Riley fixed David kakitama-jiru - Japanese soup that her mother had made for her when she was feeling sick, and made some hot green tea for him as well.? After he'd eaten, she drew him a bath and put some lavender and comfrey essential oils in the water.? The oils would soothe both his body and his mind.
David felt oddly conflicted about being home at last.? He was incredibly relieved to be there, with Riley near him, yet it almost seemed like a foreign place after a month of seeing nothing but the walls of that room in the warehouse, and Dave's mocking face.? He'd forced himself to sip the soup and tea slowly, and now he lay back in the warm bath and closed his eyes.? Images of the fight between Dannika and Dave flashed through his mind, and the way the blood had poured out of Dave after he'd pulled the dagger from his back.? A shudder went through his body, and he opened his eyes back up.
Riley frowned softly and reached to cover his hand with her own and gave it a gentle squeeze.? "It'll take time," she said softly.? "But you'll get through it.? I'll be here."
He put his other hand on top of hers, and looked up into her eyes.? "What about you?"? He couldn't even imagine how it must have felt when she'd realized that Dave wasn't David.? She hadn't asked many questions about the ordeal yet; and he couldn't blame her.? He didn't want to tell her that he'd been gone for an entire month, a month with that monster pretending to be him, talking to her, touching her...? He hastily killed that line of thought.
She shook her head and disengaged her hand, drawing her knees up under her chin and wrapping her arms around her legs.? She didn't look at him for a long time, didn't speak, didn't seem to even breathe.? Finally she stirred and a close examination would reveal the fine hairs along her arms were standing straight up.? "I...? How long were you...down there?"
He was silent for a long moment, then sighed and answered quietly.? "He got me when...when I went to see Callie's body."? He couldn't bring himself to just say it had been an entire month.
She blinked in shock.? "That..."? She broke off and reached for the cup of tea she'd carried into the bathroom with her, taking a sip of it before continuing.? "That long ago?? Jesus f*cking Christ."
"He hit me with a Taser, then injected me with some paralyzing chemical and carried me off like a sack of laundry."? He thought of being carried through the streets, unable to move enough even to look around.
She kept her hands wrapped around her tea cup, drawing its tepid heat into her body to ward off a chill that had nothing to do with the ambient temperature of their kitchen.? "Did he...? Did he tell you about Sargent Cooper?" she asked softly, hesitantly.
"Yeah."? He nodded.? "The f*cker came to see me every day or two, to gloat about something he'd done."? He took a deep breath, closing his eyes.? "He killed my parents, Riley."
"Oh, god, David," she said with a gasp and her eyes flooded with tears.? She knew he wasn't particularly close to them, but their loss must still be hitting him hard.? "I'm so sorry."? She set her tea cup down and reached out for his hand again, taking it and holding it tightly, as if she could pass some of her strength into him through the bond.
He squeezed her hand, feeling the strain it took to put forth that much effort.? He was so weak, still.? His voice shook slightly as he continued.? "He was laughing when he told me about it.? It was fun for him."
She shook her head, a cold, vicious rage rising up in her.? "You killed him, David.? It was no less than what he deserved.? Hell, I kind of wish you'd left him for Jaguar."
"I know."? He sighed again.? "He killed my ex, too.? Charlotte."
She closed her eyes and drew in a sharp breath, shoving away the impotent rage she felt.? There was nothing she could do now but try to ease David's pain somewhat.? She squeezed his hand and then opened her eyes.? Nodding towards the tub, she asked softly, "Is it cold?? Do you want to get out?"
"No, it's nice.? Relaxing.? I need some of that right now."
She gave him a lightning-fast smile and rose from her perch on the closed toilet lid.? "I'm gonna go get you some clothes.? Do you want anything else?"
"Amnesia?"? He cracked a smile.
She chuckled softly and balled up her fist.? "Maybe if I hit you hard enough..."
"Right now, one of your ballet kids could probably take me."
She made a sad face.? "You missed the showcase.? They were brilliant."
"I'm sorry."? He knew there had to be dozens of things he'd missed in the past month. He fell silent, looking down at his hands.? The looked pale and thin to him, like the rest of him.? As soon as he was stronger, he was going to have to do some serious practice and exercise to recover from the effects of his captivity.
She leaned down and buried her face in his hair, inhaling his scent deeply, her hands moving down his neck and out over his shoulders.? She closed her eyes and a tiny sob escaped her before she shook her head angrily and stood.? No, she couldn't let him see her break down.? He needed her strong.? She forced a smile and said, "Take as long as you want in here.? I'll be out side.? Holler if you need me."
I need you here, now, he wanted to say, but he knew she needed time to process everything that had happened.? Time alone.? He'd heard that little sob, felt her shake her head, and understood what it meant.? She wasn't ready to open up yet...that was normal for her, always putting up the strong front.? "I will," was all he said.
"I love you, David."? Then she was gone, the bathroom door shutting quietly behind her.? She went into the privacy of their bedroom and laid out clothing for him on their bed. She went through the door that led to their private patio, then, stepping out into the cold, clear air of the late Autumn night.? Curling up in a tight ball on one of the wicker chairs there, she closed her eyes and indulged herself in a moment of falling apart. The tears came, sliding down her cheeks,. hot and silent.?
David had been gone, trapped, chained up like a rabid dog for a month, while that...that...monster...had been in their house, in their bed...? She suddenly felt nauseous and sprang to her feet, moving quickly to the edge of their property where she unceremoniously emptied her stomach into the boxwood hedge, over and over until dry heaves wracked her body painfully.
Finally, the dry heaves abated, and she straightened, her legs and knees wobbly and weak.? She dragged the back of her hand across her mouth and took a deep breath.? "Christ," she whispered and the word reminded her of David...and the tears started anew.? She sat down heavily on the chair she'd abandoned and sobbed, her hands covering her face, silent tears tracking down her face.
David felt oddly conflicted about being home at last.? He was incredibly relieved to be there, with Riley near him, yet it almost seemed like a foreign place after a month of seeing nothing but the walls of that room in the warehouse, and Dave's mocking face.? He'd forced himself to sip the soup and tea slowly, and now he lay back in the warm bath and closed his eyes.? Images of the fight between Dannika and Dave flashed through his mind, and the way the blood had poured out of Dave after he'd pulled the dagger from his back.? A shudder went through his body, and he opened his eyes back up.
Riley frowned softly and reached to cover his hand with her own and gave it a gentle squeeze.? "It'll take time," she said softly.? "But you'll get through it.? I'll be here."
He put his other hand on top of hers, and looked up into her eyes.? "What about you?"? He couldn't even imagine how it must have felt when she'd realized that Dave wasn't David.? She hadn't asked many questions about the ordeal yet; and he couldn't blame her.? He didn't want to tell her that he'd been gone for an entire month, a month with that monster pretending to be him, talking to her, touching her...? He hastily killed that line of thought.
She shook her head and disengaged her hand, drawing her knees up under her chin and wrapping her arms around her legs.? She didn't look at him for a long time, didn't speak, didn't seem to even breathe.? Finally she stirred and a close examination would reveal the fine hairs along her arms were standing straight up.? "I...? How long were you...down there?"
He was silent for a long moment, then sighed and answered quietly.? "He got me when...when I went to see Callie's body."? He couldn't bring himself to just say it had been an entire month.
She blinked in shock.? "That..."? She broke off and reached for the cup of tea she'd carried into the bathroom with her, taking a sip of it before continuing.? "That long ago?? Jesus f*cking Christ."
"He hit me with a Taser, then injected me with some paralyzing chemical and carried me off like a sack of laundry."? He thought of being carried through the streets, unable to move enough even to look around.
She kept her hands wrapped around her tea cup, drawing its tepid heat into her body to ward off a chill that had nothing to do with the ambient temperature of their kitchen.? "Did he...? Did he tell you about Sargent Cooper?" she asked softly, hesitantly.
"Yeah."? He nodded.? "The f*cker came to see me every day or two, to gloat about something he'd done."? He took a deep breath, closing his eyes.? "He killed my parents, Riley."
"Oh, god, David," she said with a gasp and her eyes flooded with tears.? She knew he wasn't particularly close to them, but their loss must still be hitting him hard.? "I'm so sorry."? She set her tea cup down and reached out for his hand again, taking it and holding it tightly, as if she could pass some of her strength into him through the bond.
He squeezed her hand, feeling the strain it took to put forth that much effort.? He was so weak, still.? His voice shook slightly as he continued.? "He was laughing when he told me about it.? It was fun for him."
She shook her head, a cold, vicious rage rising up in her.? "You killed him, David.? It was no less than what he deserved.? Hell, I kind of wish you'd left him for Jaguar."
"I know."? He sighed again.? "He killed my ex, too.? Charlotte."
She closed her eyes and drew in a sharp breath, shoving away the impotent rage she felt.? There was nothing she could do now but try to ease David's pain somewhat.? She squeezed his hand and then opened her eyes.? Nodding towards the tub, she asked softly, "Is it cold?? Do you want to get out?"
"No, it's nice.? Relaxing.? I need some of that right now."
She gave him a lightning-fast smile and rose from her perch on the closed toilet lid.? "I'm gonna go get you some clothes.? Do you want anything else?"
"Amnesia?"? He cracked a smile.
She chuckled softly and balled up her fist.? "Maybe if I hit you hard enough..."
"Right now, one of your ballet kids could probably take me."
She made a sad face.? "You missed the showcase.? They were brilliant."
"I'm sorry."? He knew there had to be dozens of things he'd missed in the past month. He fell silent, looking down at his hands.? The looked pale and thin to him, like the rest of him.? As soon as he was stronger, he was going to have to do some serious practice and exercise to recover from the effects of his captivity.
She leaned down and buried her face in his hair, inhaling his scent deeply, her hands moving down his neck and out over his shoulders.? She closed her eyes and a tiny sob escaped her before she shook her head angrily and stood.? No, she couldn't let him see her break down.? He needed her strong.? She forced a smile and said, "Take as long as you want in here.? I'll be out side.? Holler if you need me."
I need you here, now, he wanted to say, but he knew she needed time to process everything that had happened.? Time alone.? He'd heard that little sob, felt her shake her head, and understood what it meant.? She wasn't ready to open up yet...that was normal for her, always putting up the strong front.? "I will," was all he said.
"I love you, David."? Then she was gone, the bathroom door shutting quietly behind her.? She went into the privacy of their bedroom and laid out clothing for him on their bed. She went through the door that led to their private patio, then, stepping out into the cold, clear air of the late Autumn night.? Curling up in a tight ball on one of the wicker chairs there, she closed her eyes and indulged herself in a moment of falling apart. The tears came, sliding down her cheeks,. hot and silent.?
David had been gone, trapped, chained up like a rabid dog for a month, while that...that...monster...had been in their house, in their bed...? She suddenly felt nauseous and sprang to her feet, moving quickly to the edge of their property where she unceremoniously emptied her stomach into the boxwood hedge, over and over until dry heaves wracked her body painfully.
Finally, the dry heaves abated, and she straightened, her legs and knees wobbly and weak.? She dragged the back of her hand across her mouth and took a deep breath.? "Christ," she whispered and the word reminded her of David...and the tears started anew.? She sat down heavily on the chair she'd abandoned and sobbed, her hands covering her face, silent tears tracking down her face.