Title: Mass Effect Two Chapter Six
Author: DinkyMew and JagesPages
Game: Mass Effect (Two)
Disclaimer: Bioware own all content and characters related to the Mass Effect franchise. Abigail Shepard is my own creation inspired by the character of Jane Shepard created by Bioware. Any original characters contained herein are our own creations and are not necessarily affiliated with Bioware. **You may not copy, edit or distribute this fanfiction as it stands without my expressed permission – thank you**
Crow huffed a breath in annoyance when they entered Liara's office only to find her gone. There was no sign of any trouble, nor any indication that Liara had left in a hurry – but he should have known she wouldn't hold up her end of the deal; she had been shifty from the start. He bit back a curse at himself for not following his gut instincts and looked to JJ.
She raised a hand to silence him before he could vent. One of the screens was flickering strangely on Liara's desk and JJ frowned approaching it with mild trepidation. Bringing up her omni-tool JJ hacked into the system and when it asked for a password, she typed in 'Hobbs'.
Crow caught on and nodded his approval "Try Hobbins," he said when nothing happened.
JJ tried a by-pass, but the system threatened to shut down if she didn't enter the correct password. She typed 'HOBBINS' and a brief message appeared then the computer self-destructed.
"She wants us to meet her at the skycab stand in the southern section of the city." JJ led the way, taking the door just below the stairs leading to Liara's office. Crow followed reluctantly, he hated being messed around when his friend was depending on them. He curled his hands into fists as he thundered down the stairs after JJ, thoughts drifting back to the first time he had met Hobbs…
-X-O-X-
Gage Bahasa entered the fight club with his two brothers Liam and Sean. It was Liam's birthday and he had dragged them to this dingy place. Leave it to Liam to want to get busted up for his day instead of going out to dinner or triple dates or anything vaguely fun. Gage sat on a stool at the bar and watched the barflies, completely mystified as to why he hadn't been approached by any of them. Not that he went for barflies—they tended to be too hardened and only wanted one thing. Gage glared at Liam who was over near the juke box whooping and hollering and carrying on. To say his brother was drunk was an understatement. Sean, the youngest rolled his eyes and looked bored.
"When's the fighting start?" Sean asked Gage.
Gage shrugged. "First timer, so I don't know."
Sean had dark hair instead of blond like his two brothers. He was lean and wiry whereas they had the broad shoulders and build of their father. "Gage," he whined. "I wanna go."
"It's my birthday, boy-o!" Liam said boisterously.
"Nobody's doing any fighting," Sean said.
"The fighting starts after two am, after the bar closes," Liam supplied. "Hobbs is here tonight. And I here he's taking on all comers."
Gage slapped the bar sharply, rattling the shot glasses his brothers had been kicking back since they'd come in. "Liam, you idiot, you're a brawler not a fighter! He'll wipe the floor with you." Since Gage was the designated flier, he was stone cold sober.
"Yeah, but I need the credits, dammit, Gage!" Liam pouted like he used to when he was a kid.
It had no effect on Gage other than to irritate him. "If you think I'm letting you go in that ring…"
Sean looked interested as the crowd started to get restless and chant the name of the fighter that was coming through their midst.
"Hobbs! Hobbs! Hobbs!"
Removing his sleeveless hooded jacket Hobbs stepped into the ring as the crowd in the fight club went wild. The roar of their noise washed over his skin like rain and he kept his eyes carefully on the floor. There was nothing worse than believing your own hype before a fight – even if the fights were going to be easy.
He scanned the crowd, spotting Alethea at the back at her usual private table, the asari had promised him a hefty sum if he could best as many challengers as came forward – but by the looks of the crowd they were all human, so he wasn't concerned.
Pushing the gum shield into his mouth he moved to his corner, throwing his jacket over the ropes and waving to a gaggle of girls by the ringside, they clamoured for him but he quickly turned his back on them, now was a time he needed to be focused. Rolling the muscles in his shoulders he listened while the host announced the bouts, the crowd hushing to listen to the rules and the fighters.
He turned, frowning, scratching the side of his head as there were murmurs of excitement as a few men began to talk loudly, daring each other to get in the ring with him. He glanced back to the asari who was watching him like a hawk and he could almost feel the chain tighten around his neck.
"Hobbs!" He stopped, turning to where Shepard was climbing in through the ropes a bottle of water in her hands. She handed it to him and he took a drink, taking her elbow and leading her to the edge of the ring.
"You shouldn't be here." He called over the noise of the crowd "I told you Tempy, these fight clubs are not places for you."
She frowned at him "You need someone to tell you when you've had enough." She argued, slipping through the ropes and dropping by the ringside. He looked at her seriously, and then someone else climbed into the ring.
The man was large, even against Hobbs' height, and bald. Wild brown eyes looking Hobbs up and down openly and he cracked his knuckles, stepping to the middle of the ring where he made an obscene gesture.
Hobbs bit down on his gum shield, smiling darkly as he stepped toward the fighter. Without hesitating he launched into an attack, catching the man off guard in the first instance by not punching him, instead he launched a foot into his chest knocking him back. When he tried to regain his footing Hobbs was too fast, hitting him with a barrage of blows, ducking under the one punch he did manage to throw, round and bringing his fist down on the man's temple.
Dead weight hit the mat and he stepped back, barely even breaking a sweat as he moved back to his corner. Waiting.
Gage gasped at the ferocity and fleetingness of the fight. He grabbed Liam by the collar and started to pull him from the place. "You are not getting in the ring with him," Gage told him.
Liam swung a fist at his head and Gage ducked, but his brother shucked out of his jacket, headed for the ring. Gage tried to reach him but two men stepped in front of him. "He wants to fight, let him fight," one of them said.
"He's drunk out of his mind," Gage told them, spreading his hands, trying to reason with them.
Gage set his mouth in a grim line and tried to push past them, but the man who had spoken gave him a rough push in the chest. Sean appeared in the crowd, egging Liam on and Gage backed away from the two men. Served his fucking brother right, he thought, but he was worried.
"You can watch," the man who had pushed him said. Must be some kind of security or bouncer, Gage thought. "But no interference."
Gage made his way to the ring, trying to spot Liam. If he was lucky his stupid brother had already passed out from the alcohol. He stepped past some avid fans and stood next to a brunette, probably one of Hobbs' barflies or fans. They called them Fobbs. He rolled his eyes at that and he searched the crowd for Liam and Sean.
He finally saw Liam on the other side of the ring, trying to climb through the ropes but he was tangled up in them and he fell on the mat with a resounding thud and the crowd rippled with laughter. Gage closed his eyes a moment. Poking fun at Liam would only piss him off.
"Dammit," he said softly as he saw Hobbs turn from contemplating the floor to Liam who was smarting off to him.
Hobbs watched as the man swayed toward him, sighing heavily as he held up a hand waving at him to stop "I don't fight drunk." He said firmly "Go get yourself another drink, we'll do this another day."
The man slurred something at him that he couldn't hear and he shook his head again "Come on mate, you need to step out of the ring." He said evenly reaching for the man's shoulder. The man swung for him and he moved out of the way letting him stagger forward off his own momentum, the crowd laughing and Hobbs grimaced. When he moved to hit him again Hobbs caught his wrist, twisting the man's elbow roughly as he walked him to the ring edge, turned him and kicked his backside hard enough that he fell into the ropes hard enough to take him over them, landing on the floor outside the ring.
His gaze ticked to Shepard who was already moving toward the man; that caring nature once again getting the better of her and then he looked back to the asari who was glaring at him. He had lost his pay already, but there was nothing worth beating a man who was helpless to begin with and he wasn't about to sacrifice his integrity for credits.
Crow watched with gratitude as Hobbs showed his brother mercy he didn't really deserve. Liam was a mean drunk at times and Gage knew it had been a bad idea to come here. He started to go to his brother who was already climbing to his feet when movement caught his eye and he whirled, an unbelieving expression on his face as Sean climbed on top of the ropes, stood up and launched himself at Hobbs.
"Shit!" Gage started forward and ran into the two bozos who had stopped him before.
Sean flew through the air and landed on Hobbs' shoulders, grabbing two handfuls of his hair. Gage watched in horror.
"Nobody does that to me brother!"
Hobbs tucked in his shoulders, throwing the man over his head, his fingers twisting to the point he was forced to let go of his hair as his back slammed into the mat. He backed up, readying against the fighter but he looked drunk too.
Shaking his head, he grabbed him by the shirt hauling him to his feet "You heard the rules." He said showing him toward the ropes "No drunks." He looked at him carefully, he looked too young to be in a fight club and he gave him a smile "Drinks on me, go get yourself one at the bar and stay out of the way."
Gage stepped to the ropes, reached through and seized Sean by one arm, hauling him out of the ring, pulling him away. "Are you a fucking idiot?!" he raged at his younger brother. He looked over his shoulder and gave Hobbs a look that the fighter acknowledged with a single nod, blue-green eyes meeting his for a moment, then it was back to business.
Gage shook Sean by the shoulders until his bleary eyes focused. He sat him on a bar stool. "You stay here. I gotta find Liam."
"Found him!" Sean quipped, pointing.
Gage could not believe it when he saw, not only was Liam climbing back into the ring, but he was holding a beer bottle in his hand. A broken beer bottle…
Hobbs turned facing off against the man he had kicked out of the ring earlier and removed his gum shield as his eyes narrowed on the bottle gripped in his hand. He pointed a finger at him.
"Be very sure you can live with the consequences mate." He said carefully, the words drowned out by the roar of the club. The place was beginning to get out of control, the drunks at the back already starting a fight and he glanced over the crowd looking for Abigail as the man with the bottle rushed him. He moved out of the way letting the man stagger a bit as he moved to the other side of the rind looking for her but he couldn't see her amongst the rowdy crowd. Someone upturned a table and he caught his breath, it was fast getting out of hand.
The man came back at him, a sharp pain telling him he had to move again as the broken bottle slashed over his lower back. He turned, cocked his head to one side, drew back a fist and punched the man once the momentum of the hit knocking him out cold as he dropped to the mat.
The sound of screaming filled the club and Hobbs crossed to where his hooded jacket was, wincing at the sting on his back as he pulled it on quickly.
"Abby!" He shouted, he frowned, turning back to the unconscious man dragging him to the edge of the ring out of harm's way before he ducked under the ropes and into the fray of the real fight.
Gage watched from a distance, seeing the restraint Hobbs dealt his brother. He really owed the man a debt. Suddenly, the place was erupting in mayhem and madness as the drunks in the back started their own fight club. He saw the brunette being manhandled by a burly guy and he stopped his progress to gather his erring brother.
He moved, taking the man's elbow and twisting it behind his back, at the same time, striking him a solid blow to the knees with a side kick. The brunette started to fall as the man released her and Gage made a dive for her, catching her, tucking in to protect her, swinging her up so when they hit the floor she had him for a cushion.
Hobbs saw Shepard hit the floor with the blonde guy he had seen earlier and moved, shoving drunks out of the way. He dodged a hit, spinning the man and pushing him roughly in the back as he reached the couple still lying on the floor. The blonde was curled around her, protecting her from being trampled and Hobbs stooped catching her hand as he hauled her to her feet roughly. He waited, meeting the man's gaze levelly.
"You might want to get off the floor." He said "This place is getting a bit too rough."
"Ya think?" Gage climbed to his feet, glancing down at the grime on his favourite tee shirt. It was white with the sleeves cut off with a flying crow embossed across the chest and the words, "As the crow flies…"printed underneath. He turned to the brunette. "You okay?"
She nodded and Gage met Hobbs' gaze, then his eyes widened. "Look out!" he warned as somebody came at them with a pool cue.
Hobbs caught Shepard, moving her forward with him as he took the brunt of the cue on his back but before he could respond she stepped in releasing a pulse of biotic energy that swept everyone backwards. He smiled as she slapped his hand and together they moved back to back, defending each other.
"Where did he go?" Shepard shouted, ducking a hit and bringing her attacker to the floor with a succession of middle mass hits and a knee to the groin.
"I have no idea." Hobbs said, his eyes scanning the crowd "We need to get out of here."
"No shit!" Shepard grinned.
Hobbs spotted the blonde a few steps ahead of them, saw him take some hits and fall under the crowd once more.
Gage grabbed a couple of guys by their heads and crashed them together. They fell bonelessly to the floor. He looked for Sean. Liam was still out cold in the ring, probably the safest person in the place. Gage ducked when someone wielding a bat swung at his head. It missed his head but connected solidly with his shoulder and he heard it pop out of the socket. He yelped, ducked into a football stance and charged the guy, ramming into him with his good shoulder. His momentum took him and his attacker down and it was dogpile on Gage in that moment. He tried to fend off the kicks and punches to no avail.
Through the crowd Hobbs punched through the group, grabbing the blonde by his shirt as he lifted him across his shoulders.
"He's bleeding." Shepard said and Hobbs pointed to the exit. She nodded her understanding and began to weave through the drunks toward the door. He held his breath, watching her but she gave as good as she took and as they clattered out onto the street she unleashed a string of curse words that had him laughing as he carried the man to the nearest wooden bench. He deposited him on the seat, bending forward to press his hands to his knees and catch his breath.
Shepard stepped in, lifting his head gently as she examined the cut over his eye. She stepped on his foot and winced "Sorry."
"S'okay," Gage said softly, then his blue eyes focused and he lurched up. "I gotta go back in there!"
Hobbs pushed him back down. "Not with that shoulder like that, mate."
Gage yelped. "But my brothers are in there!"
Hobbs took a slow breath "Your brothers." He said unhappily and looked at Shepard who smiled at him, she knew the look all too well "Of course they are." He said tiredly. "Let me get your shoulder back in at least, then I'll go back in for them."
Shepard slapped his hand off Crow's shoulder as he reached for him "Wait." She said quickly "Let me check nothing is torn."
Hobbs folded his arms, drawing the hood of his sleeveless jacket up over his head as he watched her move the man's arm this way and that. He looked him over, he didn't look like a fighter, he didn't seem to have the stature of someone even used to fighting. Gage winced as Shepard moved his arm and Hobbs smiled, poking a toothpick into his mouth.
"What's with the Crow?" He asked, his eyes falling on the t-shirt the man was wearing.
Gage looked confused for a moment and then he looked down. "Oh, this? I got my pilot's license on Eden Prime and the guys in Eagle Squad were razzing me because I lived on a farm so they called me Crow Squad of One and I went out and had this t-shirt made." He laughed. "Sounds kinda stupid when you say it out loud." He met Hobbs eyes and braced. "Go ahead and put it back in, man."
Hobbs looked at the T-shirt, looked at the man's face. His own dad had been a pilot in the Alliance a long time ago; he used to tell them tall tales of his adventures and the wars between the binges he would have, between the violent rages and the abusive, alcoholic slurs. But there was something that bothered him about this guy – he looked like Foster. He looked like his brother, only broader, taller. The same blonde hair and blue eyes – damn he looked almost exactly like that photo.
Shastri had secured a photo of Foster taken on Tuchanka less than a week ago – but of course he wasn't there anymore and Hobbs had been left chewing on that frustration. But he had seen him, he was alive and that gave him fresh hope. He looked at the man and smiled, pushing the toothpick to the other side of his mouth with his tongue as he looked to Shepard for permission.
"Go ahead." She said, pressing a hand to him as he stepped forward "Gently. Hobbs."
He snorted, grabbing the man's fingers, planting his foot on the seat of the bench as he looked at him seriously, the hood of his jacket casting his face in shadow. "One," He said firmly "Two." And before he reached three he pulled out and down, the ball socket sliding back into place.
Shepard moved to the stranger's side, rubbing the shoulder gently as she nodded "All in." She smiled and Hobbs scratched his head looking back to the club.
"Alright." He sighed "I'll be back in a minute."
Shepard watched as he turned back toward the club "You want me to help?"
He shook his head "No, stay out here with Crow."
Gage staggered to his feet again, feeling something wash over him when Hobbs called him Crow—somehow the nickname fit, as if something between the two men was born with just the utterance. "Wait! Don't you wanna know what they look like?"
Hobbs turned, throwing his arms wide as he walked backwards not breaking his stride "The two blonde idiots that got into the ring right?" He called back and then tapped a finger to his temple "Never forget an idiot."
"Yeah, well, I appreciate what you did for those idiots," Crow said, grinning.
It didn't take long before Hobbs emerged with two guys on either side. The one on the left was limping, holding his ribs, his nose bleeding freely as he lifted his head to look at his brother. The one to the right had a nasty bruise forming at the side of his head and he looked around him confused momentarily.
Hobbs walked them both to the bench and sat them down next to Crow, he glanced to Shepard who was standing with her hands in the pockets of her jeans chewing on her lip. "We should get them to a hospital." She suggested quietly "That one definitely has a concussion, can tell by looking at him."
Hobbs made a face "Well, that's what you get for bringing a bottle to a fight." He said evenly but nevertheless stood back so Shepard could step in. She knelt in front of him so she could look up at his face, pressing fingers to the side of his head.
"What's your name?" She asked slowly and he blinked at her – his nose wasn't bleeding which she found curious – a blow that hard should have caused him a nosebleed at least. Lack of blood gave her a clear indication that the nose was broken, the bone slanted in such a direction it was collecting blood inside. That in itself was dangerous, a clot could be a nasty thing to deal with.
"Liam." He mumbled, his lips swollen and she nodded taking his hand and checking his pulse.
"We're going to get you to the hospital Liam." She said slow and loud "I think your nose is broken and you are going to be suffering from a concussion." She glanced to Crow "Don't let him fall asleep until he's at the hospital." She moved to the next blonde, he looked younger and unlike his brother his nose was bleeding, his shirt dotted with red.
She pressed fingers to the bridge of his nose. "Tip your head forward." She said gently "And pinch here and here."
"Are you like… Hobbs' doctor?" Crow asked and Hobbs laughed, had he not heard it though Crow wouldn't believe the man capable, his face cast in shadow from the hood of his jacket.
"No." Hobbs informed him "She's…" He cleared his throat, not sure how to complete that sentence and although Shepard continued to work over the second brother he could see she was also listening with anticipation to hear where he classed her "She's… my best friend." He finished lamely reaching a hand inside his hood to scratch the side of his head.
"I didn't think you had friends." Crow smiled "You have quite a rep."
Shepard laughed softly, shaking her head as she gently removed the Sean's fingers from his nose. The bleeding had stopped.
Liam looked up fuzzily at Crow. "Gage, did I win then?"
Crow rolled his eyes. "No, you stupid jerk. You went after him with a broken beer bottle. You got off lucky you ask me."
Liam's blue eyes narrowed and his thick brows drew together. "You'll not be talking to me like that."
Two sets of blue eyes clashed. "Drop this right now, Liam, or I'll tell Da."
Crow's statement had a sobering effect on the older brother. "You wouldn't do that."
"Don't test me."
Sean gazed up at his quarrelling brothers and sighed. "This was a fookin' mistake, Liam. Don't ya be picking on Gage, or I'll be telling Da, too." He groaned and looked piteously at Shepard.
"Can you walk?" She asked Sean and he nodded slowly "We're going to get you both to the hospital. It's not far from here, luckily."
She stepped back letting Hobbs move in once more as he helped Liam to his feet, swinging one arm over his shoulder as he braced the man's waist carefully and they began to walk slowly in the direction of the hospital.
-X-O-X-
When they arrived at the cab-port, there was no sign of Liara, but there was a cab and an address popped up on JJ's omni-tool, so they took the cab to Liara's apartment. It was in the more affluent side of the city, the neon lights and skyscrapers whizzing past the cab window as Crow watched the skyline glumly. They were running out of time. He had hoped an old acquaintance of Abby's would be more willing to help – but she seemed to want them to jump through her hoops and he hated that.
The cab slowed outside an apartment block, the place was a hive of activity with police vehicles and officers – a medical crew were standing by a ambulance and he grimaced. Two guesses who this was about.
"Uh-oh," Crow muttered as he stepped out of the cab. There was police holo tape everywhere, but Crow flashed his credentials and they were allowed to go inside the apartment reluctantly. Alliance spec ops were tolerated on Illium, but he had to be careful not to push too far with them.
JJ talked to one of the cops who was investigating and returned to her partner who was examining the bullet holes in the windows. "Sniper." He said, his voice full of dread. They needed Liara if they had any hope of finding Hobbs. They had been chasing him two years and now were so close…
"There was an assassination attempt," JJ told him in a low voice after talking to an asari cop.
Another asari with rich purple-blue tinged skin came down a winding staircase. She was dressed in armour that was altogether different than that of the officers but Crow recognised the Spectre symbol emblazoned on the left breast of the suit. He had seen that symbol back when Shepard had been made a Spectre – he still found it hard to believe that she was the same girl he had known all those years ago.
"Officers, you are dismissed." The Spectre said with an air of authority that sank over the room like a dark mist. She was obviously used to getting her own way and not having to push too hard to get it either. Crow ground his teeth looking to JJ to take the lead again with the talking – if he opened his mouth he knew he would regret it.
The turian and asari investigators were disgruntled, but they left without saying much.
"Tela Vasir," she said in a velvety voice. "You want to tell me just what Alliance operatives are doing here?"
JJ shifted her weight to the right, popping a hand on her hip as she held up a hand warding off the attitude smoothly "We have council clearance to be here." She said firmly "We're here investigating the disappearance of an Alliance Operative on Omega – Liara T'soni has information vital to his recovery and we were supposed to meet her." She moved her shoulders confidently "You can check our clearance with the fifth fleet or the council – whoever you prefer."
Vasir's mouth curled into a sneer as she looked the woman up and down, she turned her eyes to Crow and he tensed, his hands curling to fists at his sides. "Then we want the same thing." She said cooly "To find Liara T'soni. I suggest we start working together."
Crow inclined his head, glancing to JJ and they exchanged a worried look before she cleared her throat "We can work together in finding her." She said firmly "But that is where our association with you should end. This is Alliance business, Vasir, and the Operative is our main concern."
Vasir nodded her agreement, fingers trailing loosely along the window to where the bullet holes sat. "Looks like T'soni got away. The sniper wasn't expecting her biotic barrier. Clever girl."
Crow never volunteered information, especially to someone he didn't know. JJ pulled Crow to the side. "She left us information in her office how to get here, and she knew we would come by. Maybe she left another clue." Her eyes looked at him imploringly and he nodded slowly, it would make sense, Liara – for all her mysteriousness didn't seem the type to leave them high and dry. Under it all she did seem to have a genuine interest in Hobbs' wellbeing.
He nodded and went upstairs while JJ poked around the first floor, never taking her eyes off Vasir. The Spectre had a vibe about her JJ didn't trust.
Crow returned with a photo of the Normandy. "It changed when I touched it."
He showed JJ and Vasir the holo of a place he didn't recognize. It was a photograph of a ruin, vastly overgrown by shrubbery and vines, stone statues poked out of the overgrowth like white bones, the skyline, visible only in cracks and patches was a burned orange colour.
"Ilos!" JJ said, recognizing it from one of Hobbs' debriefing reports. "Maybe she left something on or near one of the Prothean relics she has in her collection." She gestured around the apartment to the glass cases that contained ancient relics.
After diligent searching, they found a hidden disk, placed it in Liara's private terminal and saw a salarian talking nervously to Liara who could not be seen.
"Sekat," she said evenly.
"I've narrowed it down to a cluster, maybe a system. How much trouble is this information going to get me in?"
Vasir nodded as if something was confirmed. "He works at Baria Frontiers in the Dracon Center. Let's head over."
-X—O—X—
Hobbs was beyond exhaustion.
Flexing his wrists against his restraints he closed his eyes to numbing darkness, but the voice would never let him go. Lilting, painfully sadistic it licked at his ears and chased his thoughts to places he didn't ever want to go back to. And worse, it wore a smile as it did it.
"This can be easy or hard." She said and he cracked an eye open, his sight washed red from the blood that was running into his eyes. She had her back to him, long brown hair tumbling down to her hips, but the hour glass figure was unmistakable as was the voice – soft and mischievous and hinting at everything they could be – but it was a lie.
He swallowed painfully. It's a lie, he told himself firmly Abigail's dead. You saw her, you carried her lifeless body and no amount of tears and screaming brought her back – it's not her.
It's not her.
The voice was his own, from a well of anger inside him that burned through the insanity that threatened but when she turned to look at him, steel blue eyes locking on his even that voice fell silent.
It's the asari, it whispered desperately it's not her.
"Who is it you see my little lamb." She purred, moving to his side and he bucked, trying to pull away, knowing if she laid those hands on him he wasn't going to be able to pull back from it this time "What has the great Operative Hobbins breaking at the seams." She grinned, leaning over him so he had nowhere else to look and so he closed his eyes, braced as she slapped his face, still he wouldn't open his eyes.
He felt her hands on his shoulders, Shepard's hands, warm and somehow incredibly soft still – that was always a curiosity of his, how soft her hands were when she was a soldier; the hours she would spend sitting in front of her console at the desk in her cabin rubbing hand lotion into her hands over and over. In his mind's eye he could see her, leaning back in the chair, her hair tumbling over the back rest like a chocolate waterfall, she was smiling, her mouth open as she laughed – the blue in her eyes like the surface of the ocean when the sun hit it just right -
So many people knew the soldier; but it was the woman he had loved.
The hands left him and he could breathe, but he wouldn't open his eyes, no matter what – a last ditch promise to himself as he tensed waiting for what would come next.
"Where is Commander Shepard's body Operative?" She said.
He swallowed sinking into that calm centre as he licked his lips, they were cracked and painful and it made him wince. He could stay quiet; he could wait. Hobbs was good at waiting. He had to refocus, he had to think of a way out – there had to be a way out.
It hit him like a freight train; the impact somehow cold and hot all at once, a million tiny knives of electricity shooting through every last shredded nerve in his body and he screamed – whether out loud or in his head he couldn't be sure, his eyes aching behind his lids until he was sure they would burst. His ribs spread in agony, the sensations running up and down his body like lightning rods, burning all thought from his head – and then just as quick it stopped.
The pain did not.
Shuddering out an aching breath he strained against the bars over his wrists, desperate to rub a hand over his chest where the electrodes were pressed to his skin. He gasped for breath, his chest felt constricted, bruises on top of bruises on top of bruises as he tried to remember what he was fighting for; where was the harm in telling them? Where was the harm in telling the shadow broker he had handed her to Cerberus, that he had been desperate, at his wits end – much like he was now – and had given her over without any kind of coaxing, bargaining, payment.
What could the shadow broker possibly do with that information? What could the broker change now? He would be lucky if Cerberus still had her body all this time later.
He could just give in couldn't he? Could just tell them and then there would be sweet release, there would be oblivion – timeless nothing and peace and maybe even if he was lucky…
"Do you think there is a heaven?"
"I don't know." He whispered, his ravaged thoughts somewhere between past and present as the the words left him soulless.
"I think there is. I have to believe we're more than bones and blood and nerves and impulses. I think what we have is something like heaven."
He swallowed, opening his eyes to slits, that bright white light still shining on him, his vision blurring – a tie-dye of blood and tears that burned down the sides of his face.
"I think my heaven would in your arms Hobbs."
"Where is Commander Shepard's body Operative?"
"I hope that is what it's like."
When the pain came again her hands were back, and her voice, soft in his ear this time but he couldn't make out what she was saying except that it was soothing, and her hands tugged him under waves as darkness sank in around him.
-X—O—X—
Shepard was tapping her foot in a crazy rhythm, wringing her hands in her lap as she watched the clock on the wall in the waiting room. Hobbs wanted to put his hand on her knee to still the motion, but he wasn't sure she would let him after the 'best friend' fiasco. He folded his arms, leaning forward on his knees as he looked at the grey, waxy floor instead.
She was his best friend, that hadn't been a lie. She was probably his only friend. The fact that they kissed every now and then wasn't a complication to that friendship –most of the time it was fuelled by emotions, or by the fact that whenever he looked at her he couldn't actually think of anything else he wanted to do except kiss her.
He took a breath sitting back in the seat "Tempy," He said quietly "Do you think tomorrow I could maybe take you out?"
Her foot stopped, and she looked at him sharply "Take me out?" She asked frowning. He loved her frown, the way her eyes would hold onto his and the crinkle above her nose would appear like a question mark.
"Yeah." He moved his shoulders "Like to a movie, or dinner somewhere – not the pizza place, I mean somewhere proper."
"But you love that pizza place." She countered and then paused before adding "I love that pizza place."
He laughed, and it sounded awkward and shy in his ears and he hated it – he didn't like being awkward, he didn't like being the one put on the spot. Not one bit.
She opened her mouth to speak, closed it again pushing her hair behind her ears as she smiled, a blush creeping over her cheeks gently "You're trying to work out where we are." She said evenly "Are we going to have to have that talk?"
He chuckled, plucking the toothpick from his mouth and twirling it between his thumb and forefinger "I thought we were already… I mean." He coughed, sitting forward awkwardly "I figured you were already my girl, maybe I was being presumptuous. "He smiled "I guess I'm trying to find the line between friend and…" He swallowed "And you know…" He shook his head "You know what I mean right?"
She laughed at him, making him blush as he stuck the toothpick back in his mouth and chewed on it "You never talk to me about that." She said calmly "Some moments we're like best friends and then you kiss me Hobbs and…" The words died off as she brought her eyes to his "I guess I've been waiting for you to decide what it is you want from me."
"I want to take you out." Hobbs said firmly returning the smile "I want a proper date with you Tempy, not a sparring match or a training routine or letting you punch me senseless just so I can have you on top of me for a while." He laughed when she flapped his arm "I mean-"
Before he could finish though Crow entered the waiting room looking tired but relieved as he raked a hand through his hair.
"They're being kept in overnight for observation." He said evenly "Thanks for helping me here with them." He frowned "I'm not allowed to stay the night here though, so I need to find a room for the night – I doubt shuttles will be running this late."
Hobbs looked at Shepard, back to Crow "You can crash on my couch if you want." He said evenly "Once I've walked Shepard home you're welcome to come back to mine if you need somewhere for the night."
"I would offer you my sofa." Shepard said helpfully "But my stepdad would only pummel you in your sleep." She smiled "Probably."
Crow looked at her nervously and smiled "Ok." He said "I guess Hobbs it is then. If you're sure you don't mind."
Hobbs shook his head, drawing the hood back up as he got to his feet "Let's get you home then Tempy."
They walked in relative silence for a time until Crow started talking and then Hobbs quickly realised once he started there was no shutting him up. He walked in the middle talking about life on a farm and coming to Arcturus, and then he mentioned enlisting in the Alliance and he had Shepard with that – and then once the two of them started it was hopeless to try and intervene. Chatty and chatty made much chattiness and his head pounded angrily by the time they rounded a corner onto her street.
"So you would be enlisting just as a cadet this year?" She clarified and Crow nodded slowly.
"Yeah I guess I would be." Crow said, his tone was quiet but had a confidence to it borne from years of talking to people – it was something Hobbs envied about him instantly.
Hobbs had two modes, he thought glumly, aggression or flirt – the in between talk, the meaningful stuff, escaped him and it frustrated the hell out of him, especially when it came to Shepard. For Shepard he would give anything to find the words to describe what she made him feel inside himself. Maybe there wasn't a word for it.
Or maybe he just wasn't good enough to find it.
"I've been trying to convince Hobbs to enlist." She said looking around Crow to fix Hobbs with a pointed glare "So far he's resisting."
Hobbs smiled "Just because you were convinced to become a smurf doesn't mean I will be." When Crow looked at him questionably he caught his breath "It's a really really old programme with blue people in it." He moved his shoulders when still the face was unresponsive "The Alliance uniform is blue."
"I just think you're skills with fighting would be put to much better use helping a cause than winning cash." She complained.
"It is for a cause." He retorted "A personal one." He shook his head "And besides, the Alliance won't let in fighters." Before she could answer he interrupted "And no, I don't want you to talk to Anderson."
Shepard sighed huffily "See what I have to deal with." She muttered and Crow laughed.
Hobbs stopped outside an apartment block turning to Shepard as she hesitated offering her hand to Crow. "It was nice to meet you." She said with a smile and shook his hand gently. She turned to Hobbs who moved awkwardly from foot to foot, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets- for comfort he told himself, but he knew it was to stop him reaching for her.
She moved past him and he swept around after her climbing the apartment steps to the main door of the building.
"So about tomorrow…" He said quietly and she shook her head at him, searching her pockets for her keycard.
"Hobbs…" She sighed "I'm enlisting at the end of this week. I'm not going to have a lot of time after that – I'll be living in barracks. I'll be training. I'm not so sure a date is a good idea right now." She made a noise "I left my keycard in my room." She groaned.
Hobbs pressed the buzzer for the apartment, they would have to wait for her stepdad to come and open the main door manually.
"So you mean once you enlist that's it? Who am I going to get to spar with me?" He jabbed her side playfully and she jerked away from him.
"I'm sure you'll find someone." She laughed "There are always plenty of girls waiting to hang with you."
He frowned, seeing the lie in that statement immediately. It was true there were plenty of women waiting to get their hands on him – but Abigail was the first he had ever spent time with; that had spoken to him and asked him things and made him feel things. He didn't want to find someone else, he realised suddenly, he didn't want to lose what they had already.
"I…" He started but was interrupted by the main door opening and the furious glare of Captain Anderson silenced the words in his throat. He was an imposing man, even shirtless and standing in what looked like blue Alliance pyjama bottoms – figures, Hobbs thought stifling a laugh. The light behind him in the building reflected off his dark shoulders, casting his expression in shadow but Hobbs could feel the fire in the dark eyes as he fixed them on Shepard.
"Get inside." He said, his tone hard and flat and Shepard looked at him, the blue fire already dancing in her eyes as she ground her teeth. She did as she was told though, stalking past him as she pushed into the apartment building and then he turned to Hobbs.
"I told you to stay away from her." He said icily "I told you I don't need any fighter sniffing around my Abigail." His face twisted with anger as he shook his head "I catch you around her again I'm going to get my shotgun. Do you hear?"
Did he hear? Hobbs had heard nothing else since meeting Abigail. He had tried to introduce himself to Anderson on a number of occasions and had been met with hostility he had assumed was protective – but now he knew it was just a dislike of Hobbs as a person, or maybe because he was a fighter, or because he had that reputation around Arcturus – whatever it was it was damn frustrating. There was no give from a man like Anderson.
Hobbs took a long breath trying to quell the temper he felt surge to his surface at the arrogance of the man. He had tried to show him his interest in Shepard was genuine, maybe it was time to take a different tact.
"Look," He said evenly "I know you're trying to… whatever – but you're not her dad, mate."
Right away he knew it was a wrong choice, Anderson flew for him and he managed to duck back, just. Scrambling out of the way as the man swore a string of obscenities at him and Hobbs fell back, tripping over the shrubbery and knocking a trash can over as he made a quick and graceless escape.
"I ever catch you near her again I swear I'll kill you!" He heard the man yell after him "And I'd be doing the world a bloody favour!"
Crow had stayed way back, lingering in the shadows, trying to give the young couple some privacy, actually expecting them to kiss, but when the door opened and Anderson appeared, he recognized the man and blanched when he overheard what Hobbs said to him.
As they had walked, although Crow had been talking he'd been watching more. He loved the interplay that happened between Hobbs and Shepard because it reminded him of his da and mum, always dancing around each other. We're friends—we're more than friends, and Grand-da hadn't approved of the brash Irish youngster much like Anderson didn't approve of Hobbs.
Crow, out of habit, stepped into the light, righted the trash can and put the lid on tight. He jogged after Hobbs who was booking away from the place.
"So, her Da's up in arms about you," he said, catching up to him. "Just behaving like any father would. Your rep precedes you, man. You have to change the image." He walked backwards as he talked animatedly to the silent Hobbs. "Maybe you should consider joining the Alliance like your girl wants."
"She's not my girl." Hobbs snorted hotly "And I don't need to change." He chewed idly on the toothpick trying not to let Crow's words get past him, but in a way they did. If he joined the Alliance would he be good enough to stand next to her then? He shook his head, it wasn't possible, not while he was still looking for Foster, he needed the regular pay – mercs didn't pay themselves and when they did it was in blood.
"And he's not her dad." Hobbs added after a beat "He's her guardian." He rolled his shoulders "It's complicated."
"So he's still thinking like a dad. And she definitely is your girl, Hobbs." Crow smiled. "I have two sisters and I've seen them both get that swoony look at the lads they were dating, or, seeing, or hanging out with, whatever you two do. Maybe having her hanging out in a dive isn't the best place for her, but she strikes me as the type of girl who can handle herself."
Hobbs stopped walking, looking at him closely, his mouth opening to argue. His eyes fluttered closed as he absorbed what he had said to him and he closed his mouth, making a noise in his throat instead as he started walking again.
"So psychic Sally," Hobbs drawled "why are you enlisting?"
Crow snorted, letting the snide remark roll over him. "Get that from my mum. I'm enlisting because, although I've lived on a farm all my life, I don't want to stay on a farm the rest of my life. Da's a career Navy man and so far I'm the only one of his four sons and two daughters who wanted to follow in his Alliance footsteps." Crow tried to see the man's face, but he kept it hidden deep within the hood. What was he hiding from? "Anyway, got my pilot's license and Da got a Navy buddy of his to teach me how to fly a Kodiak, so I figure I can put those skills into good use." He shrugged his broad shoulders. "Besides, what's that old cliché? I want to make a difference."
Hobbs laughed "You think the Alliance makes a difference?" He asked quietly "It's the same as every other government organisation out there. Mercs, Hegemony, Conclave, Alliance. All the same."
He stuffed his hands into his pockets not about to let the guy know exactly how he knew that; that he was Shastri's personal assassin and had ensured some pretty big political events happened how the Alliance wanted them to. "Flying a Kodiak around a farm isn't the same as flying one under fire – plus Alliance shuttles are being upgraded. The Kodiak in its present form will soon be obsolete."
He caught himself as he realised he was giving far too much information away that was going to spark questions and cleared his throat awkwardly "Pilot is hard to get – and you're not built for flying. You should be in the marine corp."
He paused as he looked him over carefully "Although looks like you need some help in that department too." He said with a smile noting the thick veins that ran down the man's forearms and over the backs of his hands.
Crow chuckled, not taking offense, if any was even meant. Hobbs was a blunt kind of guy as was Da. Da said what he thought and damn the consequences. "Looks like you are checking out the option to join the Alliance. Studied up on it, have you?"
He ran his fingers through his blonde hair. "Anyway, they train you, don't they?" He stuck his hands in his pockets. "Never considered the marines," he mused softly. "And I'm not just some hick off the farm, Hobbs. I'm also not altruistic. I know the Alliance is flawed, but…" he pulled his hands out and studied the backs of them. "I'm just not cut out to be a farmer."
He noticed Hobbs looking at his arms and traced one of the veins that had appeared, like a thin rope under the skin, during the last year when he'd accelerated his exercise regime. "What do you mean? You talking about these?" He held his arms out for inspection.
"Yeah." Hobbs nodded, taking Crow's wrists and turning his arms roughly "You're pushing too hard to achieve the look." He shook his head "You want to take down the weight but add in more reps – needs to be gradual." He showed him his own arms "You push too fast your body has to compensate." He paused "I can show you… if you wanted." He frowned tipping the hood back as he took the cocktail stick from his mouth "I have a gym I use just down from my apartment – well, it's actually an old garage convert – but it does the job. If you're serious about working out I could show you some routines." He shook his head, backing off from him awkwardly "If you want I mean."
Crow beamed a smile at him. "That would be great, man. I mean. I'd really appreciate some tips. I knew I was doing something wrong when these things appeared, but I wasn't sure what. Can we go right now?"
Crow realized he was blathering on and he stopped. "I mean, if you want. No pressure ya know." He cranked his head, wincing when it popped. "Come to think of it, you're probably too tired." Crow was offering the man a way out.
He figured Hobbs might already be regretting his show of generosity to a stranger. Funny, though, Hobbs didn't feel like a stranger. He felt like somebody who belonged at the kitchen table listening to the Bahasa chatter and banter and sometimes bickering and having Mum fix him a cuppa of her special tea and baking him scones, and ruffling his hair like she did her boys'. Hobbs was becoming family in the very short time Crow had spent with him. Mum would call it 'destiny" the two of them met.
Hobbs looked at him, scratching the side of his head as he smiled "Hmm…" He laughed, short and breathless, stopping it before it gave too much emotion away "I.. I don't know." He said honestly "I've never really – I mean most guys I talk to just want to fight." He frowned "I can try teaching you – I taught Tempy everything she knows." He moved his shoulders "We should sleep, you shouldn't exercise when you're tired, but I can take you down in the morning if you want. Show you the routine I put me and Tempy through, maybe adjust it for you. I'll have to see where you are in your fitness level."
He paused as they neared another apartment block "My apartment's in here." He said evenly stepping up to the main entrance "It's not Buckingham Palace but it serves." He laughed then frowned wondering if he would get the British reference. He let them inside the apartment holding his breath as he listened carefully for signs of his dad before they entered. It looked like he was out, which was a good sign.
Moving to the lounge he flicked on the light, grimacing at the mess of glass bottles strewn over his coffee table. He scratched his head, gathering a few as he moved into the kitchen to look for a trash bag.
Crow joined him in the effort, moving to toss them in the bag Hobbs found, shrugging when a pair of blue-green eyes speared him. "Liam does the same thing. I clean it up so Mum won't have to and then I carry his sorry ass to bed." He grimaced. "I wish he'd stop drinking so damn much." He glanced about the place. "You don't live alone?"
Hobbs ignored the question smoothly – now was not the time to tell the guy he looked after his alcoholic father. A man he no longer really considered his father so much as an Alliance veteran who chose his apartment to crash in, literally as well as metaphorically.
Crow kept his voice pitched very quiet as he helped Hobbs pick up, automatically straightening tidying, picking up plates, utensils and glasses, running some suds in the sink, washing them, his expression preoccupied as he rinsed them off. This was a natural chore for Crow and he thought nothing of pitching in to help his new friend. He grinned. Yep, he thought of Hobbs as his friend and instinctively he knew it was going to be a friendship fraught with brambles along the way, as his Mum would say.
Crow dried his hands, looked down when his stomach rumbled and admitted, "I'm hungry. You hungry? I make a mean omelette."
Hobbs paused, frowning at him; he appreciated the fact that he hadn't pressed for information on the state of the apartment and that he seemed completely at ease; somehow that put him at ease which was nice. It was rare Hobbs was ever at ease around another man – they always seemed to want to beat the hell out of him.
"I…" He moved to the fridge "Sure." He said evenly "There's bacon too. Abigail is forever stocking my fridge. She's always starving." He smiled removing the eggs and bacon carefully "You want a beer?"
"Biotics have a different metabolism," Crow said, nodding. "Yeah, to the beer. I was designated to be the sober one and make sure the other two got home okay." He sighed, sounding a little exasperated. "It's Liam's birthday. He's lucky it wasn't his last. A-hole. I apologize for my idiot brothers, Hobbs."
He looked for and found a skillet, poured a little oil in the pan and heated it. "You got any tomatoes or veggies of some kind? You like it spicy or regular?" He grinned and chuckled. "I really am talking a lot, aren't I?" He moved his shoulders. "You were intimidating as hell."
"Survival instinct." Hobbs said dismissively and smiled when Crow didn't answer right away, he moved to the cupboards taking some dishes from inside and setting them at the table. Unzipping his sleeveless top he removed it, running his fingers over the cut on his lower back. It wasn't bleeding so he wasn't concerned.
He ran his hands over his shoulders, raking fingers through his hair as he contemplated his next tattoo with a smile and opened the fridge again collecting Tomatoes and mushrooms from the drawer at the bottom. He handed them to Crow and then stopped to pick up an apple. Grabbing a bottle of beer – mildly surprised there were any left – he handed it to Crow and moved to grab himself a tumbler from the draining board by the sink. Filling it with water he padded back to the table.
"You seem different from your brothers." He observed, sinking to sit at the table as he bit into the apple "You seem like you have your head on right."
"Da's away a lot. Special Forces branch,, so Mum tries to raise us right. My brothers fall to the Irish side of the family—carousing, bickering, drinking, typical stuff, whereas I take more after her Swedish side." He chopped up the veggies and tossed them in with a few spices he rummaged from the cupboard, whipped them into the eggs and tossed them in the heated pan. After a moment, he flipped it over with practiced ease, then laid it over after adding cheese to the filling. In another pan he cooked several pieces of bacon, flinching when the grease spattered over his arms.
He finished cooking, cut the omelette in two, slid the pieces onto plates and heaped the bacon to the side and walked over and put a plate in front of Hobbs. He clinked his beer bottle against Hobbs' tumbler. "Let's eat," he said, grabbing a piece of bacon, chewing energetically, eyes rolling back in his head. "So the girl you don't consider your girl stocks your fridge? Man that is such a girlfriend thing to do!"
"Mmm." Hobbs commented spooning a forkful into his mouth – it surprised him that it was actually good. "I don't cook." He said offhandedly, not thinking about what he was saying as he smiled "Never learned how really so she cooks for me most of the time. Before I met her I basically lived on fruit. Or from the pizza place down the road." He moved his shoulders "She's just that sort, caring you know?"
He caught himself, frowning as he turned back to the plate "I take it you learned to cook with your family?" He asked quietly.
Crow stopped shovelling omelette for a second, chewing it and taking a swallow of beer. "I have four brothers and two sisters. You either learn how to cook or starve when Mum's out of the house. I learned to cook—well, some things. I'm not a chef or anything."
Crow took another bite of eggs and wolfed down a piece of bacon. "So, you found the one," he noted. "Don't try to con me, man. You look at her the same way Da looks at Mum, after all these years. You're in love with her." He guzzled the beer. "I think joining the Alliance would ensure you two could spend time together, long as you can skirt the fraternization regs." He went quiet a moment. "Sorry, damn beer's loosening my tongue. I tend to get even more verbal when I drink, and I got no filter. None of my business, but I'm just saying it would sure be a way to change people's view of you."
Hobbs paused, leaning his head on his hand as he chewed thinking again about how difficult it would be to see Shepard once she enlisted. Thinking about the absence he would feel – she had become an integral part of his life almost and trying to think of it without her had a panic fluttering up from his gut.
He rubbed his chest absently – enlisting would mean not having the credits to hunt for Foster, it would mean relying more on Shastri and the Alliance jobs he pulled, which was fine, until the politician asked him to do something he couldn't.
He didn't look forward to that day.
"Haters are gonna hate." He said evenly "Whether I'm in blue or not. Most of them it's not the violence anyway, it's the other stuff. But I don't abuse women; I'm not a womaniser. I know the rumours." He moved his shoulders "And I know the truth." He blew out a breath "I like Abigail." He said calmly "She's probably the first girl I've spent time with who hasn't rubbed herself up against me you know?" He smiled and then added "Well, intentionally anyway." He took a long drink of water and polished off his omelette "She's hard to read. I find her interesting. And she's damn smart, I have to work to keep up with her and I kinda like that." He smiled "But don't read into it, we've been friends a while and I know it looks like more sometimes but she's not a barfly or a club skank." He moved his shoulders "You have experience with women?" He frowned "Or am I talking to a twink?"
Crow looked confused, but it didn't affect his grin as he waggled his brows at Hobbs. "Like, eh? That's even better. Love is so damn complicated." He blushed. "As to women, I…one…high school sweethearts. Coleen." He looked wistful for a moment, then shook his head. "But, she's staying on Eden Prime and I'll be a marine." He frowned. "Uh, in the Navy?" He ran his fingers over the stubble on his chin. "You really think I'd be better as a marine? Da would flip out."
He grinned, leaning back in his chair on its two back legs. "As to Abigail? I can see why you like her. I liked her, too." Something dawned on him and he sat forward, bringing the chair upright. "What the hell's a twink?"
Hobbs smiled "Sorry." He cleared his throat "I grew up a spell in London, some of the slang stuck. I was asking if you liked women or were… otherwise oriented." He laughed and then caught the man's earlier words, his expression dropping to a serious one "Abigail's off-limits." He said quickly "Just so we're clear. As a friend," He said evenly "I should look out for her welfare and you're not right for her."
Crow actually blushed, feeling the heat rise into his face. "O-o-kay. No, I like girls. Well, girl. I was always kept on the farm or learning how to fly." He chuckled at Hobbs' warning and raised his hands in a placating gesture. "I don't trespass, man."
Hobbs shifted awkwardly "I've seen Alliance marines." He said "I've worked with a few, beat a few up – you could do the marine corp. You'd be better enlisting there than flight school – half the pilots get booted out in the first year anyway, and you can always specialise in the corp." He got to his feet clearing the dishes away "I guess it's your choice though. I mean, your dad doesn't like the marine corp? I thought you said he was Alliance?"
He ate the last bite of his omelette and a thoughtful expression came into his blue eyes. "They're all on the same side, right? Da's in special forces Navy. Recall in Earth's past history where they had the Airforce, the Marines, the Army, the Navy? Well, even though they call themselves the Alliance, there's still fierce competition and rivalry. Da wants me in special forces, but I want to be a pilot." He put his beer bottle down and blew softly on the condensation on the outside until it warmed and slid down the bottle. He watched it go, the drops slithering down until they formed a pool around the bottom. "Marines, huh?"
He got up and automatically started on the dishes, putting them in the hot, sudsy water, enjoying the menial task. He rinsed them and placed them in the dry rack. "So, tomorrow morning, can you show me what I'm doing wrong?"
"I can try." Hobbs said with a smile "You should get some sleep. Tempy usually comes around about 8am to wake me up – that gives us four hours to get our heads down." He pointed back down the hall "You want the bed or the sofa?" He paused and smiled "Bed was changed this morning."
Crow emptied the sink, swishing cold water until the suds disappeared. He quickly tidied the stove and looked at his handiwork, giving a nod of silent approval. "I'll take the couch," he said, smiling. "I don't sleep in another man's bed." He blushed. ""I mean, take another man's bed. I mean, if it's like mine, you've got all the lumps and springs sorted out. Couch is fine. Shutting up now."
Hobbs laughed nodding as he led the way back down the hall "I have some spare stuff." He said, crossing to the wardrobe and pulling some blankets free from the top shelf, he handed them to him and pulled Abigail's pillow from the top of the wardrobe and offered it to him. The cover on it was pink and he blinked, feeling himself blush as he pressed it into his hands.
"Not mine." He explained quickly "If you need anything else just give me a shout." He paused, realising that he would have to lock the door to stop his father stumbling in later and launching into Crow. He pushed past the man, moving to the main door and locking it carefully – he was always too drunk to use the passcode, something he had learned previous nights when Abigail had opted to sleep over.
Crow laughed and took a sniff of the pillow. "Pink, huh, and scented?" He tossed the pillow on the sofa and flopped on it, drawing one of the blankets over him. "Thanks for the hospitality, Hobbs." He turned to the back of the couch, curling up, a big yawn escaping. "See ya in the morning, bud."