So what now? (Katydid50 x 5Bulletproof-Marshmellows)

[Katydid50]

Daniel stuck by Elenore's side, half a step behind her. He was aware of the receptionist's eyes on them but he didn't spare her so much as a glance. That was one thing he wouldn't miss about this place: People were too nosey. No one minded their own business when they should and they minded their own business when it would be better if they didn't. At least in the country people looked out for their neighbors. In the city, people didn't even know their neighbors.

When they had made it outside, Daniel's eyes narrowed against the slight breeze that had come up. He scanned the parking lot, glad that there was no sight of anyone. When Elenore spoke, he glanced over at her. "Mine. I'll pick up your car later, or get someone else to pick it up and bring it back." He had enough contacts in the city who owed him favors, not just his ex-boss. Even if he couldn't get in contact with any of them, he didn't mind walking back to get her car. A walk would do him good and he might just figure out a thing or two.

Digging his keys out of his pocket, he led the way over to his truck. He hadn't bothered to lock the doors, mostly because there was nothing inside worth stealing and the vehicle itself had seen better years. He opened the passenger side door for her, waiting for her to get in before closing it and walking around to the driver's side. He waited until she was buckled up before starting the ignition and driving out of the parking lot. Even as he drove, he wracked his brain for possible jobs, for both her and himself. He didn't like to admit it but he'd been out of the city too long. He would have to call up someone to make enquiries on his behalf.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Looking up at the sky briefly, she couldn't help but wish it would rain. She loved the rain and it would sooth her burning forehead. All the rushing thoughts had caused her to gain a fever.. too much stress in the past hour. Shivering a little when the wind blew, she slowly moved towards his car when she got the answer. It wasn't that long of a walk thankfully. She simply wanted to be home, curled up on the couch under one of the quilts her mother and Aunt Rose had made for her when she was a child. The thought of her mother at the moment brought tears to her eyes. She wished she could confide in her now...

Standing by the passenger door, she blinked when he opened it for her, not realizing that it had been unlocked before. Getting in slowly, she let him close it as she reached for the seat belt. "Thanks," she said softly. It wasn't everyday that someone opened the door for her that is unless it was Ruggles. He always expected something in return though. Her expression went blank then as she stared blankly at the dashboard. Buckling up, she sat there, not moving very much afterward.

A traffic lights later and they were in front of her apartment building. Elenore unbuckled herself before opening the door and sliding out of his truck. She was a complete mess. Locking the door out of habit she then closed it. Her fingers trailed along the truck as she walked alongside it before finally heading towards the door. It wasn't long before they were both in the elevator, she didn't have the heart to take the stairs this time like she usually did after she had gotten stuck that one time, so she endured the music and slowly stepped out once the doors opened on her floor.

Wiping away a tear that had found it's way out of her eye and onto her cheek slightly, she walked up to the door in silence, only then realizing that she hadn't taken her keys with her. Swallowing, she closed her eyes once more, not wanting to burst into tears. Sinking down to her knees, she sat down on the small little mat, remembering that their was a spare under it. She had put it there about a year ago when Grace told her that she kept forgetting her key to the apartment. Lifting it up, she sniffled, her hand searched for it blindly before she found the cool object. Pulling it out, she lifted her hand in the air, letting Daniel take it because at this point she didn't even want to get up though she would eventually...  

[Katydid50]

Daniel drove in silence, his eyes locked on the road but fully aware of the woman at his side. She was a mess, both physically and mentally. That much was obvious. He couldn't blame her. Stronger women than her had been bawling their eyes out after going through something like she had. He wished desperately that there was something he could do for her but, aside from the vitals -making sure her car got back to her house, finding her a job, etc.- he couldn't think of anything that would make any sort of difference. It had been a long time since he had comforted anyone and that incident had not ended well.

Before long, Daniel pulled his truck to a halt in front of Elenore's building and shut it off. He got out as she did, casting only a mildly curious glance at her as she locked the door. He shortened his pace so that he stayed at her side as they made their way to and into the building before falling back to let her lead him as she would. Surprise flickered across his expression as she walked toward the elevator, rather than the stairs. After they had gotten trapped in the elevator at work, he had thought she would avoid them for longer than this. With a mental shrug, he followed after her.

The music that played overhead was more annoying than anything else but Daniel didn't have the will or the energy to do anything more than endure it. When they reached her floor, he let her leave the elevator first. He caught sight of her wiping at her cheek. The corner of his mouth twitched with his attempt to hold back the anger that surged through him. The next time they met, Ruggles was going to wish he'd never been born.

When they reached her door, he waited for her to open it, only to watch in confusion and worry as she sunk to her knees. He knelt down beside her, placing a hand on the middle of her back. He didn't ask what was wrong, didn't know if he could handle the answer, but watched in silence as she reached under the small mat and, after a quick search, retrieved a key. When she handed it to him, he stood up and used it to unlock the door, assuming that was what she wanted of him.

Once the door was opened, he replaced the key and turned his attention to Elenore. She didn't look like she had any intention of getting to her feet so, without a second thought, he picked her up bridal style and carried her inside. It occurred to him only briefly that he was carrying her over the threshold as a groom would do for his bride but he irritably pushed the thought away.

Setting Elenore on the couch, he took a step back, unsure what to do. She was still a mess but he was neither sure of what she needed or even what she would welcome. She looked like she needed a bath, a meal and a bed but he couldn't help with any of that but the meal and food was probably the last thing on her mind.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Feeling his hand against her back when he sat down near her, she didn't know what to think anymore. They were supposed to be friends.. what would happen after this? Would he stop talking to her altogether? She didn't know.. Sighing, she glanced up at him as he unlocked the door before putting the key back where it belonged. For once she was glad that the neighbors never really left their apartments or were always gone, she didn't want them to see her in this state.

Her eyes widened in surprise when Daniel picked her up. Her arms instinctively went around his neck, her face pressed against the crook of his neck. For these few moments she relaxed. Even after everything that happened between them, she still trusted him. Perhaps she was naive.. after all her ex-husband had cheated on her. Closing her eyes for a moment, she then only opened them when she was set down.

Glancing around she realized that she was on the couch. She didn't know where she expected to be. Brushing her hair away from her face, she pulled it back with a hair tie that Grace or Deserai had left on the cushions. Her eyes lifted up to look at Daniel who simply stood there. "Do you want anything to drink?" for a brief moment she thought about drowning her sorrows with some wine but then quickly remembered about their child. Her arms wrapped around her waist protectively, she didn't want to lose the baby even if she didn't quite have everything figured out yet.
((Short sorry >< ))  

[Katydid50]

Daniel scratched at the back of his head, unsure what to do. It was obivous she was not alright but he wasn't sure what he could possibly do to help her. He glanced away only to look back again when she asked if he wanted something to drink. He blinked. A corner of his mouth quirked upward in slight amusement. "It's not me you should be focusing on," he pointed out before seating himself beside her on the couch.

He reached out, gently taking hold of one of her hands. Her hand was so much smaller than his, softer and scarless. His own were heavily calloused and criss-crossed with scars, top and palm. The hands of a man who knew heavy labor, of a man who knew his way around a fight. A man willing to do anything to get what he wanted. In this case, Elenore's safety. "I promise you," he told her. "Ruggles will never harm you again. He ever so much as crossed your path and I will make him wish he was never born." As soon as the words left his mouth, he looked away.

Daniel was more than capable of keeping her safe from others but he couldn't guarantee that she would be safe from him. He watched from the corner of his eye as she wrapped her free arm around her waist. He would get others to watch her, he decided. He was too dangerous for her to be around. He already made her life harder than it needed to be. It would only get worse if his old self started to rear its ugly head even more than it already was.

He gently pulled his hand away, resolutely studying the floor as if it was the most fascinating thing he'd ever seen. It was better for everyone involved that he keep his distance, no matter how the thought sent a sharp pain through his chest, as though it had litteraly stabbed him in the heart.

"Can I use your phone?" he asked suddenly, forcing himself to look at her.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

She sighed at his answer. "You're still a guest," she said stubbornly. She was doing it out of habit.. and she wanted to get her mind off of everything that had happened. Elenore never wanted the name of her boss to ring through her mind again. He was dead to her. Non-existent. Looking at him as he sat down, she wanted to lean against him but he moved first.

Her eyes lowered to look at his hand that held hers. He was always so gentle with her. Every touch was soft, sometimes firm but it never hurt her. She had seen him act differently around others.. though now she could only hope he wasn't acting like this out of sympathy. Hearing his words, her eyes locked with his. His beautiful blue eyes. A small smile reached her lips as tears formed up in her eyes. He didn't have to make promises like that. Her fingers slowly interlaced with his.

She wanted to move close but he ended up pulling his hand away so she leaned back, not wanting to move closer if he didn't want to be near her. Biting her lower lip she pulled her legs up onto the couch and brought her knees up to her chest before wrapping her arms around them. She turned her face away from him, not wanting him to see any tears that fell. She simply didn't know what to do anymore. He said things like 'I care about you' and 'I promise to do this and that' and then he always pulled away from her.

Swallowing, she closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh, more tears sliding down her cheeks. Hearing his question, she blinked. Pulled from her thoughts, she nodded her head, "Yeah. It's in the kitchen."  

[Katydid50]

Her pain was palpable. Daniel knew he was only making it worse, though he wasn't entirely sure how. He felt helpless, something he'd very rarely felt before and that he certainly didn't like. He wanted to make her feel better but he didn't know what he could do short of delivering Ruggles' head to her on a silver platter. Granted, that was still an option but not one he wanted to consider too deeply unless she actually asked it of him. He didn't want to go back there, back to his old ways. They were destructive and violent and he didn't want to be that way again. But he would, if that was what she needed.

When she told him where the phone was, he immediately got to his feet. He didn't want to do anything that would upset her more. The best way he could do that was to keep his distance.

The phone was easy enough to find. He picked up the receiver and dialed in the number he'd long-since memorized, hoping the man hadn't moved. Not likely but possible. The phone rang a number of times, making him more and more nervous the longer it rang without answering. Finally, it was picked up and he heard a feminine voice say, "Hello?"


Daniel almost sighed in relief. "Carlotta? It's Daniel Ma-. Uh, Dan Oxley." He jerked the receiver away from his ear at a high-pitched, excited shriek of words. He didn't even try to understand them since most of them were in Italian anyway and he didn't try to interrupt her, instead waiting a minute until she calmed down. "Listen Carlotta, I'd love to catch up but I really need to talk to your husband. Is he around?"

"Si, si. I'll get him." Daniel waited, listening to the faint sounds that came over the phone. He couldn't hear anything distinct, voices for sure but the words escaped him. Finally, he heard, "Danny Oxley! Well I'll be damned! I haven't heard a single word from you since you took off out of here with the intent of walking the straight and narrow! How are you?"

"Hey Dolan. Good but in a bit of a predicament."

"Of course you are. Otherwise you wouldn't be calling me. What can I do for you?"

Daniel glanced into the living room at Elenore before turning his attention back to the phone call. He lowered his voice to ensure that Elenore wouldn't hear. He didn't know what would be said -interactions with Dolan were unpredictable like that- but, if things got ugly, he didn't want Elenore to hear it.

After nearly fifteen minutes, Daniel returned to the living room. He sat down on the couch, looking relieved.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Elenore stayed quiet, not wanting to interrupt his conversation. Lifting her head, she let out a soft sigh before letting her arms fall to her sides. Her eyes scanned the room. A few of Deserai's toys were scattered across the floor. One in particular was a tattered pink bunny. It used to be Grace's.. Nicholas had even carried it around for a little while when he was in his twos. Sebastian had gotten it for their daughter. Grace had decided to keep it.

Putting her hand to her head, she put her elbow on her knee. That girl made no sense to her lately. Shaking her head, she wiped away her tears. Crying would change nothing. She briefly noticed that Daniel's voice had lowered but didn't give it any significant attention as she went back to looking around the room. The TV needed to be dusted. Sniffling, she decided that she would get to that another day.

Her eyes almost missed the neck of her old guitar that was sticking out behind the other couch. Narrowing her eyes, she got up. Pulling the old instrument out, a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Dust bunnies flew from the beautiful green guitar. It was an acoustic. Her mother had gotten it for her when she was young. They had been at a pawn shop and it was near the back, forgotten. She had fallen in love with it. It had a silver rose at the very bottom and three similar ones at the neck.

Sitting back down she did her best to get most of the dust off. Her fingers gently ran over the strings. Horrible. She grimaced before she began to work on tuning it quietly. By the time she was done, Daniel had come back. Glancing at him, she ran her fingers over the metal strings once more. Somehow they brought her comfort. Reminded her of the good old days.

"I used to be a singer," she said absentmindedly.

(( Here's what her guitar looks like. It just doesn't have the silver roses.
http://i.istockimg.com/file_thumbview_approve/9581286/2/stock-illustration-9581286-green-acoustic-guitar.jpg ))  

[Katydid50]

Daniel was beyond relieved. Dolan was his old crime boss. When Daniel had first been locked up in jail, he had been the target of the already-established cliques -and they really were nothing more than that. Dolan, arrested for stealing some piece of jewelry or something from some politician's place, had been the only one to stick up for him. He was also the one who had gotten Daniel invovled with the gangs in the first place. Dolan hadn't been much more than a bully boy himself but, when the two had been released, he had quickly climbed the ladder and dragged Daniel along with him. While Dolan didn't have much respect for anyone or anything, he didn't share Daniel's previous ruthlessness. Dolan would certainly not hesitate to have someone's legs broken over a debt or have a rival taken out, but Daniel had taken it to a whole new level that even Dolan had secretly feared. Micheal had been the only one who didn't have even an ounce of fear of Daniel.

Dolan, however, was still very powerful in the underworld, ten years later. He also owed Daniel more favors than he could ever hope to repay. Daniel hadn't planned to call any of them in until that day. Dolan hadn't been able to make any promises regarding the jobs -even he couldn't pull jobs out of thin air, at least not legal ones- but he had arranged for someone to go and pick up Elenore's car and he'd promised to get someone onto following both Elenore and Ruggles.

When Daniel returned to the couch, he was relieved to see that Elenore was no longer on the verge of tears. In her lap, she held a guitar. Oddly colored but beautiful in design. As she lightly strummed the strings, memories came rushing into Daniel's mind and he smiled weakly. When she spoke, he focused on her face. Before he could restrain himself, he spoke. "I don't know whether I told you or not but I left home when I was fourteen. I was on the streets for about a year and a half before I moved out to the country. In that time, I met this old guy whose only possession in the world aside from the clothes on his back was this old guitar. At night, he used to play and sing, was able to make a few bucks as a busker but mostly he played just for the joy of it. Taught me to play too. I can't read music but I managed to memorize the few songs he taught me."  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Her fingers gently ran down the strings. It barely made any sound from her soft touch as she played simple chords. She remembered all the times she had gone out to different cafes and sometimes even bars to play her songs. Those times had been tough. It still pained her at times that she hadn't continued down that path but at least she knew that deep down, she was still a musician at heart. Plucking another steel string, her eyes caught his when he began to speak.

Fourteen. That was a young age. She couldn't imagine what she would do if any of her children had run off. Daniel had barely ever mentioned his parents. In fact, she wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't at all. Placing her palm on top of the strings, she silenced the guitar gently. Elenore swallowed when he mentioned that the man had a guitar, reminding her of what could have possibly been her fate. She wouldn't have been able to take care of her children then.

"Here." Elenore moved the guitar from her lap and slid it onto his. "Play something," her voice was soft, not demanding at all. She simply wanted to hear him play, maybe even sing. His fingers wouldn't hurt from the metal strings. Hers had callouses at one point for several years.. but they slowly disappeared as she started focusing more on her family and making sure that they had everything that they needed. She rarely found time for her guitar, her passion.  

[Katydid50]

Long-forgotten memories pushed to the forefront of Daniel's mind and he made no move to stop them, not this time. Sitting in a dank alleyway with Carmine -for that had been the man's name, ironically- with a trashcan fire between them. The strum of the guitar strings, the man's baritone voice weaving through the otherwise near-silent streets. All other noise stopped when he played and sang. Even other homeless people, people who couldn't really afford to stop and listen if they wished to get the best shelter first, paused for a moment in their struggle to survive to cling to this fragment of beauty. Carmine had been well-known on the streets for his musical talent. When he had started to teach Daniel, people had stopped to listen then as well. It had been one of the very few bright points in his life at that time.

Daniel was jerked from his thoughts as something was lid onto his lap. He instinctively grabbed hold of the guitar neck to keep it from falling. He looked at Elenore, at first confused and then thoughtful. He looked back down at the guitar, thinking back to the songs Carmine had taught him. When he'd decided, he ran his fingers down the strings, experimenting with the sound and and situating the instrument on his lap.

As he began to play, the notes came rushing back. Carmine had adored Jack Johnson, for whatever reason. Most of the songs he'd taught him had been by Johnson, including the one he now played. It was a mix of country and blues, not something he would really chose to listen to but a nice song nonetheless. He could almost feel Carmine standing over his shoulder, nodding in approval or frowning at a mistake.

When the song finally came to an end, he let the notes fade away in their own time, watching as the strings' vibration steadily slowed. "I'm out of practice," he said quietly, once the room had completely fallen silent.

((Carmine's name is ironic because it means 'song'. And the song he played was Breakdown. ))  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Elenore couldn't help but smile as he began to play. The soothing sound of his voice along with the guitar were the best medicine she could get at the moment. Her green eyes lite up for once, showing a bit of hope and happiness in them even though she was going through one of the toughest times in her life. Without thinking to stop herself, her head found its way to his shoulder, resting on it peacefully as he reached the end of the song.

She didn't want it to end. "It's a good song," she said softly, her fingers running over the polished guitar. She knew that he would leave in time. Maybe even in a few minutes. The thought tugged at her heart's strings but there was nothing she could do about it. She didn't know why did what she did.. The next second her lips gently pressed against his jaw before she pulled away slightly. "Thank you, thank you for everything." He somehow managed to be there every time she was going through tough times. Lowering her eyes, she swallowed, unsure of what his reaction would be.

Letting her hands find there way back to her lap, Elenore didn't dare look at him now. She hoped that they could be friends... even if she was going to give birth to his child. Of course he said that he would be no good for her and her family and yet that was all he had been to her.  

[Katydid50]

The gentle pressure of Elenore's head on his shoulder did nothing to disrupt Daniel's playing. At least, not directly. His heart clenched at the action, so simple and so trusting. A glimpse of what he could never have. And yet, he forced himself to keep playing. This wasn't about him. He had his own issues, sure, but this was Elenore's time and she needed him to be strong.

When the song came to its end and the last note faded away to nothing, he stared down at the guitar, only looking up when Elenore spoke. "It is," he rasped, his voice weak and raw, as though he hadn't used it for days. He cleared his throat and looked away. This was ridiculous. He truly was pathetic. She and her kids deserved better than him. There was no help for it so why get upset over something that couldn't -shouldn't- be changed?

Daniel's inhaled sharply at the feel of her lips -her soft, luscious lips- pressing against his jaw. A sharp, almost painful twinge in his gut reminded him of how long it had been since he'd had female company... while sober. Oh, the fates were cruel. It seemed the universe was mocking him, taunting him with what he couldn't have. Like teasing a child with a fudge brownie. A stream of curses raced through his mind in the half second before Elenore pulled away and spoke again. He frowned, looking back down at the guitar. "I haven't done anything that any decent person wouldn't do." Granted, there weren't many of those left but even still...

He gently set the guitar aside. Holding it brought back memories that he didn't want to dwell over, less painful than the ones he was making now but still painful in their own right. "Was there anything you needed?" he asked, not looking at her directly. "Something to eat? Drink? You probably want a shower. I should get out of your way."  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

It seems as if he hadn't sung in a while considering how his voice was after he stopped. He agreed with her though.. Why wouldn't he? She was thinking about this too much. All she wanted right now was to be curled up in his arms with a full stomach after she had taken a hot shower. She was dreaming. There was no way that was going to happen. He pushed her away, always saying it was for the better. She still didn't agree with him.. At times it made her wonder if he simply didn't want her around at all.. but then again, he wouldn't be here right now if he didn't.

Elenore noticed how he breathed in sharply when she kissed him. When he spoke she couldn't help but slip a glance at him. Her heart fell. He looked sadder than before. She always seemed to ruin things. Lowering her head, she ran her fingers through her ponytail that fell over her shoulder. Her thoughts went back to when they had spent the night together. Her eyes went wide for a moment, remembering that he had two wounds then. "Did your wounds heal alright?" she asked suddenly, thinking out-loud rather than keeping it to herself.

"Eat?" she sighed and then slowly got up. She didn't want him to go. "I wouldn't mind eating something." After all, she did have a baby to nurture. Biting her lower lip, she looked at him once more. "Would you mind staying while I take a quick shower? Then I can make lunch for us." She had an irrational fear that her previous boss would find her at home if she was alone. If he said that he had to get going she would probably work on making sure all the windows and doors were locked for a good ten minutes.

((Daniel should take the brownie xD lol ))  

[Katydid50]

Daniel's mind drew a blank. He blinked. Wounds? What wounds? He'd gotten so many over the years that he rarely noticed -or remembered- them once he no longer had to dress them. He rested a forearm on his thigh, the minor twinge reminding him of the events that took place not six weeks ago. Oh, those wounds. "My leg still gives me some trouble at times," he admitted, lifting his arm again. "But most of the time I don't notice it. As for my head..." He motioned to the side of his forehead where the wound was now nothing more than a pink link that would, in time, fade away to nothing.He wasn't too concerned about his injuries. He'd had so many over the years, what did two more matter?

When she stood up, he watched her, trying not to look as wary as he felt. He half hoped she would kick him out then and there. But she didn't. Instead, she asked if he would stay while she was in the shower. He stared up at her, wide-eyed. He made a quiet sound, like he was being strangled. Thoughts raced through his mind, the unintentional images that her question formed and half-formed, drunken memories of the night they had spent together. God hated him.

He looked away, cleared his throat with a cough, before looking back to her. He took a deep breath and got to his feet. "Elenore," he started slowly. "Someone once said that total abstinence is easier than moderation. That man should be shot, resurrected and shot again, but he wasn't wrong. I can personally attest to that. At this point, being in the same apartment as you while you're in the shower is just beyond my realm of self-control."

It had been so long since he'd had any female company, in that regard at least. Their night together and re-awakened instincts and urges that he had previously managed to repress. He would never admit to it but many was the night he'd lain awake, craving her. Quite frankly, it was downright embarrassing for someone of his age to be in such a situation.