Joe

I jumped awake at the sound of my phone ringing, immediately pressing accept and putting the phone to my ear. "Hello?" I muttered with a gravelly voice. I had fallen asleep watching the Ghost Channel, one of the only programs to come in on my hotel room's tv. I nearly fell off the bed when I heard the voice on the other end of the phone.

"Joe, I'm in trouble. I need you to come get me."

"Deirdre?" I cried incredulously. "What's going on?"

"I went out with Holly and Jessica, but they had to head home because Jessica had a migraine. So, they took the car! Can you believe that?" Deirdre scoffed. "How convenient for her. Anyway-"

I rubbed my eyes before saying, "Wait, Deirdre, how did you even know I was in town?" Before she could respond, I answered my own question. "Nancy," I smirked.

Frank and I drove down a couple days prior after a job in Ohio to help Nancy with research for a case. A case Deirdre had consulted on as well. I'm sure Nancy mentioned our arrival to Deirdre who, no doubt, felt insulted Nancy wanted more help.

"So, back up," I said. "Where are you?"

"I'm at this guy Derek's house. That's where the party is. Only thing is that apparently Derek is best friend's with my ex."

I leaned back against the headboard and checked the time. 11:26. "What about a cab?" I suggested.

Deirdre scowled. "Hardy, you don't get it. I'm not asking for a ride…"

…you don't feel safe and need help getting out.

I immediately grabbed shoes and my keys and said, "Send me your location, I'll be right there."

Grabbing my helmet and jacket by the door, I jogged downstairs to my black Ducati. I pulled out my phone to check Deirdre's location. 10 mins away. I texted her to "hold tight" before putting on my gear and speeding out of the parking lot.

Deirdre

My phone lit up with Joe's text saying, "hold tight," as I sat down in a cushy office chair. I found what appeared to be Derek's family office and figured it would be a good spot away from everyone…away from Sam. Or at least to hide until Joe arrived.

After a few minutes I glanced at the phone to see texts from Holly apologizing for abandoning me at the party. I left her on read and sighed. Why am I even still friends with these girls?

I jumped as the door swung open with two boys laughing obnoxiously about video games. One of them stopped and looked at me with a smirk. "Hey Dee," he said. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"I wasn't expecting you either, Sam," I crossed my arms over my chest, "otherwise I wouldn't have come."

Sam feigned insult, putting a hand over his chest. "Sticks and stones, Dee. Now why you gotta be like that?"

The other boy glanced at me before asking Sam, "Who's the Ice Queen?"

I felt like I'd been stabbed in the chest as Sam said, "She's just a girl I was talking to last year. Don't pay her any mind, Gabe."

"Right, just talking," I scoffed.

Sam's expression darkened as he stepped closer to me, backing me up against a wall. "What'd you say, Dee? You think you were special? Like I didn't have ten other girls lined up to take your place?"

Gabe stepped forward, grabbing Sam's shoulder, but Sam shook free and glared at him.

I looked up at Sam, fighting back tears, and said through gritted teeth, "Obviously, I did. That's why I dumped you."

I squeezed my eyes shut as Sam punched the wall beside my head. Opening my eyes again, I could see the look on Sam's face and it scared me. He was sweating and looked ready to bash my face in.

The sound of a motorcycle engine revving outside the house made Sam step back and look to Gabe for answers. Seeing my opportunity, I ran past them and down the stairs towards the front door. Sam caught up to me in the entryway and grabbed my arm while I screamed for help. Next thing I know I heard the front door open and Sam staggered backwards holding his bloody nose.

I whipped my head around to see Joe standing behind me shaking his bloody fist. "You sure know how to make an impression, don't you, Shannon," Joe smirked with his silly, boyish grin.

Feeling some of the tension leave my body, I offered a coy smile back. "I don't think anyone handles it quite like you, Hardy."

Joe looked back at Sam and stepped in front of me. "I hate to break up the party, boys," Joe said as he rubbed his blood-stained knuckles, "but Deirdre is coming with me."

"Oh, is that right?" Sam spat as blood trickled down his neck.

Before Joe could respond, Derek walked up with his hands in the air. "Sam, what did you do this time?"

Sam sat down on the stairs and leaned back, holding his nose. "Ask him," he mumbled, pointing at Joe.

Derek turned to Joe with his arms crossed, looking him up and down. "Do I know you?"

"I'm just Deirdre's ride home," Joe said confidently. "And now that I think your friend and I understand each other, we should be going. Come on, Deirdre."

Joe put a hand on my shoulder and started to lead me out the front door when Derek stopped him. "So you're the one who punched Sam in the face?" Derek scowled.

I looked up to Joe as he tensed his face. He gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze and turned to face Derek again. "Yes, I was."

"Okay," Derek chuckled, clasping a hand on Joe's shoulder.

Suddenly, Derek's free hand punched Joe in the ribs at full force. I cried out at the sight of Joe doubled over, Derek's hand still holding his neck. He pulled Joe's face up to look at him and clenched his teeth. "Let me make sure you and I understand each other. I don't ever want to see you in my house again, or I'll aim a lot higher. You're a good looking dude, I'd hate to ruin that for you," Derek smirked before glancing over at me and adding, "and your trashy girlfriend."

"How dare—" Joe started, but I grabbed his arm and interrupted him.

"We were just leaving anyway," I said.

I watched as Derek let go of Joe, shifting back to an unsettling smile. Before Joe could say anything stupid, I dragged him out of the house by his hand. We should get out of here before they decide we haven't learned our lesson.

Joe finally turned back from eyeing the house and led me to where he parked the bike. He handed me the spare helmet and looked me in the eyes. "We can talk when I get you home," he said.

I just nodded and took the helmet from him. I straddled the motorcycle behind him and reached out to wrap my arms around his stomach. When I put my hands on his waist, he flinched at first. I mumbled a quick "sorry" before readjusting my grip. As we drove towards my house, all I could think of was what could have happened if Joe hadn't shown up.

Joe

While I drove Deirdre home, I could feel her fingers nervously fiddling with my jacket hem, her grip fluctuating as she seemed to remember my pain. I tried not to say anything, but my ribs were killing me. I didn't have much padding on my abdomen and Derek hit me right on the bone. I was thankful the situation wasn't any worse…for both of our sakes. Deirdre seems okay, but I know she tends to hide her feelings. Maybe she'll be honest with me? I mean, she did trust me enough to ask me to come help.

I pulled in the driveway to a seemingly dark house. The exterior lights were on, but I could only see a lamp or two on inside. I looked back at Deirdre and asked, "Are your parents in bed already?"

"No," Deirdre sighed. "They're out of town for the weekend. That's the other reason I called you. I didn't feel comfortable taking a cab home by myself to an empty house."

"Seems reasonable," I mused as I removed my helmet and hung it on the bike.

I waited for Deirdre to step off the motorcycle before I did likewise. I walked her to the front door and watched as she unlocked the door. She froze when she grabbed the door handle and looked at me. "I know, I've already asked a lot of you tonight, but do you mind to make a pass through the house? Just to be sure?"

"I'm on it," I nodded with a smile.

Deirdre and I stepped inside the house and checked every room, making sure to leave some lights on here and there to help her feel safe. Once she was satisfied the house was "creep free," I walked back to the foyer and prepared to bid her goodnight. Deirdre slipped her shoes off and turned to look at me, her face contorting into a worried expression.

"What's wrong?" I prodded.

My voice caught in my throat as Deirdre grabbed a small fistful of my shirt. "What is this?" she asked.

I looked down and let out a laugh at the fabric in her hand. "That's blood, DeeDee. You see there's this fluid inside the human body—"

"Oh, shut it, Hardy," Deirdre barked. "I mean how did this happen?"

"You didn't warn me the guy was a football player, that's what happened," I chuckled. "Those championship rings are brutal."

Deirdre released her grip on my shirt and looked me in the eyes. "Let me see it."

I shook my head. "Don't worry about it. I'll be fine! I've gotten hit harder by Frank," I laughed, but the sudden catch in my side betrayed me.

Putting both hands on my shoulders, Deirdre pushed me down onto the couch in the neighboring room. "Don't make me hold you down, Joe Hardy." Her face was determined, her eyes making continuous contact with mine.

I relented, realizing she wouldn't be satisfied until she got what she wanted. I removed my jacket to get the metal plate off my back and, reaching down, lifted my shirt up so she could see the damage. "What do you think, Doctor?" I smirked. "Do you think I'll live?"

She stared at my stomach for a minute before reaching out and touching my wound with a gentle hand. I flinched slightly when she touched the tender skin, causing her to retract her hand from it. After a moment she managed a small smile and said, "Gee, Hardy, you were hiding that under all those hoodies?"

"What can I say, I'm a man of mystery," I said with a sly smile.

Deirdre finally met my eyes again, her expression different from before. "I like mysteries," she said.

Before I could make an attempt at a witty comeback, Deirdre straddled my lap, resting her hands on either side of my neck. She leaned forward and whispered in my ear, "I'd like to try and solve yours."

I felt my stomach drop at the sensation of her breath on my neck, at the smell of her hair against my face. She sat back and looked at me with a mischievous grin, pushing her fingertips up into my hair. "I don't understand," I muttered in a breathy voice, the words barely forming correctly.

"Then let me explain it to you," Deirdre whispered as she leaned close to my face.

Understanding her intentions, I rushed to meet her lips in a kiss, tasting the sweetness of her strawberry lip balm. I felt her grip my hair in her fingertips and moved to deepen the kiss. Cupping the side of her face, I rubbed my thumb along her jaw. I used my other hand to pull Deirdre's body flush against mine and heard a quiet moan escape her mouth. The sound of her voice pulled me away long enough to say, "We should probably—" before Deirdre's lips crashed into mine once more.

Mid-kiss she managed to say, "Don't ask me to stop," before moving to lie across the couch and pulling me on top of her. I felt her hands grab the hem of my shirt and start to pull it up my torso. Feeling the wind get knocked out of my lungs, I grabbed her face and held it back slightly from mine so I could look her in the eyes.

"Believe me, I don't want to," I said in a low voice that rumbled in my chest. "But I can't help but feel like I'm a distraction from what happened tonight. More specifically from talking about what happened."

"Maybe so," she said quietly.

Fighting every urge inside of me to be close to her, I sat upright and pulled my shirt down. "Why don't you tell me what happened?"

Deirdre sighed, sitting up beside me. "I dumped Sam like five months ago, but as you can see, he did not take it well. He was really toxic and I called him out on it, which was a mistake. He actually broke my windshield to get back at me, but of course no one could prove it was him, so he didn't face any consequences. The guy is a total loose canon." She stopped fidgeting with her bracelet and looked at me. "So yes, that's why I called you. As soon as I realized he was at the party, I knew I wasn't safe. I hid until you got there, but he found me shortly before you arrived."

She started to tear up and her hands were shaking. I reached out and covered her hand with mine. Deirdre offered a little smile, wiping the tears away and continuing.

"He had me cornered and he punched the wall. Joe, he was just so angry. And I was…I felt," I choked up as the tears started flowing again.

"I know," I said, pulling her in for a hug. "I wish I had gotten to you sooner, then maybe that wouldn't have happened."

"No," Deirdre mumbled against my chest. "He could have really hurt you too."

"I would have been fine, DeeDee," I insisted with a smile. "I could always use the metal plate in my jacket as a weapon if need be. Now that he wouldn't have seen coming."

She punched me in the arm. "You're ridiculous."

"You're welcome," I said with a laugh. My phone went off and I realized I had numerous texts from Frank trying to figure out where I was. Frank and Nancy were going over case materials at her house until late so he was still out when I left the hotel. I must have forgotten to tell him I went out earlier.

After texting Frank back, I grabbed my jacket and walked to the front door. Deirdre followed me, tucking her now frizzy hair behind her ears. "Are you going to be alright?" I inquired.

She nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yes, I'm okay now. Thanks again, for, you know, everything."

I looked at her as I put on my jacket and sported a cheeky grin. "Yeah, you totally owe me."

Deirdre grabbed my arm as I started to walk out and turned me to face her again. She immediately grabbed my face and pulled me into a passionate kiss that made my stomach do flips. I started to grab her face to kiss her deeper, but she pulled back and put her forehead to mine. "I wanted you to know you're not just a distraction for me."