by Mary Head
She sighed. “David –”
“Juliet,” he said, rolling his eyes at the ceiling. “Will you shut up and let me say this?”
She heard the mild exasperation and amusement in his voice, and her lips pressed together in an effort not to smile. Then, abruptly, she yawned, and he laughed lightly, leaning in to kiss her forehead. She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her cheek against his chest. He was still warm from the shower, and she could smell the faint scent of soap and something she’d just always thought of as him.
“We’ve got way too much to talk about,” he said finally, letting his hands slide down her arms as he moved away.
“And it’s way too late for any of it.”
He smiled and nodded in agreement. “Yeah.” Then he turned serious. “We will, though. Talk about it, I mean. I promise, I just –”
“Look,” she interrupted, pulling back a step and pausing a moment to rein in all the thoughts swirling in her head. It was still a little surreal that they were even close to having this conversation.
“I’ve been here for fourteen years,” she said, folding her arms over her chest. “I’m not going anywhere. Hannah’s what’s important right now. All the other stuff can wait.”
David shook his head and looked towards the window a moment, noticing for the first time that it was raining, and then turned back to Juliet. They’d been waiting for years, and while he was really tired of waiting, more than anything he wanted his daughter to be home and safe. That Juliet wanted that too was one of the many reasons he loved her.
Taking a step forward, he raised his hands to her face, tipping it up slightly. His thumb grazed her mouth, rolling lightly over her bottom lip. Her mouth opened, warm breath whispering over his fingers, and then he dipped his head to kiss her. She thought he was about to pull away when his teeth caught her lip, and she made a sound somewhere between a sigh and something lower and needier. He smirked and leaned in again, wanting more, wanting to kiss her properly, but a beat later she was moving away and turning towards the door.
“It’s late,” she said absently. She was still far more breathless than she would like to be, and she wondered if there would ever be a moment when he didn’t have that affect on her.
Snatching the towel from the floor, he turned around, watching her. “You’re leaving?”
“I’ll be back in the morn –” Her eyes darted to the clock on the wall and she sighed. “No, I’ll be back in five hours.”
He gave her a look. “You should stay.”
He crossed the room to stand in front of her again, and she pressed her back to the doorframe, not trusting herself when he was so close.
“Stay,” he said again, softer.
She swallowed and looked out into the hallway, suddenly finding it hard to look him in the eye. “I shouldn’t.”
“Oh, come on, Jules,” he laughed. He took her hand and led her out of the office, down the hall to the bottom of the stairs as he talked. “The guest room is always made up for you, you know that, and I’m not letting you drive home this late, when you’re this tired.”
“I don’t have anything –”
“Borrow something from Hannah, she won’t mind.”
Juliet considered him for a moment, and then, finally, sighed and smiled up at him. “Fine. I suppose that will save me some driving time in the morning.”
“And you’ll need your strength to move all those boxes of files,” he said, grinning as they started up the stairs.
She groaned when they reached the top and swatted at him half-heartedly. “Why do you have to make so many nasty friends?”
David ignored the pain in his heart when he thought about how this all happened to Hannah because of him, and reached for Juliet again. She moved to him, wrapping her arms around him once again, and he thought they’d probably hugged more in this one week than in all their years of being friends. His hand was on the back of her neck, slipping into her hair, and he sighed as he kissed the top of her head.
“And here I thought I was such a lovable guy,” he muttered.
She snorted and rested her forehead against his chest, giving a small shake of her head.
He smirked. “I’m trying hard not to be offended at your lack of agreement on this point.”
“Shut up,” she mumbled.
He laughed and pulled away, letting his fingers trail through her hair. “Night, Jules.”
“Good night, David,” she replied, lips still curved into a smile that was half amusement, half exasperation as she moved towards Hannah’s room for something to wear to bed.
◊◊◊
David sighed as he sat on the side of his bed, feeling tired down to his bones but unable to quiet his mind. He kept thinking about Hannah and what had happened to her, alternating between needing to know everything and wanting to know nothing. He thought about Eli too, hoping the young agent really was okay, and wondered about the fallout of all this. He knew what had happened to Juliet when she did the same thing years ago, threw all protocol and procedure to the wind for him, and it had weighed on his heart ever since. He promised himself he wouldn’t do that to another agent again, and resolved to discuss it with Harry in their meeting tomorrow.
Then there was Juliet, sleeping down the hall like she had done countless times, except now there were so many things they needed to talk about, so many things he had needed to say for far too long. He wanted to get it all out right this minute, things like I love you, I need you, move in with me, marry me –
His brain halted at that last thought, not realizing until that moment how far down the rabbit hole he had fallen, and he looked down at his hands, shaking his head. In his wildest dreams, the ones where it was just the three of them, Hannah, Juliet, and him, he thought maybe if he could manage not to screw things up in the short term, then maybe she would be willing to put up with him for the long term too.
They were already a family in every sense of the word, but this, this was more, and he caught himself smiling at the thought as his thumb passed over the back of his ring finger.
Holding back had never been his strong suit. He had always preferred action to talking, his impulsive nature well documented in his personnel file, but with Juliet he had only ever hesitated. He was going to have to talk to Hannah about that too, since half of the reason he never acted on his feelings was the fear that he would ruin it and chase away the closest thing she’s ever had to a mother and a sister.
Of course, all of that would have to wait. Hannah was the number one priority right now, and her recovery mattered more than anything. He wouldn’t be able to focus on a proper relationship with Juliet if he was worrying about Hannah, and he knew Juliet understood that as well.
Lying back against the pillows, he sighed again and turned on the TV, lowering the volume and staring blankly at the screen until he fell asleep.
◊◊◊
Thunder rumbled and rattled the window, rousing Juliet from sleep. She propped herself up on an elbow and frowned at the clock, finding that she had only been asleep for forty-five minutes. Exhaling, she flopped back on the bed and stared at the ceiling for a moment before she decided a trip to the bathroom was in order.
As she stepped from the bathroom a few minutes later, she noticed a light and a soft noise coming from David’s room and worried her bottom lip, trying to decide if she should check on him or not.
Finally, she opened the door to his bedroom slowly, not wanting to disturb him, and shook her head when she saw the television on, lighting the room in a dull blue glow. She moved quietly across the wood floor around to his side of the bed where she found the remote lying under his hand. Easing it free, she clicked off the TV and set the remote on his bedside table.
She knew she should just leave as quietly as she came, but she couldn’t help taking a moment to just look at him. His face was so much more peaceful in sleep, though she could still make out the faint lines that ran across his forehead and the ones at the corner of his eyes
that seemed so prominent when he laughed. One arm was lying beside his head on the pillow, and his legs were twisted in the sheet, pulling it down to his waist. His t-shirt was askew across his body, pulled up just enough to give her another eyeful of his bare stomach, and she watched his chest rise and fall gently as he breathed.
There was a flash of lightning, another low long rumble of thunder, and he moved his head, turning it from one side to the other. Her breath caught, waiting for him to wake up and catch her staring at him.
Shaking her head, Juliet resolved to leave, but then noticed a stray section of hair flopped over his forehead just above his right eye. On impulse, she sat carefully on the edge of the bed and brushed it back, letting her fingertips linger just a little longer than necessary, surprised that a few brief kisses between them could make her this daring.
As she moved to get up, David’s arm curled around her waist and pulled her right back down. She gasped and pressed a hand to her mouth, looking down at him in surprise.
“Sorry,” she whispered. “I was just –”
“Stay,” he said softly, eyes half closed.
A frown creased her brow, unsure if he was really awake or dreaming, but when she tried to move again, his hold on her tightened as his eyes opened fully. His other hand rose to her face, tucking a bit of hair behind her ear, thumb brushing over her cheek, and she turned her face into his touch.
Sighing, he let his hand fall back to the bed. He had heard her in the bathroom because he wasn’t really sleeping, just forcing his eyes closed and trying to calm his brain. But now she was here, sitting on the edge of his bed, and more than anything he just didn’t want to be alone.
“Stay,” he said again. “Please.”
Juliet swallowed and finally nodded, and he let go of her so she could stand and move around to the other side of the bed. He sat up and fixed the sheets, straightening them out and pulling them back for her. She hesitated, and then sat on the edge of the mattress.
When she felt the bed move as he lay down, she pulled her legs up and slipped under the sheet to lie on her side, and a moment later he pulled up the sheet and blanket, covering both of them. She breathed slowly, trying to calm her pounding heart as she wondered what this meant.
It was a large bed and there was enough space between them to more than fit another person, which made him frown. The bed dipped as he moved closer, reaching out to touch her arm lightly.
“Come here.”
She smiled into the pillow and scooted closer until finally his arm wrapped around her, pulling her against his body. They shifted a little until they were fitted comfortably together, and she could feel her body growing heavy with the pull of sleep. He gave her a squeeze, and she sighed contentedly, threading her fingers through his as he swept her hair up and away to kiss her neck.
She hummed softly, and he grinned and kissed her head. “Night, Jules.”
“Good night, David.”
Chapter 57
David heard laughter as he approached Hannah’s room the next morning, and smiled when he stepped inside and saw the cause.
“Hey, Chris,” he said to the younger agent as he moved towards Hannah, adding a soft, “Hey, baby,” as he bent to kiss her forehead.
“Hey, Dad,” she replied, another stream of giggles slipping from her as she swiped at her eyes.
Chris grinned as he looked at her and then raised his gaze to David as the older man stepped around the bed.
“Long lunch?” David asked as he set the bag with Hannah’s clothes on the other chair against the wall.
“I had to visit,” Chris replied, smiling at Hannah again. “Thought I’d keep her company until you got here. If I could stay all day, believe me, I would. I’m up to my ears in paperwork back at the office.”
With a sigh, he stood and reached for a couple of sheets of paper on the bedside table. There was a medium sized bag of Reese’s Pieces sitting beside them, and David couldn’t help smiling. They were Hannah’s favorite, and he knew Chris had brought them for her.
“Speaking of, I should get back.” He stepped over to the bed and dropped a kiss to Hannah’s cheek. “I’ll see you later, Hannie.”
She smiled and nodded, settling back against her pillows as Chris started for the door. David made to follow, gesturing to Hannah that he would be right back.
“What’s that?” he asked when he and Chris were in the hall, pointing at the papers in Chris’s hand.
“Prelim statement,” Chris replied as he folded the papers lengthwise and slid them into the inside pocket of his jacket, and then added quietly, “I thought she’d be more comfortable talking to me. I told her she could come in and give her formal statement whenever she was ready to.”
David nodded. “Thanks for that. It’s not going to be easy for her to talk about any of this, period, but she trusts you. And thanks for staying with her too; I’m glad she wasn’t alone this morning.”
Chris shrugged. “I just missed her. Wanted to spend some time with her, try to make her laugh, especially after getting the prelim stuff.”
David smiled. “You’re a good friend to her. Hell, you’re a good friend to me.” He sighed and gave a small shake of his head. “I know how hard you worked on this case, and I appreciate it more than I can say. I’m sorry for all of my bullshit, and for what happened in Alexandria.” He smiled a little. “You’re a very good agent, Chris. One day you might even be great.”
The corner of Chris’s mouth twitched. “As good as you?”
“Well. . .” David trailed off, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully as he tilted his head to the side.
Chris laughed, looking down at the floor as he nodded.
“Thanks, boss,” he said softly, looking up and mirroring David’s smile.
They were quiet a moment, and then Chris asked, “Have you talked to Harry?”
David smirked. “Yeah, just before I came here. Two weeks paid suspension, coinciding, funnily enough, with the two weeks I was going to take off for Han. Told me not to do it again.”
Chris laughed. “Hopefully you won’t have a reason to.”
“Yeah, that’s what I said.”
There was a beat, and then David raised his hand to the back of his neck. “How’s, um – the other one?”
Chris raised his eyebrows. “You mean the one you didn’t shoot?”
David looked at him, and then away, and Chris sighed.
“He’s alive. He’s still unconscious, but the surgery went well. He’s stable, and the outlook is good. We’ll talk to him when he’s awake.”
“What’s his room number?”
Chris shook his head, eyeing David sternly. “I’m not telling you that. ‘We’ does not include you.” He pointed in the direction of Hannah’s room. “You get in there, and you stay with her until they discharge her, and then you take her home. You’ve made it this far with nothing more than a slap on the wrist; don’t fuck that up when she needs you the most.”
David scowled, though he knew Chris was right. “When did you become my boss?”
Chris grinned a little. “It was bound to happen sometime.” His smile faded, and he raised a hand to David’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, David. There’s no way he’s getting away with this. Trust me.”
David nodded, and Chris gave his shoulder a brief squeeze before letting his arm fall to his side.
“I’m gonna stop by and see Eli, and then head back to work. I’ll see you later.”
David nodded again and raised a hand as Chris started down the hall, smirking when he noticed Chris checking out the nurse they had met the night before. Shaking his head, he headed back into Hannah’s room. She glanced away from the TV to smile at him, and he settled into the chair that Chris had vacated moments before. His jacket was still beside her on the bed, up near her pillows, and he smiled a little.
“How do you feel?” he asked.
She shrugged, shifting a little to lie on her side. “Okay,” she replied. “This stuff’s pretty gre
at,” she added, twitching the IV connected to her arm.
David grinned. “I bet.”
“The doctor came by earlier. He said I could go home later this afternoon.” She grinned a little. “He wanted to make sure I’d have someone to take care of me. I told him he had no idea.”
David laughed, and Hannah’s grin widened.
“Where’s Jules?” she asked after a moment.
“Running errands. You’ll see her later,” he said, reaching forward to take Hannah’s hand in his.
“Can’t wait to go home,” she said softly, squeezing his fingers as she met his gaze.
“I know, baby,” David replied quietly, squeezing back. “You will soon.”
Hannah was quiet a moment, her gaze flicking from his face to their hands and then back as she seemed to be contemplating something.
“Is Jackie okay?” she finally asked, her voice a near whisper.
David stared at her a moment, feeling an odd mix of anger, confusion, and frustration welling inside of him. He couldn’t figure out why she was so concerned about this other man, who had clearly been colluding with his brother, and had likely hurt her as well. He had heard what Jackie said in the basement, but it didn’t make him any less culpable for everything that had happened.
“Dad –” Hannah began, but David cut her off.
“Hannah, I don’t –” He broke off suddenly, realizing his voice was sharper than he intended. Tears welled in Hannah’s eyes, and he winced inwardly. Most of the time, using her full first name meant he was upset with her, and he knew she thought he was mad at her now. He softened his voice and raised his eyebrows as he leaned forward a little. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m not mad at you; I’m just. . . confused. I don’t understand why you’re so worried about this guy. He hurt you –”
“No, he didn’t!” Hannah shook her head, tears rolling down her cheeks. “He didn’t.”
“Then tell me –”
