Chapter 61

There was a lot we needed to do. The first, of course, was to make sure we were fully safe. So we forced the door back in place since Luke had broke it down. We managed to get it to lock somehow again - which was very lucky for us considering the lock was originally broke; he knew how to somehow fix it, which saved us a lot of time. Besides that, for our own peace of mind, we even pushed the couch from the living room around to the kitchen and to the now closed and locked door. We didn't expect anyone to find us here but we needed to be cautious at the very least.

After that, I checked to make sure Jack was okay as Luke slowly made his way upstairs and would meet me in the bathroom. I felt terrible though and wanted to stay with Jack when I found him laying under the dinning room table, shaking, and whimpering still. He didn't react much as I tried petting him. I checked him though and made sure he was in no way hurt. My poor dog... I looked him over and saw he must just be scared. That was better than him being dead - which I still found to impossible. I mean, I have no idea how Luke managed to get Jack out of there but was so happy he managed to. Besides Luke and my dog, the only one I was really worrying over now was... well, Francis.

I sighed, stroking my puppy's damp fur. He didn't want to move much; he just wanted to stay hiding under the table and I didn't blame him. I was ready to climb under there with him but since I needed to help Luke and my body was sore to even bother, I couldn't. I did grab a towel from the bathroom down the downstairs bathroom though and wrapped Jack up in it as I also managed to find him some dog food. I set a dish of that as well as some water just besides the table since he refused to leave his hiding spot.

Cringing as I was kneeling, I sighed as I ran my hand over his head and massaged his ear for a moment as I looked into his scared eyes. "Everything is okay now, buddy. We are safe here. I set some food and water out here for you... and me and Luke will be upstairs for a little while, okay?" I asked in a lighter voice, swallowing. I could only imagine how shook up my innocent pup was. I wished I could help him... but at the same time, we all needed a little help. Especially Francis at this very second. God... I just hope he was okay.

My mind couldn't leave him. Especially with his coat wrapped around my still chilled body. His scent from it, spice with hints of nature, hit my nose and I couldn't stop worrying... thinking about where he could be now. I didn't know his cell phone number off the top of my head and even if I did, I don't know if I would call him anyway. After all, what if he is still with those people that attacked us and they checked his phone, or saw him answer to us...? Not good. My paranoia over it rose; I can only imagine how bad it will be when I tell Luke that his brother was there with us at the house during the attack. I planned to do that later when he settles down a bit and when we are cleaned up.

I gave Jack a few more strokes along his fur from my hand before I stood back up and headed towards the living room and the stairs. We agreed to turn no lights on in any areas that had windows around us. So as I moved up stairs and to the bathroom in the long hall I knew he was in with the lights shinning through under it, I wasn't hesitant to knock. I was eager to help him after all and did so when he let me in.

The light shinning from above the mirror was the first in hours I've seen that wasn't from the moon. It made my eyes burn just slightly as I took in the rest of my surroundings as I shut the door behind me. First was Luke. He stood before me with a blank look on his face. I could see him much better now... with his soft hair damp to a darker color, his skin looking pale, and the dried blood more clear to me along his forehead and eyebrows. But there was more; all along his uniform, scattered dots here and there... and a big spot of dark red on the left side of his stomach from what I could tell through his uniform. Not to mention, the shakiness in him was still there... especially, no doubt, after looking in the mirror. His eyes were still bloodshot red when they met mine and quickly went to look me over. Ha... as if I was the one he needed to be worried about. I was sore, bleeding a little, and shaky still but nothing like him.

Behind him was the shower and to his left, the toilet along with the sink right next to it. It was an average sized bathroom, with soft green colored walls and matching rugs along the floors. From where Luke was standing though over the white of the vinyl, it was tinting red from the wetness of his body - from the blood and the water from most likely the snow outside as it dripped. I swallowed hard as I looked back up into his observing eyes. I took a step closer to him and raised my hand closer to him... his chest... and I gingerly ran my hand down his chest and uniform... along the blood that was drying with each second, most of it already dry. I stopped for a second and looked back up at him. "Can you take your shirt off?" I asked in a quiet voice.

He nodded a moment later as he sighed, pursing his lips. He wasn't finished looking me over. "Before I do though," he said, finding my eyes again with his soft jade ones. "I want to look you over. Take that coat off," he said and I groaned, knowing how concerned he was. And it was because of this concern that I couldn't tell him about Francis just yet. It would do no good now when we couldn't do much yet about it and he was still incredibly shook up.

Sliding the coat off, I also kicked the boots off in the process. He didn't pause a second before he walked forward and looked me over. Which, from what I could see when he looked me over, I was fine. I noticed I did have some small cuts on my arms but not bad. Until he circled and went behind me... he froze. He froze and when I looked behind me to him, I saw his eyes widen slightly and he looked on edge again. "Oh great," he groaned, swallowing slightly as he was staring at my back. His eyes came up and found mine. "Your back is a little bloody. Probably from the glass," he said, concern speaking with his voice quietly. Pursing his lips, he stepped forward and I felt his fingers move along the hem of my shirt. "Here, let me help y--"

"No," I cut him off, spinning around to look up at him more and so he wouldn't try to help me before I do him (clean him up that is, guys). I mean, I couldn't even feel my back bleeding; it stung but it couldn't be as bad as him. So I wouldn't have it. I gave him a stern look. "I'm cleaning you up first. Then you can help me," I said, sighing. "You are much worse than I am," I pointed out.

He was going to try to fight me on it but I wouldn't let him. I took his hand in mine, which was just trembling slightly now and I led him over to the toilet. Putting the seat down, I gestured for him to sit but only I wanted him backwards, facing the wall so his back was facing me. I gestured him to do so and I heard him sigh when he sat, no doubt sore. And sure enough, when he did that and I caught sight of the back of him... it was soaked red along his upper back.

It made my heart jump, my breath catch. I was more anxious than ever to heal him, make him feel better, clean away all that blood. To warm his freezing body and pick out all this glass. "Take your shirt off now if you can. Do you need me to help you?" I asked the back of his head I was facing. He looked up behind him to me and winced slightly, giving me the smallest of a smile when his eyes met mine.

"No. No sweetie, I got it," he said, facing back forward again. And I watched from where I stood as he began to slowly unbutton his uniform. It wasn't long until he slowly slid it off his body and slowly down his shoulders... his sore hurting body as I got a hot wet rag. It felt so nice... that hot warm water. I was still cold as all hell but he was the concern at the moment and not me. Especially when his bare strong back came into my sight and it was coated his own blood up near his shoulders. Little dark spots lining along his skin - the source of all this blood. Luckily, it only looked to be a couple big shards that was causing all this bleeding. It shouldn't take long and it didn't look to serious. However, when I moved to the side and looked him over too from all angles, his back wasn't my first concern anymore.

My eyes zeroed in on his stomach slightly, which looked like was cut wide open. "Luke!" I said, shocked as I took him in. His eyes looked up to find mine. And when he saw where I was looking, he groaned, as if just realizing that was there now too. "Oh god, what happened?" I asked as I took the rag I had, knelt down on the side on the floor, and started to wipe up around the cut the blood.

"I don't really remember how that happened. Might have been when I was trying to climb out of the garage window and got caught on something sharp," he groaned, eyes closing with a deep breath as he felt me slowly and carefully wipe the blood away and dab at the wound.

I paused after he spoke those words to me. And those words made my eyes widened. I had to stop for a small moment and look up to him. "You ended up in the garage somehow?" I asked, my stomach twisting. God, what kind of hell did he have to go through after we split up and I ran?

He nodded, sighing, eyes looking down in thought from mine. "Yeah. A lot happened after you left. It was a bitch to get out of there, even if I don't really recall how," he whispered under his breath, gaze in mine again. He gave me a small tilt of his lips, but not strong enough to call a smile. "I'm fine though; that's what you need to remember."

How could either of us be fine after that? Those words were just for reassurance I knew as a general instinct. However, what held my attention as I slowly started to dab at his bloody cut again was the words before that. "What do you mean you can't really recall how you got out of there?" I asked, craning my neck up to his eyes.

He was staring down to where I was kneeling and wiping away his blood, his eyes fill of wonder and confusion as he tried to remember. "I mean... I can't recall how I ended up in some places. After you ran, I was on the roof still then I jumped back through the window in the bathroom... then... I-I just can't seem to recall how but I ended up downstairs, and was forced to run into the bathroom... and I think that's when Jack followed me. He followed me into the bathroom at the end of the hall. We were trapped... and I'm pretty sure I broke through the wall. I tried getting through the wall, yes, into the garage since the bathroom and garage share a wall..." he said trailing off, trying to remember and recall if that was exactly right, his eyes lost on the floor next to me. I had to stop tending to his huge cut again and this time, I stared up at him in shock.

"You went through the fucking wall?" I gaped, shaking my head. "You went through the wall of the bathroom and to the garage? How?" I asked, a lump forming in my throat. Just because he tried as hard as he could, and tore through the fucking wall. The fucking wall, folks. Who does that shit? Um, nobody excluding superhero's. He did it because he was trapped. And I wasn't there to be trapped along side of him like I felt like I should have been.

He nodded and had a delay in speaking as he thought. "Yeah. I, uh..." he groaned. "I kicked through the wall, shot at it like a mad man, and used a part of the sink that broke off too. It took a bit but just enough time to break through into the garage. And I got Jack through too or he somehow followed me. Then, it took me forever to get out. Somehow, I managed to have the time to call for back up.... I couldn't before because I had no time. But I think... yeah, I was basically hiding in the garage until they noticed me. And before the police got there, I somehow managed to climb out the window in the garage and run since there weren't as many in the backyard. Again, I must have picked up Jack and took him with me even though I don't recall that part...."

I was so stunned and blown away -nearly to pieces it felt like. How... how could he do all that? It was amazing and incredible and heart breaking for me. "I should have been there. You shouldn't have made me leave," I whispered under my breath, sighing as I swallowed back my tears and tried to calm myself.

He offered me a pleading look as I watched his hand move down to where I was kneeling next to where he was sitting on the toilet. He cupped my cheek and ran that hand up and through my hair gently. "No, you shouldn't have been there. I needed you to go - because we both needed to get out alive. Everything is okay now. I'm here with you," he nodded slowly.

"You didn't make me go to better the chances of survival for the both of us. You did it to purely save me in the safest way possible, not caring about yourself," I whispered, biting my lip.

He searched my eyes and gave me a struggling look. "I do care about myself. I just... care about your life much more than my death coming. I fought to get back to you, to my family.... I was sure I was dead but I still fought. It wasn't just a lost cause," he said, nodding and it made my heart jump. At how hard he tried... how brave he is and how loving he was. After seeing him do so many amazing things for me, I can't stop being surprised he would do this stuff for me and for anybody, really. He was just that wonderful. And the devastating part... is knowing that he would do it again and probably will with our luck.

"What bothers me... is knowing that this will happen again to us," I scoffed, getting back to wiping away that blood before I moved back to get the dressing I set beside me to patch up his stomach now and stop it from continuing the bleed.

I first cleaned it out with medicine that stops infections out before I did the dressing and patched him up. But all the while... Luke was still thinking over what I said, I realized when he actually spoke up in the growing silence. "It could happen again," he said in a sorry voice. "Because... I don't know who they were. Who those people were. If they were connected to the gang, Clare, or someone else... I mean, neither would make sense."

I sighed. "Well we will get things sorted out," I said in a confident voice. "We are safe here, we will contact the police tomorrow... after all, they eventually ended up at the house right?"

"Right," he nodded. "I radioed back to them that I couldn't report anything yet. I couldn't come in and talk and I was running. I could get in huge trouble and shit but I needed to find you and they made a very big exception to let me go after they saw how serious this was. I talked over the talkie for but a minute... but they are looking through everything. Background checks of who these men were and their possible connections. But the thing is... they might not get far. We don't even know who these guys were. The gang? There is no reason since we paid them off unless someone sold out Francis. I doubt Clare. Hell, it could be a whole knew pain in the ass problem somehow because I never saw that many guys before that were so... trained."

I bit my lip, looking down at my work as I patched him up. Because at his words... of saying Francis's name, I had to assume the gang. It made sense if they found out. But the number there, and how skilled they were like Luke said.... I doubted Clare. She was out with her friends; could she have lied? Oh yeah. But she had her own plan of getting rid of us... she wouldn't do something like this and how could she, right? Of course, we couldn't be sure of anything....

We didn't know, bottom line. But we would figure out. I was just grateful we could figure this out here, in a safe place, with the police looking into it at the same time. It made me feel a new form of relief... and though our chances still weren't good, we couldn't really think about that at the moment.

I knew it would be hard for us to get over and we might never. We killed people tonight. We almost died ourselves. And we didn't know when something like this would happen again. We had every right in the world to be anything but okay. But we were safe for now and that's what we needed to remember. We reached a place where every single day would be important for our survival no doubt.

I patched up his stomach. Thankfully, according to him after I finished with that, he said it felt better and looked worse than it really was - which was a relief. Then I stood back up from where I had knelt down to tend to the big gash in his stomach. Now, I moved around to the front again, which now was his back I was facing. His arms forward and resting on the back of the toilet, I could clearly take him in... take his bloody smeared back with the source of it all up near his shoulders along his upper back. Glass shards still penetrated his skin there and I was more than anxious to remove this glass, wipe up the blood, and patch him up again, this time his back.

I got tweezers, a wet cloth, and a lot more dressing after we finish up. But by the looks of it, it wont be for a while. Because even as I wiped away some of the blood before I even got started, it was clear there was still a lot of glass left. So I went to work.... picking little pieces of glass out at a time and putting them on the counter next to the toilet.

"How much more is there? I want to get to you soon..." he sighed, biting his lip as he tilted his head slightly back to meet my eyes behind him. I didn't pause in my work on his though. Plucking out a big shard of glass from the texture of his smooth skin.... He groaned louder at that one.

"Sorry," I said. "But I'm not as beat up as you are. You can do me next then you should probably take a shower. You're still shivering," I said, one of my hands resting on his bare shoulder could tell enough. Through his shakiness and how cold his skin was. "You're cold. And bloody, and sweaty no doubt," I said, bending down just slightly more as I closed in on another shard in his skin. This one specifically was a bitch to get out.

It was clear there was this flatness in the air - as there should be after what happened. We were trying to deal with what happened. But I soon realized... I was trying to force myself to think about it so much to the point of acceptance; I just couldn't. My mind would force itself away if I thought about it for too long. Numb to it really. And I realized Luke was as well. Or maybe we needed to be numb for now. Because it was too much. Which would explain his humorous words a moment later....

"I don't know if I should point out the fact that you are shivering too, meaning you probably need a shower too like I do..." he said, and I could hear that amusement in his voice. Staring at the back of his head as I had instantly come to a stop, I bit my smile as I felt my heart jump in my chest. And in a good way.

I smirked slightly, feeling a wash of warmth over me ever with my cold body. "What are you trying to say officer?" I asked in a slightly teasing voice, getting back to picking out the glass from his back. It was still causing a bloody mess with my shaky hands and with how much there was.

"Absolutely nothing," he scoffed, making me roll my eyes and shake my head, knowing exactly what he was joking about. "That's why I said I didn't know if I wanted to point that out to begin with." Either way, it was just nice to hear that lightness here... even if just a little. Because how can we tackle what happened right away? When all is still fresh and not figured out, and when we were both physically hurting at the same time. At least that could take some of the pressure off of thinking about the attack.

Eventually, I finished up with picking out the glass from his back. I cleaned his back of the red liquid and cleared it to his smooth pale skin of his back... and after I did that, I patched him up with the dressing. It was quite the process, to say the least. I could tell he felt colder. After all, the heaters weren't exactly on with this house vacant and he was just shivering with no source of warmth besides the hot cloth. It felt good just to hold it in my hand as I rubbed his back.

I could see even more how nice that hot rag felt against him. Because after I finished up fully with his back, it was time to handle whatever it was that was making the blood drip down his forehead. It would be nice to actually face him now after staring at his back for the longest time. So I took hold of his arm carefully after I set the tweezers down and the rag.

"Okay, not much more now," I added as I guided him to turn back towards me.

I guided him up to stand and he did, not needing my help... but he was still cold, and sore obviously, and mentally... not sure. He seemed okay though, much more stable in his eyes, when I came to look into them. He moved his legs around to the front and sat normally on the cover of the toilet now, facing me and so beautiful. Just as a man, to have done all he has, and to stare up into my eyes with such life. Life lit his eyes, the life that could have faded tonight more than I was willing to accept still.

"Does your back feel any better now that I patched you up?" I asked in a soft voice, moving to stand closer to where he was sitting. To the point where my cold knees pressed against his. His neck craning up to stare up at me, I gazed down into his, feeling much lighter.

"Yes," he nodded and spoke in a soft whisper. Not looking away from his eyes, I reached over and grabbed the rag I just freshly rinsed after I was done with his back. And freshly soaked with hot water... it felt so nice on my hands, that warmth. I felt colder than I had before downstairs; probably because I took off Francis's coat. "I'm okay... just wipe the dried blood up and let me help you," he said in a more persistent voice, wanting more and more to tend to me.

I rolled my eyes and brushed off his comment. Watching him as I slowly started to dab along the top of his forehead and into his hair... I was happy to see the relief on his face. Of the warmth of the water. I felt his soft breath leave his parted lips where I was cupping near his cheek. His eyelids lazed gently at the feeling, as if I was soothing him. I wanted to soothe him. I heard the soft sigh escape him when I felt it against my hand slightly. At the same time, I felt him tilt his head more in my hand... like he was giving himself to me more. His head tilting to the side into my palm, I continue to stroke his cheek as I rubbed away the dried blood along his hair line and the dry drops along his forehead and his eyebrows that caught it.

By the time I finished up with cleaning up the blood along his face and wiping away the dried red from the source in his hair above his forehead, he grew too impatient. I was done with cleaning him anyways. Of course, I would have rather had him take his shower before he bothered with me but I knew he wouldn't have that - and he didn't. "Take your shirt off and please sit down," he said in a solid voice. He's been persistent this whole time that he needed to tend to me as soon as possible....

Groaning, I did as he said. Unbuttoning my damp plaid shirt, I could feel more shivers come to my skin. Especially as I parted my shirt with a sore cringe. When I looked down at myself as I slowly took it off and there were a couple bruises along my sides and stomach. Not to mention the cold air on my bare skin. At that and the sight, I looked back up to Luke. His green eyes held mine with pursed lips after he looked over the few brusises on my stomach. For me it was instinct to roll my eyes. Before he could even comment on it, I jumped in. "Don't even start," I said softly, turning away from him and facing the toilet. I moved to sit down as he had before, straddling the seat and facing the wall as my bare cool and slightly bloody back was now facing him.

"Sorry for worrying," he muttered, making me smile slightly. But it quickly dropped not long after he went to work against me (and no, not in the good way). He did as I had. He wiped what he could of the blood away from my back, with smooth and slow strokes of the warm and bone caressing touch. It was so nice... until it got to the part to pick glass out of my skin. Luke handled it well enough, so it couldn't be that bad right? Well... it became apparent how many grunts and groans he held back from me when I did it because it was nearly impossible for me to hold my hisses at the feeling.

He was, after all, shaking as I was and there wasn't anything to do about that until we take a shower. So his shaky hands dug in a little deep with the tweezers with some spots. And even if he didn't and he did it successfully, did it gently, it still hurt. I had to bite my bottom lip a lot of the time and I felt it only make the chills in my body rise. But we needed to get this over with. And we did, much more quickly than it took with him. He was either really efficient, I sucked, or there wasn't much glass. Of course, he had to unclasp my bra to get to some of the glass that was making me bleed slightly. But as I held it to my chest as he did so, I could feel him pick more out... until there wasn't anything left besides a slightly bloody back.

"Okay," he said in a positive note. "We are done," he said, clasping my bra back and allowing me to drop my hands. "You look worse than you are."

I scoffed and shook my head as I looked behind me to him. "Wow, well thanks, that makes me feel wonderful. You look ugly too." I said, smirking under what I showed to be an effective pissed off mask.

He laughed at my words and rolled his eyes and it was so nice to hear him laugh fully like that. I wanted to hear it again and fall asleep to his playful laughter and his soft voice. "Ha-ha. You know what I mean. And I'm going to forget you called me ugly," he said in an offended voice, making me snort. "Because I know you are lying."

***

We cleaned up the bloody rag, the glass we plucked from each others skin. Now, I needed him to go in the shower - and I told him no to me going in before him. We were both shivering - but he was much worse. And this point, so cold that I felt the need to help him take off his police belt.

"You take your shower, warm up, and I'll find bring you some clothes," I said, standing before him as I undid his belt. It was actually quite hard to undo with how much equipment was on it and how secure it was fastened.

"I guess I can't stop you," he grumbled. I looked up to his pursing lips and just as I felt myself finally able to loosen his belt, he reached down and grabbed something from it. "So here," he said, looking down to what he grabbed from his belt. And it was a little flashlight he had on him. He set it on the sink and looked back down to me as I started to take off his heavy belt now. "You take this and go through my old room. Remember, no lights," he said and I nodded up to him, finally moving his belt off and I set it on the sink, looking back up to him. He took the initiative to start undoing the button on his pants... until I saw he was having a hard time with that too.

Shaky myself, it took me a second but not as long as it would take him and I slid the button out and unzipped his zipper, still staring up into his soft green eyes and blank expression. "I also want to get the heater going. Where is it in the house?" I asked.

"It's just down the hall near the top of the stairs," he nodded down to where I was standing before him, pursing lips. After you get everything, wait outside the door; I wont be long."

I rolled my eyes. "Shower. Don't just get wet and get out. Take a shower, I will be okay. That patch and dressing can last in water so you are good with that too," I said, smiling. "Do you need help getting your pants down?" I asked. Serious too might I add because I held back my smirk. But I knew he would run with my words.

"I do actually," he said in a serious voice though I knew he was lying. And because he was shivering, I wasn't going to waste time. I rolled my eyes and snickered and I pushed his pants down. Down and past his hips and thighs with my fingers until they fell to his ankles and he stepped out of them, left only in his boxers now as he kicked his shoes off too. And I wont lie. He always looked good but right now, he looked more than good.

"Am I still ugly?" he grinned down to me as I felt him step closer to me, with that smile but that sorrow still in his eyes he was forcing to hide. And I think that's what we both were doing... because we needed to.

"Eh..." I shrugged and I felt him lean down, giving my lips a sweet peck. My hands resting against his bare and no doubt sore chest, I felt the warmth under that cold. Soon though, he moved back and I did as well. Warmth was more important that lips at the moment. I moved back towards the door, smiling softly. Of course, when I moved towards the door and told him I'd bring in his clothes, I felt something invade this light mood. And that was the fact that I would have to tell him that Francis was there when he finishes showering and I finish as well.

Shutting the bathroom door, standing out in the dark hall with his flashlight, I sighed. I didn't know how he would take it... but it wouldn't be good. I could only hope he was okay. I mean, he had to be right? He was sure he would be when he wouldn't come with me. I mean... they didn't kill him. He was sure of his safety. Yeah... he was fine. He would be and I would tell Luke that later. Still not yet. He was still shaky, even if we were much more calm....

Groaning, I headed down the hall and before going into Luke's room, I turned on the flash light and went to where I saw a little box on the wall near the stairs. After all, we needed heat in here. It was cold as were our damp and chilly bodies. By the time I got to it and actually cranked the heat up warmer than average, I could hear the shower going in the bathroom. And just that sound gave me relief knowing he was in the shower and warming up.

Next step: clothes. I turned the flash light off when I reached Luke door. After all, I wanted the windows in there to be closed before I turn the flash light back on. We were paranoid, yes, but if by chance someone is outside, they would see someone is in the house. We didn't want that. So when I went into Luke's old room, saw his blinds were closed along his windows and his sledding door to a balcony. I turned the flashlight on a moment later and headed towards his dresser. I knew he had some old clothes here....

I sifted through the drawers, holding the end of the flashlight in my mouth to use both of my hands. And I found the warmest things I could for him: a baggy and soft sweater that was dark blue. I also found a pair of grey sweat pants for him too. And with my cold skin and being only in a bra and jeans, it demanded a presence in my mind, I grabbed a grey sweatshirt for me as well as some sweats of his for me too. I grabbed socks for him too and even went to Jan's room, and found some socks of hers too. Boxers for him were a lost cause; he didn't have any I could see. Maybe he went solo whenever he spends the night here.... Or maybe he didn't have many and needed all of them where he lives now. I would have to ask him later.

It took me a moment to find what we needed. But when I did, I was instantly moving back towards the bathroom door, where I could hear the shower coming. I opened the door up and was instantly engulfed in hot steam from the room. It felt... so good. So warm. "I got us clothes," I said, shutting the door, not wanting the steam to leave the room. It felt so good... I set his clothes on the toilet lid close to the shower where I knew he was getting warm on the other side of the shower curtain.

"Thank you," he said, his voice echoing from the shower. It felt so nice in here... so warm and it was pure relief for my cold body.

"Dude, don't feel uncomfortable but I'm not leaving the bathroom," I said, moving to back across from the toilet and sitting against the wall opposite of it, facing the sink, my head tilted towards the door. I mean, it was so warm in here and it comforted my cold and damp body... I was shaking this whole time to some extent and for the first time, I felt my nerves calm and warm up. "It's so warm in here...."

I heard a soft laugh come from behind the curtain. "Okay," he chuckled, his voice lighter... and I felt happy knowing he wasn't as shook up as before. And neither was I... the sad part was the fact that it was because we couldn't deal with the turmoil of what happened yet.

Sighing, I rested my head back against the wall... so warm in here. And I could just imagine how warm he was feeling. The hot water beating down on him.... My mind was in two places at this point. I wanted to be where he was. Or I wanted to be with him and his sweet body. Dear god, just shut up stupid brain. Yeah, clearly, there was some kind of defense mechanism kicking in or something if that's what I was thinking about right now. I knew that too... especially when I felt my heart ping in pain at just the recall of what exactly happened... of me shooting those men, taking their lives, and of how close we were to dying... fuck. And I forced it out, blocking it. Story of every cruel thing that has happened to me. Shove it back, handle it slowly and later. Sounds good to me.

It wasn't much longer until I heard Luke shut off the hot water. It made my heart skip a beat because that meant it was my turn. Not to mention, I don't know if I could stop my eyes when he steps out of the shower. Before I could ponder anything else over, I heard him to my right a few feet away as he stepped out of the shower. I forced my eyes to stay locked though and on the floor at my feet, not even letting my side vision get the best of me. I heard him pick up something and could feel his eyes on me.

"I'm not and wasn't fully nude," he said in a soft and amused voice. At that, I raised a brow, glancing over to him standing there. I felt my heart jump instantly at the sight before me. He was standing on a towel he laid out outside of the shower, with another towel wrapped around his neck. I also noticed he still had his boxers on. But it's not like that hid too much. The rest of his strong body glistened from the lights above the mirror and I smiled softly, getting to my feet and focusing in on his soft eyes.

"That was a quick shower," I said with a slight frown. "You know I could have waited longer."

"Yeah well... I didn't want you to," he said simply, looking down to the clothes I brought him as he gestured me casually forward. The warmth still in the air from the shower felt so good... I couldn't imagine how great he was feeling right now. Apparently, he wanted to share a bit of that with me.

Smiling softly, I felt him wrap an arm around me as I neared him and chuckled softly in surprise. And even more so, pleasure at just how warm he was feeling. His wet and warm body... it felt so good as he pressed my chest and body up against him. Staring up at him, I felt my own eyes relaxing and wanted to stay like this forever. Damn, can't imagine how the shower is going to feel.

"Wow, you're hot," I said, sighing against his body. However, I knew right now was not the time. I needed to get in and shower because I needed to tell him about Francis. I didn't want to do it before I go in the shower because I wanted to be with him the whole time after I tell him.

He gave a throaty chuckle. "Thank you. You're not too bad yourself," he said and I rolled my eyes at him.

Lost in his eyes, I forced myself to snap out of it as I smiled and softly rested my hands against his sides. "Um, are you feeling okay?" I asked, biting my lip. "I mean, are you feeling more calm now, a little more better if that makes sense?" I asked him gently, wanting to know. Of course, either way, I'd have to tell him after I get out.

His eyebrows lowered and his smile faltered slightly in thought. He sighed and nodded. "I feel okay. Better. I'm just... blocking it out, trying to not focus too hard on it."

"And if you do?" I asked, pursing my lips.

"Then I do and I deal with it," he said, nodding. "Meaning, I can handle talking about it if you want to," he nodded in support, obviously thinking I wanted to talk to him about what happened to try to get through it. However, it was concerning more of who was there, not what happened.

I nodded. "Okay," I smiled. "You get dressed before things go somewhere else and I'm going in the shower," I smirked up at him and he chuckled softly under his breath, letting me go and I already felt that cold come back. He looked more worried now than before - which I couldn't blame him for. If only he knew what I really had to tell him.

***

I didn't take as long as I wanted too; I was anxious now to tell Luke. I mean, we weren't leaving the house even if we wanted to and there was nothing we really could do besides really try to check up on him. I still felt the overwhelming need to tell him now since I allowed myself to do so after our showers. However, that was before I realized what he was doing while I was getting warm - which was a great feeling. We both stopped shivering by the time I got out, even if that cold shadow still remained in our bones.

When I got out and got dressed in Luke's old baggy clothes I picked out for myself, I noticed a few things after I stepped out of the bathroom. My main focus and my attention went to his voice and it locked onto that. He was talking to someone... and he was in a room a few down from him. A guest bedroom I saw when I stepped in.

the first thing I noticed was Luke - he was always the first thing.... But I took straight notice of the phone he was holding up to his ear and talking into. Puzzled, I instantly thought something big was up.... until he saw me walk in and mouthed a word to me that calmed me - Jan. He was talking to his mother and I saw I didn't need him to tell me that with how softly and reassuringly he was speaking with her. And though that's what I wanted to focus on, I couldn't for a second, not with where he was sitting in the room. And that was on the mattress of the bed... but a mattress he chose to move to the floor with the bedframe next to it still. I also noticed if it had something to do with the fireplace in the room that was close to the mattress too... but I would learn of a different reason after he gets off the phone.

"Mom, mom, listen to me. I told you, we are safe," he said in a sweet voice over the phone. He paused for a moment as I knew Jan was responding to him. And all I could do at that moment was take him in, his clothes I got for him, and the candles that were lit as our light. I also noticed that the sliding glass door to the balcony was blocked with drapes like they sound be. To my delight surprise, I noticed Jack was sitting next to Luke on the mattress. All this was a relief in many ways as I came to sit on the mattress by Luke, crossing my legs as I dried my hair with a towel.

"Because I can't. It's dangerous if I tell you where we are. We are hiding and we are safe. And mom?" he said, his green eyes found mine as he turned to face me as he spoke, crossing his own legs on the mattress on the ground. "I want you to take Brooke and Shannon and go stay at a hotel tonight. Just to be safe is all in case they come looking for us," he said. Calmly too which was why we needed to wait to do this crap. If he called before he calmed down, he would be a wreck and make her panic.

He paused for a moment and bit his lip, groaning as he thought over something. A long paused stretched on between her and Luke over the phone I could tell and I saw Luke... struggling with something. He took a deep breath. "And mom... if Clare calls you, don't pick up. If she contacts you, if you somehow see her... don't let her in the house. Just go to a hotel now, alright?" he put calmly. "Everything is okay with Albany, I'm fine... just go to a hotel for the night, no big deal," he said nonchalantly.

After his mom tried to find out more and Luke told her he couldn't say much, she finally gave in and said she would go to a hotel. And it wasn't long after this that he finally got off the house phone and set it on the floor next to the mattress. Sighing, he looked back up to me and gave me a small smile. One I couldn't return exactly until I tell him about Francis.

There was a moment of silence between us for a moment until I felt him uncross his legs and stretch them out next to where I was sitting, facing him. And in the process, his eyes met mine in a soft caress over my face and into my eyes. Before he could say anything as his hand softly started to pet Jack, I had a questions first.

"Why did you put the mattress on the floor?" I asked him, scoffing.

"I didn't want it by the sliding door, even with it locked and blocked with curtains. With the rare off chance someone starts shooting at this house too," he said in a quieter and lower tone with a frown. "That way, the lower part of the bed would block anything since we are on the floor. Plus, we are closer to the heaters," he said. "It's still cold so that's why I lit the candles that I could find too," he said, nodding towards the table of the them I saw when I walked in. Only they were lower to the ground but still out of Jack's reach.

I pursed my lips and nodded at all he told me. It made sense with everything he said.... "Good ideas," I smiled and I knew, right after I said that, that he sound see right through me. And see that I needed to tell him something. So I saved him the question. And I told him. I moved more towards him and sighed, stressing my eyes in his. "I need to tell you something that I didn't want to before. It's important... and I needed you to be calm," I said in a slow voice, watched the candle light flicker over his face and it lit the room rather well. As it did his eyes that grew cautious.

"What do you mean?" he asked carefully.

I licked my lips, taking a deep breath. "Someone gave me that coat I was wearing... and those boots too," I said, my voice uneven and I tried to clear it of everything. I watched him carefully... and I saw his jaw tighten, eyes slacken of confusion. At a possibility that I knew he was thinking - one that was right.

"Someone gave them to you?" he swallowed. "When?"

"When I was running through the woods... he caught up to me."

"Who?" he demanded I say his name. His eyes grew and his breathing picked up very heavily. He knew who I meant, who I was talking about. Yet, he still needed me to say it. I saw his body frozen and his skin pale as the silence between us... grew. Grew to the point where realization was evident. And still... I needed to say Francis's name. And I did.

***

We were laying down on the mattress, tucked against each other. More so, me holding Luke to me as I ran my fingers through his hair and rested my chin against his neck. Hugging him to me as we laid there under several blankets to keep us warm, he was still heavily breathing, his hands on me stroking my bare skin on my sides under the clothes.... I think that's the only thing he could concentrate on - that and my hair he buried his nose in to take those deep breaths of his.

We tried to call Francis's cell phone. And got no answer. We tried... at least 15 times or more. And Luke wanted to try again when I told him that if he didn't answer yet, he wouldn't. It was best to try to call him tomorrow. Luke was having a hard time with that as we laid there together. "I need to find him, Albany," he whispered into my hair and I could feel a shiver run over him for a second. I squeezed him tighter to me. Because that's exactly what I wanted to do too.

"I know. We just... can't do anymore for tonight. We will call tomorrow and if no answer... maybe we will look for him."

"What if I shot him?" Luke said in a lighter, more vulnerable voice as he moved his body against me more.

I groaned and pet the back of his head with a faster hand as I shook my head. "No, I told you," I whispered. "You didn't shoot him, you didn't okay?" I said, holding him closer to me.

"I shot so many people tonight," he groaned, his voice brushing my hair and his breath to my skin. "Some was a haze..." he said and I could feel that shaking come back. "Fuck."

"Hey," I said, moving my head back and sliding my hands up, cupping both of his cheeks. "You did not shoot him, do you understand?" I said. My eyes locked in his, I told him in a strong voice, "We are going to find him. And he is going to tell us what happened. He probably just can't talk right now if he is with them or he is sleeping. We will find out tomorrow," I said, caressing his cheek. "Luke, it's driving me fucking insane because I want to know! I want to go out there and look for him, see if he is at the hotel he is staying at.... I want to see him and know he is okay. But we just can't tonight, okay?" I said. And it was true. I was on his side and wanted to track down Francis and know he is okay. But we were exhausted, we needed to keep ourselves safe and hidden for the rets of the night in case they are still out there, and we needed to rest.

He sighed and nodded against me and I felt him lean in slowly, resting his forehead against mine as he took a deep breath. "I know..." he groaned, shaking his head. "It's just driving me crazy," he said, his arms circling to my back.

"I know," I whispered and nodded. "That's why I'm here," I sighed against him and held him to me too, one hand still on his cheek. "Tell me we aren't going back home?" I asked in a soft voice, a question I wanted to know ever since I started wondering what could happen. "We can't go back home. We can't when we don't know if Clare did this. And we can't since they know where we live and have such a force like that... we need to stay hiding."

He nodded in agreement, one of his hands coming up to clasp the back on my neck. "We aren't going anywhere. We will stay here... until everything is done. There is no going back," he said in a soft voice. "And it's scary, I know, but I'm happy... because I just want to keep you safe in a place I know I can do so.

My heart jumped in my chest and I bit my lip, loving his words. A small silence reached the air... comfortable and welcoming, nice and relaxing as we rested even more into the blankets and the pillows we were sharing. My leg wrapped up and around him, my one hand of his cheek stroked his skin... as his hands led themselves to my lower back, holding me tighter to him from under his sweatshirt I was wearing.

"Luke?" I asked under my breath.

"Yeah?" he asked, that worry still in his voice.

"Just remember I love you," I said as I leaned in from where our foreheads were pressed together. Until I pressed my lips to his. And I kissed him, his sweet lips that were soon powerful back and against mine, holding me tighter and drawing my lips in, my breath merging with his, and his warm body fit with mine perfectly as we kissed. And even though we had no clue of what else was going to come, we did know we would have this to look forward to after all this bullshit is over.

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I'm sorry if this seemed messy to you but I had a very rough time editing this and writing it as well. My head hurts and I've worked on this much harder than most. I tried keeping it at a good length but I'm sorry if it seems long; I really shortened it as much as I could. And now, I'm pretty burned out. Sorry but I do hope you still enjoy it.