michelle stuck her hand out and found another hand towel, wetting it under the stream and urging Alex to turn around so she could see her back. Alex steadied herself against the opposite wall, letting her hair get soaked. The water in the drain ran brown for a minute before Michelle went to work, dabbing at the burns and scabs. Alex nodded a little, tensing under Michelle's gentle ministrations but doing nothing more than whimpering a few times as it continued. Eventually Michelle was satisfied and she reached for the shampoo and conditioner, doing her best to wash and then smooth out some of the knots in her hair.
Finally Michelle killed the water, stepping out onto the bathmat first in her dripping clothes and wrapping a towel around Alex.
"Go sit down." She told her gently, touching her cheek. "I'm just gonna put on some dry clothes and grab a few things. Everyone else is outside. You'll be okay?"
Alex nodded weakly, looking like the shower had taken a lot out of her.
Everyone stared at Michelle when she emerged, but she shook her head to stop them from asking questions, taking the key for their room from Tony and disappearing down the hall. She returned to Alex a few minutes later with a comb and a toothbrush. She ignored the looks again as she ducked back into the room.
It was half an hour before Alex even looked remotely human again. The balm the doctor had given her seemed to ease her pain a little. Her slightly damp hair didn't look as deadened and lackluster as it had before the shower and she'd pulled on the sweatshirt Rick had given her initially, along with a pair of sweats Michelle had grabbed her before finally crawling between the clean sheets.
Her teeth chattered as she settled back, unable to get warm.
"What do you want me to do?" Michelle asked gently, stroking her hair.
"I can't get warm and I can't sleep." She sniffled. Michelle sighed.
"I know, honey…try and relax a little though."
"Where's Rick?"
Michelle bit her lip. "Outside…do you want me to - ?"
"He's not supposed to be here." She whimpered softly. "Why is he…?"
"He was worried about you, Alex. Everyone was. He wanted to help."
"None of you should be here." She tried to press her face into the pillow but couldn't bend that way. "He's not supposed to want to help me…"
Michelle shifted on the mattress and pulled Alex against her.
"Do you want me to go get him…"
"Ye…wait no, no…" Alex pressed her face into Michelle now. "I'm fine. I can't do that…" she buried her face into Michelle's sweater. "Besides, Bill knows I was pregnant now…he'd go nuts…"
"Okay…okay…" Michelle quietly shushed her, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. "We'll just stay like this for a while, alright?"
Alex nodded, a few hot tears falling against Michelle's shirt.
"Thanks."
Michelle had been inside with Alex for over an hour when Jack returned. He disappeared into the room for only a moment before coming to stand in front of them all, arms folded across his chest.
"Michelle's gonna stay in there until morning…it doesn't look like Alex is going to sleep much but just in case…Tony…" he inclined his head in the direction of the room.
Tony nodded, half-dead on his feet and disappeared inside.
"Chase, I need you to make flight arrangements."
Chase hesitated but nodded, disappearing down the hall. Jack turned to Bill and Rick.
"I'm gonna stay out here and keep watch. You guys should try and rest a bit. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."
"I'm fine here." Rick insisted.
"I don't think you are…" Bill muttered.
"If you've got something to say Bill, say it…because I'm gonna be here until this is done whether you think it's a good idea or not!" Rick snapped.
"That the fact that you can't pay attention to anything but yourself is enough!"
"What the hell does that mean - !?"
"Enough." Jack growled. "We need everyone to get through this, so if you need to get something out in the open get it out now. Understood?"
Rick stared at Bill expectantly who lowered his eyes to the ground.
"No. There's nothing."
"Good. Now the both of you go get some rest. She's fine where she is and if anything changes we'll let you know."
Rick glared at Bill for a few more seconds before rising to his feet and storming off. Bill sighed tiredly before following.
"He…he doesn't know anything right?" It was just past three and despite Alex's obvious exhaustion her eyes hadn't closed once. Tony sat on the bed opposite them fighting sleep as Alex shifted a little against Michelle, apologizing again softly for being a nuisance. Michelle brushed off Alex's grumblings with her usual patience of a saint and resumed softly sifting through the young woman's hair the same way she did his when she was trying to calm him down.
"He doesn't know." Tony assured Alex, listening to her teeth chatter. Even with their combined body heat both women looked chilled underneath the thin blankets and heavy air conditioning. Michelle kept dozing in and out of consciousness and he kept trying to insist she trade places with him and catch a few hours but she was staying where she was. Tony leaned back against the headboard, knowing he wouldn't sleep either.
Jack's eyes snapped open and he was on his feet before Rick was even halfway down the hall. He stepped in front of the door and Rick sighed.
"What's up?"
Rick glanced around quickly, running his tongue over his lips.
"I just want five minutes with her, Jack." He said softly, earnestly. "Alright?" he started to push past him but Jack didn't move. Rick sighed again impatiently.
"Look…I know you're holding out on me – you and Tony and Bill – and whatever it is I'm gonna find out eventually but right now…I'm taking five minutes with her. Bill's been with her all day…Tony's with her now…hell, even Chase has seen more of her than me. I get five minutes." His voice changed suddenly, as if daring Jack to try and stop him.
"She can't be upset right now."
"Christ Jack, I'm not an idiot. I'm not going to jump down her throat when she can barely hold herself up so either let me in now or…"
Jack didn't look like he going to budge.
"I just…" the animosity disappeared and he inclined his head down towards Jack's ear.
"I just wanna see her, Jack." He spoke softly. Jack's jaw shifted but he nodded.
"Yeah, okay."
Tony looked up at the door when it opened.
"Hey."
"Hey…" Rick glanced at the bed holding Alex and Michelle, his heart clenching a little.
"How's she doin'?"
"I think the pills are helping." Michelle told him breathily.
He moved around the bed warily, afraid of what he'd see, afraid of what they'd done to her and afraid he wouldn't be able to…He heard about Audrey, he saw Jack's face every time he thought about Audrey; she was barely functioning eighteen months after her release...
Alex would be okay. She had to be. He'd trained Alex for this and he had to believe that he would be able to get her through it. Her eyes snapped open as soon as he leaned his arm against the bed, crouching beside it and watching her blotchy eyes focus on him.
"Hey Al…" he reached out a hand to touch her fingers. She tensed noticeably but didn't pull away, her gaze locked on him.
"Hi."
"How ya feeling?"
She yawned a little. "Been better."
He reached out tentatively to brush his thumb across her cheek.
"You look tired."
"So do you…" she gasped suddenly, her hand moving to her side and her brow creasing. Her eyes squinted shut as he jumped back to his feet, leaning over her as Michelle eased her back onto the mattress and a moan escaped Alex's lips.
"I'm okay." She choked out, eyes opening again as the pain subsided. "I'm…"
She exhaled softly but tensed again when he leaned over her, sliding a hand into her hair and lifting her face close to his, searching her carefully.
"You should go." She blurted out suddenly, watching his expression change.
"I mean I'm…I'll be okay. You look tired too." Her head had twisted in the direction of Tony's bed so she wasn't looking at him anymore. What he could see of her skin was covered with goose bumps. Feeling wounded he pulled away, running his hand down her arm one more time.
"Yeah…whatever you want."
On his way out the door he called softly to Tony:
"Get her an extra blanket, will you? She's freezing."
The airport was busy. It was just before seven the next morning and they'd already checked in for their flight. Security had been a breeze as a result of their lack of luggage; Jack had somehow retrieved her 'Lexi Harrison' passport and now they simply had to wait for their flight to be called. Rick and Jack had disappeared to check to the gates for anyone suspicious looking but so far it seemed as if Cheng's people hadn't caught up to them.
Already Alex seemed better. She was walking (albeit slowly and very stiffly) and some of the color had returned to her cheeks. Her eyes were still puffy (she'd barely slept even curled up against Michelle) and her whole body still felt frozen but it was better than yesterday. The pain was manageable now.
Michelle sat across from her looking tired too. Alex felt bad. No one had slept much the previous night from the looks of it, but Michelle had been the one she'd whimpered against every time her eyes closed and the one she'd practically attacked when Michelle ran a hand unconsciously down her injured back and sent waves of pain through her. Alex had started out of her light sleep and pinned Michelle beneath her without any thoughts of pain or exhaustion and it wasn't until Tony actually pulled her off that Alex realized what she had done. The adrenaline faded instantly and suddenly she was back in a ball on the other side of the bed, biting back tears and whispering about a thousand apologies as everything came back. In her dazed state she'd heard Tony and Michelle arguing quietly about the sleeping arrangements. In the end Michelle won because a few seconds later Alex was being eased back into her embrace while Michelle quietly soothed her shaking form and told her it was fine. She wasn't hurt, just startled. Or so she claimed.
Now Chase sat with Alex, fingers sliding through her hair occasionally. She felt more relaxed with him. She'd been so on edge the previous night and the fact of the matter was even in her exhausted state she still could have done a lot worse to Michelle had Tony not been there to stop her. Chase she couldn't hurt as easily – for one thing they weren't in a bed and for another Chase had about four inches and sixty pounds on her at this point.
"You look tired," he commented easily. "Sleep on the plane."
"I'm fine."
He snorted. "Whatever you say, Al."
Suddenly his fingers dropped to the back of her neck and she groaned a little as he manipulated her tense muscles gently. His caresses grew a little firmer as she loosened a bit and her head fell forward.
"You can sleep when we get back to the apartment then."
"It's too cold to sleep." She shuddered as his thumb dug into the back of her shoulder.
"Well if you really want me to come cuddle with you I think that can be arranged…" he teased, getting a soft laugh from her. She sighed contentedly and leaned back against him as he removed his hand.
"I told you you'd want to come back to London with me when this was all over…" he nudged her again. "But I'm afraid of getting my head ripped off so you might have to cover me when we tell him that…"
"Chase…" she warned softly.
"I'm kidding." He told her flatly. "You know I'm kidding. He's just been in a bad mood since you kicked him out of your room last night."
"How'd you - ?"
"I know everything."
She elbowed him gently, laughing again.
"He's not supposed to be here." She bit her lip hard. "He's not supposed to want to be here. He's supposed to hate me."
"Well I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that's not the case… It's pretty obvious he doesn't hate you, Al."
"He should."
"He doesn't."
"I can't go back home, Chase." She lowered her voice and hissed. "And he can't know why. He can't know what I did and he can't know why I can't go back so he can't still…"
Chase's brow creased.
"So what? You're just gonna let him think you left because you got freaked out about everything and didn't love him…"
"He can't be involved in this. None of you should be involved of this but him at least I can still…"
Chase shook his head.
"How about for a change you just let someone protect you?"
Her eyes flashed for the first time since they'd pulled her out and she stared him down for a second.
"You want to protect me Chase?"
"I want you to get better."
"Maybe I never will…" she snarled. "You can't fix me, Chase - "
The clearing of Tony's throat interrupted them and they both started. Alex flushed red at the look Tony was giving her.
"Hey…" he handed her a Styrofoam cup from the tray he was holding. "Thought you could use this."
"Thanks." She accepted it gratefully, taking a sip of the coffee and willing it to warm her from the inside out. Chase accepted his own with a grumbled thanks, but Tony hadn't taken his eyes off Alex.
"Plane starts boarding in twenty. Rick and Jack just finished their sweep. Looks clean."
"Thanks."
Tony glanced between them a final time and nodded.
"Yeah. Sure."
LONDON, ENGLAND
It was late when they finally arrived at Heathrow. Quickly they hailed two cabs and Chase gave the address to his apartment, Alex getting sandwiched between Bill and Jack in the backseat of one while he slid in beside the driver. He made a lame joke about being in the "blondie car" and Alex laughed a little, sitting too rigidly in the middle. On the plane she'd been seated between him and Bill and instead of sleeping she'd ending up talking to him quietly for most of the ride. He was glad she was talking, sounding significantly better with each passing hour. She laughed easier too and it sounded more like her when she did. There was less hoarseness to her voice and it was a light flit instead of a heavy cough of amusement.
Rick hadn't seemed too happy with the seating arrangements and Chase caught him staring at them more than once. He especially didn't look happy when Chase's hand had brushed some hair out of her eyes. In a way it was kind of amusing; he hadn't spent much time with Rick but enough to know that there was always another girl and whoever he was with was always replaceable. Seeing him getting miffed was a little entertaining.
But it was also only too clear who Alex was fighting to stop herself from reaching for every time he came within arm's length and who she wanted to be pressed up against in the cab right now. It was exhausting just watching her fight against every basic instinct she had to keep him from finding out what she was hiding and in a way Chase thought it might be easier to just clear the air completely. Tell Rick about the pregnancy and the confession and what had happened between them in London and then she could just see what would happen.
Chase missed the way Bill frowned when he reached back in the middle of the cab ride to squeeze Alex's knee, his face serious as he studied hers. Jack's look was hard to miss though. Chase had a feeling he would hear about this later.
They huddled together in the hallway of Chase's apartment as he stepped inside and flicked on the lights. They all moved slowly from exhaustion as Chase dropped his keys on the hall table and led the way to the living room. When Alex brushed past him to sit on the couch he caught her eyes, grinning a little and brushing his fingertips along her arm as she slumped down in a ball. She tired so easily now.
Rubbing the back of his head, Chase glanced around at the small space.
"Alright uh…" he bit his lip. "Angie's bed is good for you, right Al?"
Rick stared between them, the reasons for the easy familiarity starting to fall into place. So Alex had been in London before.
"Why don't uh…" he looked at Tony. "Why don't you guys take my bed?"
Tony nodded, stroking Michelle's hair and mumbling thanks. She needed a decent sleep.
"What about the rest of you?" Alex asked drowsily.
"We got sleeping bags and stuff. The couch pulls out. We'll figure it out…" He held out a hand to pull her to her feet.
"C'mon. I'll get you something to sleep in. You're going to bed."
No one said anything as Alex let Chase guide her out of the room.
Michelle was already in bed, curled up in a ball on her side and facing the wall. She shivered a little and sighed, cold from both the long plane ride and a lack of sleep. It was the first time he'd been alone with his wife since they'd pulled out Alex; the first time he'd really gotten a chance to hold her properly.
"Something's going on with Alex and Chase." He blurted out as he kicked off his jeans and tugged his sweatshirt over his head in one fluid motion. He heard Michelle sigh and shift a little beneath the sheets.
"She was in London for a while. Why can't they just be friends? Why does it have to be this big - ?"
"That's not how you look at your friends, Michelle." He growled half-heartedly, bending down to pull off his socks.
"She hasn't said anything to you?"
"No." Michelle breathed softly. "Nothing."
"Yeah well…I tried talking to Jack about it and he's not saying anything…"
"Just leave it, Tony. Now's not the time to worry about things like - "
"I worry about it when it starts compromising everybody here. If something happened and Rick finds out…that's the last thing we need right now. I'm trying to nip it in the bud. He's not an idiot."
"Tony…" she rolled around completely and reached out to cup his cheek. "Just let her be. She's exhausted, she's hurting, don't make problems for her right now, okay? I know what you're saying but the only person you're hurting if you dig any deeper into this is Alex. Right now no one's saying anything because everyone's just trying to keep her alive so until that changes…" she brushed her thumb over his skin. "Everyone's tired, just try and relax."
Tony rubbed the back of his neck and nodded. She was right. Pulling the covers over them he settled against Michelle, her back pressed to his front, and kissed the side of her neck.
"How're you doin'?"
She shrugged and he kissed her shoulder.
"I'm just tired. It'll be nice to sleep."
Nodding, he tightened his hold on her and found her mouth with his for a soft kiss, watching contentedly as Michelle dozed in his arms. He buried his face in her neck, willing himself to shut his eyes long enough to get a decent sleep.
Six inches of plaster and insulation between them, Alex bit on her lip, her whole body frozen again even beneath the warm duvet in the little pink room. She'd denied Bill's offer to stay with her at least until she fell asleep, not wanting him to see how bad it really was. He worried enough, he didn't need to worry she couldn't sleep at all because she was cold and scared and fighting every urge in her body to tiptoe across the hallway and into the living room, curl up in Rick's arms and beg him to make it all go away. Now, alone in the darkness, she could admit to herself that more than anything she just wanted him to hold her.
Alex, like Tony, spent the entire night willing herself to sleep…to no avail.