But Who's Going To Save You?
Chapter 9: COD, a bathtub and the Hangover
"Are you still here?" Chase asked, a little surprised to find Felicity outside watching the rain fall on her feet. "Are they not cold?" he added, pointing at her toes.
"Actually, no," Felicity yawned. "To be honest, I had tuned out." With a groan, she pulled herself to a standing position, popping her back as she slipped her flip flops on. "Why are you still here?"
"I was waiting for Dean to pick me up," Chase explained. "Only he's going to have dinner and a movie with Lara."
"And you're sure there's nothing going on between them?" Felicity chuckled. "You need a lift?"
Chase rubbed his neck, sheepishly. "Wouldn't say no."
"Why not?" Felicity shrugged, digging her hands into her pockets to pull her keys out. "Come on." They dashed through the rain into the car. "For the record, I have no idea where I'm going."
"Left," Chase told her, staring around the car in amazement. "I love this car."
"It's growing on me," Felicity told him, frowning. The truth was she loved the car – it was more of the fact she had a feeling Cole had bought it her because he could.
"Don't you bother with the radio?" Chase asked. "I bet the sound system is awesome."
"I get so used to Cole turning my music off I guess I got used to silence," Felicity shrugged.
"It can't be that bad," Chase told her, turning the stereo on. "Queen?" he asked in surprise. "Why would you turn this off?"
"Cole doesn't like it," Felicity explained, feeling the need to defend him. "And to be fair, if it isn't Queen, it is cheesy 80s music – like Madonna, or Wham."
"I would probably turn Wham off," Chase agreed. "But not Queen." He cocked his head, watching her bob her head to Killer Queen. "You didn't strike me as an 80s fan."
"My dad was a Queen fan and I although I was six at my eldest point of the eighties, I kept listening to it during the nineties. My sister was the Madonna fan. She's six years older than me, but she was wandering around in a cone bra when she was ten."
"You need to take the next right," Chase interjected, laughing.
"What are you doing tonight then?" Felicity asked. "Hot date?"
"Nah," Chase replied, shaking his head. "I'm enjoying having Dean's place to myself and I'm going to play a little C.O.D."
"Black Ops?" Felicity asked.
Chase blinked. "You play Call of Duty?"
Felicity nodded. "I prefer Final Fantasy, or even Little Big Planet, but I figured if you can't beat them, join them."
"I don't get it," Chase muttered, confused.
Felicity sighed. "Cole's life is rugby and a lot of his time, especially during the season, is spent playing games and training. Out of season, it's replaced with Call of Duty. I realised that if I wanted to spent time with him, I'd best man up." She laughed. "At first he wouldn't let me play, but after spending some time practicing, I kicked his ass. Now I get to join in."
"You really play Call of Duty?" Chase asked, still surprised. "Next right."
"Yes," Felicity laughed. "Want a game?"
"Yeah," Chase nodded. "You're on."
"Well, as it happens, Cole is staying with the team doctor tonight, so I'm free," Felicity shrugged.
"Tonight?" Chase repeated.
"Chicken?" Felicity couldn't help but taunt him.
"It's just up here, on the left," Chase instructed her. "And you are on. But I'm not going easy on you, just because you're a girl."
"And for that comment, I'm going to kick your ass," Felicity told him, pulling over and parking.
They dashed for the door, huddling under the porch while Chase unlocked the door. "Just wait here," Chase instructed her, as soon as they were in.
"Chase, I'm sure it's not that bad," Felicity told him, following him into the living room to find him hurriedly throwing a pile of dirty laundry behind the couch.
"I wasn't expecting company," Chase apologised as he straightened the room up, clearing a spot on the couch.
"Cheers," Felicity muttered, dropping onto the couch and kicking her shoes off.
"You want a drink?" Chase asked as he gathered up a handful of empty beer bottles. "We probably have beer. Or tea?"
"Water is fine," Felicity told him, reaching for the PS3 controllers and the television remote. While Chase busied himself in the kitchen, she loaded the game up. He returned balancing a couple of Pringles tubes under his arms as he carried the drinks in.
"You're about to lose miserably," he informed her, taking a seat on the couch.
"And you're about to have the disheartening realisation that you're talking about yourself," Felicity returned, using his lap as a footrest.
"Jord – you spend more time in there than most women!" Heidi hollered. Jordan had 'nipped' to the bathroom a good twenty minutes ago, leaving her channel surfing. Not that she was paying attention to what was on. Her mind was actually distracted by what Felicity had told her earlier. And now she needed distracting.
"And men complain about us women in the bathroom," she grumbled to herself as she pulled herself off the couch. "Seriously Jordon!" she hollered, making her way to the bathroom. "What are you doing in there?" She sniffed suspiciously. "Can I smell burning? Jord? Your mum's not going to be impressed if she comes back and discovers you've burnt her house down!"
The door flew open. "Has anyone ever told you you're impatient?"
"What are you doing?" Heidi asked him, trying to peer around him.
Jordan grinned, leaning against the door frame as he pulled the door closed behind him. "There are so many ways I could answer that," he told her. He reached out, grabbing her hand, pulling her to him. "But instead, I will show you." He pushed the door open and moved out of the way.
With her eyebrows knitted together in confusion, Heidi stared into the bathroom. His small bathroom was lit by a dozen or so mismatched candles – ranging from tea lights, to scented pillars, to the table candles Heidi knew Jordan kept under the kitchen sink – just in case the power went off. The small bathtub was also filled to the brim with big fluffy bubbles.
"Care to join me?" Jordan asked her as he shed his clothes and slipped in.
Heidi didn't need asking twice, giggling uncontrollably as the water spilled over the side of the tub as she got in. "You misjudged that one," she told him, leaning over to watch the bubbles float across the room.
"Shuddup," he muttered, pulling her back to him.
"So what's this in aid of?" she asked him.
Behind her, Jordan shrugged. "You were quiet on the ride here. I figured you were worrying about Vince and Michelle."
"No," Heidi sighed, shaking her head. "Well, I am, but it's something Flick told me."
"What?"
Heidi frowned, nibbling at her lip. "I promised I wouldn't say anything."
"You don't have to tell me, you know," he told her, rubbing her arms.
She wanted to. She was tempted to. The fact was that she wasn't sure exactly what the implications were of what Cole had done, but she was sure it wasn't going to look good for Rescue if it came out – a lot of people had spent $50 at a chance to win a date with the rugby star, and even Heidi was willing to admit that if she had spent the money and it came out, she would be pissed.
But telling Jordan was not only betraying Felicity's confidence – and she knew the two of them were going to become good friends – but it also meant that if it came out, and it came out that Jordan also knew, well he was going to be in trouble too. And if nothing else, she was going to protect him from that. Plausible deniability – that was the phrase, right?
"I think she likes Chase," she muttered instead. It wasn't a complete lie – she did think the girl liked him, and she had asked her.
Jordan laughed. "He likes her."
Heidi twisted her back to look up at her boyfriend. "He told you that?"
"No," Jordan all but snorted. "But he's one of my best mates. It's obvious. He's always watching her."
"It's a shame she's engaged," Heidi nodded thoughtfully. "Even if the guy she's going to married is a bit of a tool."
"I don't know," Jordan shrugged. "Cole seems alright to me. And he really helped today. Besides, she moved to the other side of the world to be with him, so she obviously loves him."
"And speaking of love," Heidi said, rolling onto her front, the action sending another tidal wave of soapy water over the side of the bath. She reached up, wrapping her arms around Jordan's neck. "I don't think I've told you I've love you today."
Dean leant back in the uncomfortable plastic chair, his head coming to rest on wall behind. With a long, drawn out breath, he ran his hand over his mouth. "I need a beer," he muttered.
"I second that," Lara agreed, curling her legs up underneath herself. "Why are hospital chairs so uncomfortable?"
Dean shrugged, his hands falling to his knees. "Probably to distract you from what's going on," he suggested. With a groan he got to his feet. "This is crazy. We know they're both fine."
"I know," Lara agreed, making no attempt to move.
"So why are you both still here?"
Lara and Dean glanced up, finding a very dishevelled, worn out Michelle watching them, her wrist in a cast. "'Chelle, you should be in a bed," Dean told her.
"And I would be, but a nurse informed me there were two exhausted members of Rescue looking rather pathetic in the waiting room," Michelle responded. "I had a feeling it would be you two. Now go home, and go to bed."
"What about you and Vince?" Lara asked.
Michelle gave her a reassuring smile. "Broken wrist – broken foot. And Vince is apparently suffering from a headache worse than any hangover he's ever had. We all just need some sleep – you two included."
"Let me know if either of you need a lift tomorrow morning," Dean instructed her. "Now get back to bed yourself." With a smile, Michelle disappeared back into her room. "Come on," Dean said, turning to Lara. "Let's get you home."
The drive to Lara's was quiet – the only sound coming from the low rumbling of the engine, the rain hammering down on them, and the water splashing up into the wheel wells. Eventually, Dean pulled up behind Lara's car and turned the engine off. "I think I'm going to order takeout and watch a movie," she sighed, stretching. "Want to join me?"
"Is it going to be a chick-flick?" Dean asked warily.
"Actually, I've got The Hangover on DVD," Lara replied. "I fancy something light and funny tonight."
"Well, when the other option is watching Chase mope on the couch, I suppose even a chick-flick is a better option," Dean shrugged.
"Is pizza alright?" Lara asked as they walked through the front door. She made a detour to the kitchen, plucking a takeaway menu from her fridge.
"Fine with me," Dean called, settling into the couch. The room had changed a lot since the last time he had been there – way back when Lara was still with Hamish. All of his belongings were gone, and the only sign that he had ever existed was a small photograph of him and Lara on the bookshelf. It was actually nice to be able to sit on a couch again. It was definitely time for Chase to move out.
"You could have put the DVD in, you know?" Lara complained as she joined him in the living room, now wearing a comfortable pair of yoga pants and a vest top. She flicked the television on and stuck the DVD in, before settling down on the couch with Dean.
"I'm not going to bite, you know," he told her, rolling his eyes at the fact she was curled up on the couch as far away from him as possible.
"I'm comfy!" Lara objected.
By the end of the movie, the pizza box was empty on the coffee table and Lara was using Dean as a cushion. "If I get married, there's no way I'm letting either Chase or Lachie organise my buck's night. It would be worse than a tiger in the bathroom."
Lara glanced up, an amused smile on her face. "Marriage? You?"
"It could happen," Dean responded in mock outrage. "You know, with the right woman," he added.
"You heard back from Zoe, then?" Lara asked quietly.
"No I haven't," he muttered. "But that isn't quite what I meant."
Lara pulled away to study him, her head cocked. "Have you got your eye on someone I don't know about?"
Dean gave her a soft smile. "No one new."
"Why do I get the feeling you're hiding something from me?" she asked him, warily.
"I didn't think it was hidden," he shrugged.
"But there is someone?" Lara asked, grinning.
Dean stared at her for a moment, locking eyes. Then he sighed, leant over, and kissed her.
I'm gonna be honest - I have no idea where most of this chapter came from. It seemed to take on a life of its own... Oh well! For now, I shall let y'all draw your own conclusions as to what happens next.
retardedgazelle - yay! I sometimes find it really hard to keep the characters in characters - so that makes me really happy - thank you! I do have a plan for Cole! :D
MMC gang - I know what you mean - I find myself getting twitchy on a Tuesday as I wait for Rescue to make its way onto the download sites - and then it takes everything in me not to watch the episode at work! I don't know if the petition will help, but I really can't see it hurting. You never know!