Louise was flung backwards to the ground landing hard on her backside, the momentum so sudden she had to shake herself from the confusion. Instantly she turned her head toward sounds that were muted thuds to her left. She realised quickly that the tattooed man had been knocked clear off his feet as well and was currently being punched about his torso and face wildly.

John.

John was punching him about the head and chest.

John's fists meeting flesh over and over again, hard, sure and full of long pent up rage.

He continued on and drove his anger into the nameless man on the ground.

John had launched from his darkened post like a man possessed. Having shadowed an upset Louise for many blocks, not strong or indeed brave enough to show his face to her after being so quick to decide her motives, so nasty and blind to her tears at the Grapes.

He did what he did best in the shifty streets of Liverpool. Where it wasn't uncommon for ted gang to wander the footpaths. Rival gangs could linger on either side of a carriageway, they would circulate so close yet with hatred always there, waiting. With razor blades sewn into coat collars in-case an enemy grabbed from behind or switch blade knives shoved up cuffs for ease of use, sharpened belt buckles another weapon of choice. Liverpool was, and is a mean, tough city.

John didn't think Lou silly at the time, he knew he was what drove her, he knew who she was searching for and even in knowing that he still let her walk alone, albeit with himself loitering in the shadows as they made their way towards Mendips. Having stayed secreted behind her, he just accepted he was there and ready to protect her.

No thought of consequences or worry for his person....

As if a locked door had opened, a feral rage was allowed to flow.....

John now attacked like a madman.

Not for a year or more had this sort of pent up ire been allowed to flow through his veins and out his knuckles. Usually he would have a counterweight of reasoning beside him, Paul usually, to ebb the wildness and settle John's volatile and quick to ignite anger, down. The settling of John's anger required to protect both the victim from Johns pounding, and John from the inevitable trip to a police watch-house.

Louise clumsily got to her feet, after shaking her head free of the mists of confusion once more she moved a few metres more, steps taken backwards til she hit a low brick wall, she wouldn't even dare to try and come between John's fists and the horrid man now lying prostrate on the road. Lou called out shakily, John heard the shakey tremour in her voice and stopped momentarily, earning one heavy blow to his cheek and another to his chin.

Louise stepped forward now worried her interruption had made John the target but he was gone. Turned once more to continue on and on, and lay more hard angry blows into the now unmoving, battered body on the ground.

In the end he stood, fists at his sides, lungs burning, sides heaving.
He was exhausted from pounding the assailant senseless.
Breathing heavily, he kicked the broken man in the side twice for the good measure before charging over to Louise, bloodied face, swollen lip, bare knuckles and wild eyes full of dying yet palatable rage.

Lou's fingers laced around his slowly, warily, drawing him to her. The tension she felt, melding and shifting with Johns. She held on for dear life, she held on for all her fears and she held on to him because she didn't want to hold anybody else.

Their footsteps hastened as they made their way down the road, faster and faster as they fled her fears. Putting a protective arm around each other they never looked back, just vanished into the night to find somewhere quiet, somewhere safe. Somewhere together.

Finding her hankie, she wet it well in the stillness of the lake, this spot right here was free of the tall reeds and allowed you to sit cooling your heels in the height of summer or nearly letting you catch the laziest duck that wanted all the stale crusts you had brought to cast on the water.

Walking back to a worn and tired looking John resting on his back. She watched him clutching his chin with, what must be, an aching hand. Dropping to her knees, she sank to the dewy grass beside him.

"Ouch Mabel" Face contorted from the touch of the thin wet fabric and her fingers, he grimaced and wiggled a tooth.

"Don't you pull that out!"

"It's loose"

"Leave it be, it might mend itself"

John lifted his head ever so slightly in question, one eyebrow cocked

"BBC1 health program last Thursday"

"Oh Louise. You and those rubbish programs, girl" He teased tiredly.

"Well, I was bored"

Louise patted the area a tad more gently, she wasn't a nurse maid in the least but having Evie brought out a few more maternal instincts she never even knew existed inside her. The hankie now mostly dry was taken back, swirled in the cool inky dark water and she used her finger to create a figure of eight.

Over her shoulder John was grumbling about his jaw and the big arse bruise he would no doubt have tomorrow.

Lou decided to make him smile, to forget the pain for a moment or two. She began marching back wildly swinging arms like a mad person making his shadowy face break into equal measure of cheesy grin and pained wince. The hankie refreshed and cool was handed over so John could administer to himself now.
Louise settled down beside him, hugging herself for warmth at first then she decided to lean into John, nudging his elbow carefully so not to bump his hand holding his jaw, then placed a butterfly kiss on his cheek whispering "My hero"

"You should not have been walking out like that, lucky I was following you"

"You were what!?!"

"Following you" John uttered begrudgingly under his breath, then turned to touch her chin, making her eyes meet his. So he could see her lips scold him directly not wanting her to scold as she watched her shoes.

"I was looking for you, you imbecile!" Louise shook his arm gently laughing and made him groan in slight pain, sobering to the fact of why they were here in the first place "I didn't know John, truly I didn't know about Ma packing me off"

"I know. I knew as soon as I saw your face crumple and still I scared you making you cower and marched off full of anger. And look what I did... I put you in danger"

"He was one of them, you got him Johnny" Lou touched his face, her eyes thanking him. Louise began kissing him gently, careful not to cause pain, turning his face so he could see her emotions as the moon lit their skin. Lou looking after his good cheek and unbroken lip thoroughly. Feathering breathy light butterfly kisses along his skin.

He let her.

Falling back on the grass beside the lake, bringing her down with him, it felt so good, so right. After feeling her feather many more over his earlobe and begin to flow what seemed to be hundreds along his neck he rolled her over and became the giver and she the taker.

Not even the sting of the injury stopped him, making himself slow down, he deepened his kiss. Exacting an opposite kiss to her light and breathy ones. His were controlled and searching and when she moaned in the moonlight he grinned along her jaw and when she ran a hand through his hair he wanted more , so much more. They got carried away in the cool night air, so warm they were together, cold apart, so close, so safe with each other.

Nothing to think about, no worries of what was to come, no thought as what had happened in the all too near past.

An owl hooted close by and broke into the silence. Johns' groan as he thought best to stop before he wasn't able to, was the only other noise in the night.

Up on an elbow he gazed down upon his wife, his wife, deciding to make sure from here onwards he would remedy their situation, make her understand she was wanted for real and that the deal was over, shredded to tattered pieces.

Running fingers through her hair, trying to get any grass clippings out, they sat huddled together holding each other close on the damp ground.

Neither wanting to stand or walk away to break the beautiful spell that seemed to swirl and surround them.

Neither wanting the morning to come but both excited for the new day.

Kissing Lou softly once more, John made a move and stood pulling her to her feet "Come on luv.... let's go see our beautiful daughter"