Finding Meridian

Returning Home

"M are you sure you don't want me to call Ken? This could take a bit longer? We'll finish up some more tomorrow since you're looking tired but we still have a while here at the hospital" Connor was concerned that she acted completely cold about the whole thing. He had worked with her in the government and seen the cold spells during times but it still freaked him out. Her reaction to sitting in a room with a dead body was as if she had a house plant sitting in the corner. It was clearly disturbing. He wanted someone to make sure she didn't break at some point. Not even a tear from her yet.

"Ken will freak damn it. I'll have to slap him to get him to stop freaking out and screaming. I'm fine Connor; I've been through a hell of a lot worse and not a fragile vase. You called the band right?"

"Oh shit, sorry M, let me go do it now. You gonna be ok while I also grab us coffee?" Connor asked in a worried tone of voice.

"Unless you want to jump up on this table and throw your feet in stirrups then I really don't think you can help that much right now" she said sarcastically.

"Ugghh, I love you but I'll pass. You sure you're ok me running out?"

"Yes, Connor, get me 3 shots of espresso with heavy cream please. Oh and thank you Connor for everything."

"Of course doll face, just no stir ups for me, ask your fiancé ha ha."

She stuck her tongue out at him. He gave her a hug and ran out to call and get them coffee.

Once Connor left she layed there during the whole exam and pictures and such. Never once saying a word to anyone.

Maybe Ken will be home or come home from guys' night out when I call him once I get home. I might as well find a new day job. I don't have the energy for a bunch of people on pins and needles around me all for nothing. It's nothing. Worse has happened, much worse. This is why I have a cold side so this stuff doesn't affect me. Damn premonitions, I still feel something bad is going to happen again. Damn it! How much more could happen to rip my life apart but at least I still have Ken and the band. It'll all be OK. I won't be surrounded with people acting like I'm about to break.

"Ms. Hayden we are all done and I'm going to release you. You do have a concussion, a couple of vaginal tears, numerous bruises, a three broken ribs and expect to need the painkillers tomorrow. You should have someone wake you ever 2 hours and keep an eye on you especially with your current medical condition. You have an injection kit at home correct?"

"Yes, can I leave now?"

"Just sign here and here is a painkiller prescription for you. No driving or operating machinery for 3 days but according to how you feel after that. I need to see you back in 3 days to confirm everything is fine. Call with any questions no matter how small you think they are, OK?"

"Of course, thank you, doctor." Just then Connor walked in.

"Connor, will you drop me off at the flat?" Meridian asked. He could feel her cold front coming back in. Here comes the ice queen he thought.

"Of course doll, I caught the observation part, is Ken going to come home from work to watch you?"As Connor asked he was watching to see if she lied to him.

"Yes, I'll call him. I'm sure he will Connor"

"Well, I'll be calling you 2 hours after I drop you off to check on you just in case, no arguments doll face. I've got your bag and stuff in the car, I know it's not supposed to go back to you but I pulled some strings."

"Connor, thank you." They proceeded to get in his police SUV and drive to her place.

~~~~~~~

"Sirs, we just got some news. We will be able to re-enter the offices in 15 minutes. As far as who was shot and the injured they said the Chief of Police will be here in 20 minutes to talk to you personally" Damon stated coolly.

"I just want to know if she is ok, damn it can't anyone just tell me!" Marcus screamed in the Mobile Operations Center.

"Marcus, we will know soon, Drake help me out here" Logan said telepathically.

"I'm not getting into this until we know everything" Drake said telepathically.

~~~~~~~

"Connor, I'm fine. I'm just going up an elevator. "

"What are you gonna tell Ken? You've got some nasty hand prints all over you. Mr. Benedict is going to want to know medically what happened, can I tell him?"

"Ugghh, thanks Connor thanks for reminding me I need a cover story. It'll take him a good hour to get home so I'll figure something out. Yes, you can tell Marcus but no medical reports or pics. Sorry about your bruise too."

"Call me if you need anything M. I'm calling you in 2 hours and if you don't answer I'm breaking down your door."

"Yes, Officer" Meridian teased. "You do look good in uniform, always have."

"Please exit the vehicle Ms. Hayden before I steal you away from your fiancé and have to take you in for lewd comments that completely stroking my ego."

"I'd say something else but it's just gonna get worse, talk to you soon Connor."

Connor proceeded to drive off as Meridian entered the building. Connor called his office to check in. "This is Chief O'Brien, please notify Mr. Benedict that I am on my way over to talk to them and escort them back to their offices and will arrive in 10 minutes. Also, make sure you keep an unmarked car outside of Ms. Hayden's resident. I want a call if anything unusual happens."

"Mr. Benedict, Chief O'Brien is on his way and will be here in 10 minutes to talk to you and also escort us back into the building" Damon said quickly.

"It's about damn time" Marcus screamed as he ran his hand over his face.

~~~~~~~~~

As Meridian exited the elevator she heard music coming from the flat. He must have gotten out of work early. It will be so nice to crawl in bed.

She opened the door to see clothes thrown from the living room trailing into the bedroom.

"And I had to ask if anything else could go wrong, shit" Meridian said while pulling out the gun.

"Thanks Connor for giving it back."

As she walked into the bedroom she heard it "Fuck me Ken, fuck my slutty pussy…oh Ken…oh yes." "Take it you whore…oh take my cum you whore…take it all." Meridian flipped on the lights and said "Ken take your whore and get the hell out." He started to scramble to get his clothes when he noticed she had a gun. "No Ken."

Her eyes had changed from blue to a dark gray to match a bad thunderstorm. "Mer, sweetie, it wasn't what it looked like. It was an accident. I love you. We can make this work."

She made a face of disgust and said "Ken Doll, get the fuck out. There is no WE. You have 2 options: A. Get the fuck out now before I shoot your ass and yes you will be leaving without clothes, the girl I'll let get dressed then leave. You will be leaving nude. I will tell your friends we had differences we couldn't work out. I'll even let you mail me your new address and I'll ship your shit to you. B. I shoot you, tell everyone you know that you're a cheating bastard and I rain down hell on you. I will trash and destroy your entire life. I've had a very fucking bad day so it might be to your benefit to pick option A. B would be highly painful and drawn out."

"Mer, honey, rethink this, I could call the police for you aiming a gun at me."

"Ken Doll, honey, I could call all your gambling debts and offer your ass up as a big nude fest to help pay for your debts. Didn't think I knew about that did you?"

"Ken, you told me you were separated, you fucking bastard! Lying bastard" the female screamed.

"The only separation was me going to work. Ken, for once in your life be a gentleman and give this girl cab fare so she can get home. You unfortunately, will have to retrieve your wallet from the dumpster located under our balcony. Now give me your answer A or B"? Meridian look annoyed and pissed but not hurt just pissy about the whole situation.

"Damn it, A" he grunted as she tossed the cash to the girl who ran out. Then she made him walk into the other room and leave without any clothes. Kicking him out and padlocking the door behind her, not letting him have his keys until he retrieved them from the dumpster without the house key on it, each key individually thrown in the dumpster. She took his wallet removed all the cash.

She laughed watching him run around the front of the building nude. She threw his empty wallet in the dumpster. Grabbing an old kitchen pan she sautéed his credit cards and tossed them in the dumpster from the balcony. Ken proceeded to jump in the dumpster…time for a picture as she grabbed her digital camera.

Talk about dumpster diving.

Time for a shower and new sheets…eww.

~~~~~~~~~

Connor arrived at the reception area of the office building of Benedict Imports.

"Mr. Benedict?"

"Yes, what happened?"

"Let's go up to your offices so we can talk in private."

As they walked into the office Marcus noticed all the blood in Meridian's office.

"We don't know anything yet Marcus, calm down" Logan told him telepathically.

They all sat in Marcus's office and he waited for Chief O'Brien to break the bad news.

"Mr. Benedict, at approximately 1:00 pm this afternoon someone broke into your offices. The individual had a key card and was obviously very familiar with your office procedures plus security. They stole data from your server as far as I understand and proceeded to attack Ms. Hayden. Ms. Hayden and I are old friends and I was meeting her for lunch. When I arrived a man had beaten her and was attempting to rape her. I came in with my gun drawn. He hit me when I was attempting to pull him off Ms. Hayden and threw her against the wall and I proceeded to grab my gun and shoot him. He did not survive. We are still in the middle of an investigation. What questions do you have for me? I will answer what I can."

"Chief O'Brien, how is she? Was she raped? Is she in the hospital? I want to see her. Feel free to call me Marcus, you've worked with my security before and always helped us immensely. I assume you are working with Mr. Damon Bryant on how the individual got in and such."

"Please Marcus feel free to call me Connor, normally I couldn't disclose anything but I'm allowed to tell you some since she gave me permission. I dropped her at home and Ken was supposed to be coming home from work to keep an eye on her. She has a concussion, 3 broken ribs, and numerous bruises and will probably hurt like hell tomorrow but she'll be fine. The concussion is not severe. I can give you her number so she can tell you when she feels up to visitors. Our office is working with Mr. Damon Bryant to make sure we get you all information in regards to the case. I cannot disclose the pictures and medical documents regarding Ms. Hayden. She's sensitive about it. Now just between us, avoid her today like the plague. I've known her for years. She's tough but later today will be her pissed off uncaring evil best. She'll be a nightmare to be around. Ken has one rough night ahead of him. As far as the rape, in all honesty, he did some damage with his fingers and that is rape but he did not have a chance to penetrate her with his penis. She's tough she'll recover."

Just then Connor's phone was ringing. "Can you hold on one minute while I take this?"

Marcus replied with "Yes" and Connor walked into the other room.

"He fucking hurt her, FUCK, if he wasn't dead I'd hunt him down and kill him" Marcus said telepathically to Drake and Logan.

"Marcus, she's alive. She'll make it through. We'll check on her. She doesn't have to know we're there if you want to keep it low key." Logan said in response.

Connor re-entered the office chuckling and Marcus looked at with an evil frown. "Sorry for the interruption. I have an officer watching Ms. Hayden's place."

"Connor, did something happen? Is she ok?" Marcus asked anxiously. Damn I sound like a little kid only worried about the girl and not why someone is stealing from me and had my assistant attacked.

"Well from the way things look Ken is going to take the brunt of her being pissed off. Marcus we've worked together a couple times so just don't tell her I told you. She caught Ken with another woman" and before he was able to finish he heard Marcus say "Shit, she doesn't need that right now."

"I apologize if I'm laughing but she tossed him out nude, dropped his empty wallet in the dumpster with no cash, sautéed his credit cards and dumped them with his car keys. He's trapped in a dumpster and one of the officers is taking him in to book him for indecent exposure."

"Should she be alone?" Marcus asked while slightly laughing.

"Don't worry Marcus, I'll be calling her shortly and make sure someone stays with her, there is no way we'll leave her alone during this."

"Connor, thank you for all your help and we'll get this all straightened up. Shit, she'll probably never want to see me or come near this place ever again." Marcus was running his hand over his face.

"Marcus between us, the worst thing you can do is to treat her like a victim. If you go see her tonight do not, I repeat do not expect her to fall apart. Don't tell her it's ok to fall apart. She'll slam the door in your face. You can be supportive, strong but do not expect her to fall apart. It's not her nature. She'll be cold and will resent anyone who treats her like she's going to fall to pieces."

Marcus's phone rang right then and Damon came on "Marcus the camera in Ms. Hayden's office was able to catch most of the incident. I just received the report and it is not the same as the video." Right then Marcus heard Connor say "Damn it."