Strange Days Ch 42 47

So sorry about the delay, folks. Busted water line under the foundation of my house, a sick kid, both parents sick, kid sick again, us parents sick again...holy crap, it's been a rough month. Oh, and on top of all of that, my sister got married, and all of us pitched in to set it up and tear it down, since she was on a budget. Life loves to get in the way of writing.

This segment is a bit shorter, since I figured you readers had waited long enough. I hope it's enough to sate you until I can get the next segment posted, and it's almost done, really. I'll probably try to stick with segments of this length from here on out, so while the posts will be shorter, they should be more frequent. Because of the shorter length, there were a couple of items I hinted would be addressed in the next segment, but ended up being addressed in the next-next segment, which was originally supposed to be part of this one.

Please, please, please keep voting, and as always, I truly love the feedback.

-redskyes

Chapter 42

Getting in and out of the bathroom wasn't pleasant. Really, moving around at all kind of sucked in general. Detective Willis came back, just as he said he would, and took my official statement. I remembered just about everything, the exception being pretty much anything after Todd tried to choke me.

The nurses insisted on giving me sponge baths for the next couple of days. It was only on the morning I was being released that they let me take a shower. I could take off the heavy bandage wrapped around my chest to shower, but would have to put another one right back on. Personally, I was tired of looking like a teenage boy - my breasts were already kind of small, but to mash them flat with a bandage, give me a break.

Anyway, I'd kind of hoped that Sarah would have been the one to help me take a shower, but she was at the apartment getting things ready. I tried to get Trevor to help, but Mom and the nurses frowned on that somewhat, saying 'no monkey business' until I was in better shape. I told them I wasn't interested in that. Honest.

I lied. Sue me.

Mom helped me into the wheelchair and Trevor pushed. It took some doing to get me into the backseat of Mom's car, but we managed, and soon, we headed home. Home being my apartment. Mom wanted me to come home with her, but I wouldn't have it. This was my home. It was where I wanted to be. Needed to be.

As Trevor was helping me work my way down the hall on crutches towards the freight elevator, it was coming back down. The doors opened and Sarah was there, with two older men carrying toolboxes and wearing coveralls. She shook their hands and thanked them, then saw us.

"Just in time," she smiled, eyes tearing up already.

I held my hands out to her, smiling ear to ear. She came to me and gave me a hug, careful with my sore ribs, then she turned my face to her and kissed me. "Welcome home," she whispered, and I could tell she was fighting tears.

When we were in the elevator, I took her hand, "What was with the plumbers?"

"You'll see," she grinned.

Trevor tried to hide his own grin. Mom didn't bother. She was rocking heel to toe with excitement. The doors slid open and the first thing I saw was a claw foot tub, right next to the shower.

"What..." I started, stopped, and looked at them. "What is this?"

Sarah kissed my cheek and helped Trevor get me inside. "Paula's dad sends his regards."

"With a bathtub?" I snorted. "Didn't someone tell him he could just send flowers?"

"It was that or get you one of those chairs for the shower," Trevor told me, guiding me to the couch. "Paula's mom figured you would prefer the tub."

"Every woman prefers a tub," Mom said, making Sarah and I chuckle. Mom looked at me then. "Would you like something to drink, sweetie?"

"Coffee," I groaned loudly.

Mom frowned. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather have juice or something?"

I frowned harder. "I've been in a hospital for over a week, drinking that concoction they call coffee, when it's really just decaffeinated double-brewed tea, at best. Now, coffee, or I kill someone."

Mom was grinning by the end of my rant, and Trevor was laughing, eyes shimmering. Mom shook her head and went to the kitchen. I smiled up at Trevor and winked at him. He just looked at me for a moment.

"What?" I asked.

He shook his head and came over to kneel in front of me, putting his hands on my thighs, careful not to bump my bad knee. His eyes welled up with tears.

"Trevor," I reached out to touch his cheek. "What's wrong?"

Tears fell down his cheeks. He carefully laid his head on my lap and hugged my lower body. He was being so gentle with me, but I could feel him trembling, knew he wanted to hold me tight. I ran my fingers through his hair.

"I'm okay," I soothed him softly.

After a moment, he sniffed and sat back on his heels, smoothing his hands down my arms. He looked down at my left hand, took it in both of his. I watched as he rubbed his thumb over my fingers, focusing on my ring finger. After a long moment, he looked up at me. The intensity of his gaze, so much feeling, almost took my breath away.

Wait. My ring finger? Oh my God. Was he going to...?

Trevor blinked and smiled, "How about a hot soak?"

I nodded, watched him go, wondering if he'd really been about to ask me to marry him. No, he wouldn't, would he? And if he did, was it because he wanted to, or because of what happened to me, the emotional trauma to him that resulted from it? Gawd, what would I have said? Yes? No? Not right now? Ask me later? But then what about Sarah?

Sarah.

Jeezus.

I don't know why I'd never thought of this, but what if she wanted to get married someday? There was talk of new same-sex marriage laws in New York, but...would she even want to marry another woman, let alone me? What about kids? Would Sarah even entertain artificial insemination? Would she want to adopt? Would Trevor want kids?

Fuck, I was only eighteen years old! Why I was even thinking about this?

"Amy?" Trevor said at my side, surprising me, and giving me a concerned look.

"Sorry," I shook my head and took his hand to help me up. "Got lost in a train of thought."

He smiled. "Apparently. Bath is ready."

Damn. I really had been in my own little world.

Trevor helped me make my way over to the tub. He took one of my crutches and put my hand on his shoulder as he bent over to take my socks off. I curled my hand against his skin, so glad to be home, that he was with me during all of this. With my socks off, he reached for my shorts.

"Hey, buster," Mom snapped her fingers, walking over to us with a heavenly cup of hot coffee. "I think we can handle that."

Trevor blushed and smiled. "Right. Of course."

Mom took over, and when Trevor went to sit on the couch, I leaned close to her.

"You do realize we're having sex, right?" I whispered in her ear.

"Amy!" she hissed, trying not to laugh.

"What? You've

always

asked me to be honest with you," I told her, then I shrugged a shoulder. Stupid move, apparently, because it hurt like hell, seeing as how it had been the left shoulder, the same side where I'd been kicked in the ribs. "You don't freak out about Sarah." Mom just shook her head as she took off my top. When she still didn't say anything, I asked, "Is it because she can't knock me up?"

Mom flicked a wide-eyed glance at me, then her expression turned thoughtful. "Honestly? Maybe." She helped me into the tub, which was delightfully hot, then glanced over her shoulder to the living room, where Sarah had joined Trevor on the couch, two cups of coffee in her hands. "I don't know. Maybe I'm not as nervous about her because you two won't..." She stopped, wouldn't look at me.

"Won't what?" I narrowed my gaze.

Mom pursed her lips and settled down beside the tub to get comfortable, which wasn't a good sign. She put her hand on my arm. "Honey, I know you care about her, but..."

When she wouldn't continue, I got angry, but I wasn't entirely sure why. "But what?"

"But...well...okay, let me ask you this," she stammered for a moment. "How long do you think this will last between you two? Really last, I mean?"

"I love her, Mom," I said, still frowning.

"Baby, I know you do, but..." she dunked a big sponge in the water to wash my neck and shoulders. I was getting pretty tired of all the "buts" in this conversation. Mom glanced over her shoulder again, then back to me. "Amy, you're not a lesbian."

That's what this was about? My eyebrows went up, then I laughed.

It was Mom's turn to frown. "What's so funny?"

"Of course I'm not gay," I chuckled, then I gave her a serious look. "Mom, I'm with both of them."

She frowned with one side of her mouth, but there wasn't any real disapproval behind it. "Yeah, I kind of figured that out." She washed my chest and stomach for a moment, then said, "Look, I was in college once too. Did some crazy stuff of my own."

I chortled. "Define

crazy

."

She pinched my stomach playfully. "That's not the point."

"Then what is the point?"

She looked thoughtful for a moment. "This kind of thing, the three of you together, it's normal to experiment at your age."

"Oh, they're not together," I told her.

Mom frowned, confused, "But you just said..."

"That I'm with them both," I finished for her. "But they're not with each other. They're just friends."

"Really?"

I nodded.

Mom looked over her shoulder, then back to me. "But she's so pretty."

I bounced my eyebrows. "I know."

Mom and I talked for a while about Trevor and Sarah. I wanted her to know exactly how I felt about them, what our relationship was like. Besides, I was still struggling with my feelings for Trevor, or trying to at least define my feelings for him, anyway. I was kind of hoping she might have some advice for me. I lucked out.

"You've never been much for dating boys," she told me, fetching a razor to shave my legs. "At least not since..."

I put my leg up on the lip of the tub, but when she didn't continue, I asked, "Since what?"

She looked at me. "Well, since your father left us."

I frowned, thoughtfully, not angrily. Was she right? I tried to think back to the last time I'd had a date. It was at the spring dance in junior high, right before I turned fourteen. His name was Rick. I didn't have nearly the intense crush on him as I had with Trevor, but he was nice, and we'd been going steady for over a year. I broke up with him shortly after, right after...

Oh my gawd.

Mom was right. I broke up with Rick right after Dad left.

"Shit," I muttered, making Mom look at me. I screwed up my face with distaste. "Mom, do I have daddy issues?"

She laughed lightly. "Nothing major, I don't think. But as far as I can tell, Trevor is the only boy you've trusted since then."

Damn. She really was right. I glanced past her to make sure Sarah and Trevor were occupied. They were watching Ellen. Matt Damon was the guest. Damn, I wanted to see that episode.

Hey, so what if I like him?

I looked back to Mom. "What makes him different then?"

Mom shrugged. "Maybe you just know how strongly he feels for you, but more than know, maybe you

believe

it. That boy definitely loves you. I can see that much."

"You don't think it's temporary?" I asked.

Mom put my leg in the water to rinse it off, then moved to the other side of the tub and gingerly put my other leg up on the lip, being careful with my knee. "Do you?" she asked, spreading shaving cream over my leg.

I frowned. "I hate it when you do that."

"Do what?" she laughed.

"Answer a question with a question."

Mom shrugged. "Answer mine and I'll answer yours."

I looked over at Trevor on the couch. He was laughing with Sarah. She bounced up onto her knees to face him and slapped at his shoulder. He rocked away from her and back, wrapping an arm around her, pulling her close so that she couldn't hit him again. Trevor was watching Ellen again, but Sarah was watching him. I saw her smile diminish, but not because she was sad or angry or anything. It was something else. I know, because the smile came back, a fond smile, the kind she gave me sometimes. Sarah smoothed her hand around his shoulders and snuggled close to his side, returning her attention to Ellen. She even laid the side of her head against his.

Gawd, it made me happy to see them coming together.

"I don't want it to be," I said.

I looked at Mom. She was waiting for me to continue.

"I want them both."

"Forever?" she asked.

I glanced at them again, felt my heart swell with joy. I loved them so much, so much it hurt. I just sat there in the tub, watching them, unable to imagine my life without them, what my world would be like right now if they weren't here to help me, and for no reason that I could think of, I started balling, though I did manage to keep it quiet.

Mom looked alarmed. "Baby, what's wrong?"

I couldn't stop crying, no matter what I did, and I felt ridiculous. I'd always been more of a tomboy than a frilly girl. This wasn't like me at all. I fanned my fingers in front of my eyes, trying to will away the tears, and failing. "I think I'm having a girly-girl moment."

Mom laughed and sat me up to hug me, not caring in the slightest that she was getting soaking wet. "It's okay, sweetie," she cooed, petting my hair and rubbing my back. "You've been through so much. It's okay."

"This is stupid," I sniffed, trying to keep quiet so that Trevor and Sarah didn't realize I was falling apart.

"It's not stupid," Mom chuckled softly. She put her hands on my shoulders and leaned back to look at me.

Then it hit me, why I was crying.

"I do want them," I told her softly. "Forever."

Chapter 43

Getting around my apartment wasn't pleasant either, as it turned out. Freshly bathed and clean shaven - well, there was one part of me that still needed a shave, but I

so

didn't want Mom's help with that - Mom helped me into a robe and to the couch, where I finally got to enjoy my cup of coffee. It was so cute though, because Sarah and Trevor made room between them for me. Sarah snuggled close, set her head on my shoulder. I snaked my arm around Trevor's and pulled him close too, and he set his cheek on the top of my head. I felt so loved between them, so safe.

We were watching the tail end of Ellen when a commercial came on for a new show the network was airing on Saturday night. Wait, Saturday was tomorrow. Today was Friday! Shit! I was supposed to work!

"Oh shit," I blurted out, startling everyone.

Trevor turned in a flash, hands on my arm, his words almost running over each other. "Are you okay? What do you need? I'll get it for you."

He was half up from the couch when I grabbed his arm and laughed. "Sorry. I just realized I was supposed to work tonight. I need to call Darren."

Sarah patted my leg. "Don't worry about it, baby. We already called him."

"You did?" I looked at her.

She nodded. "Yep. He's coming over in a couple of hours anyway."

I frowned. "Why?"

Sarah shrugged. "Said he needed to see you. I asked if it could wait until you were ready to go back to work, but he said it was important."

I shrugged back and settled in to veg out on the couch. Later, towards evening, Mom got up to fix dinner. She refused to let Sarah or Trevor help, so they stayed with me on the couch. At one point, Sarah got a call on her cell and left us to answer it. The small bit of one-sided conversation I heard sounded like she was talking to Phillip. She told him I was home, that I was okay. I guess he wanted to come over, but Sarah told him he could come by tomorrow.

While she was on the phone, the intercom buzzed.

Trevor kissed my temple. "I'll get it."

I heard the elevator come up and the heavy doors slide open. I managed to use a crutch to push myself up and off the couch when Darren walked in, carrying a large thick envelope. He took a few steps in, saw me, and stopped.

I smiled, brushed a hand through my hair, specifically pointing out the shaved part of my head, and shrugged. "It's a new style. What do you think?"

Darren's mouth moved, but nothing came out, then he came over to me. He tried again, "Jeezus, Amy," he said, looking me over.

"It's been a rough week," I said flippantly.

Darren shook his head at me. He took an awkward step forward, seeming unsure of what he wanted, but I knew. I grabbed his arm and pulled him to me for a hug. I was right. He held me loosely for a moment, then leaned back and looked at my black eye, my swollen and busted lip, the side of my head. He shook his head again as he looked over the rest of me, and when his eyes met mine, they shimmered. It caught me by surprise how concerned he was on a personal level.

"I'm okay," I told him.

He smiled. "Well, don't stand on my account. Come on."

He guided me to sit down and opened the envelope, pulling out a stack of papers. He shuffled a few to the top of the pile, pulled a pen from his pocket, and placed everything on my lap.

"Sign here," he said quietly, pointing to a spot on the first page.

"What is this?" I frowned and looked at the page. Below where I was supposed to sign was Jean Pierre's signature, and it was dated last Thursday.

"Application for short-term disability," he told me.

That got Mom's attention. She left the kitchen to stand behind the couch, along with Sarah and Trevor. Darren regarded them briefly.

I looked at him. "But I'm not an employee yet."

He grinned. "The sheet below that one says you are."

I blinked at him.

"Sign, Amy," he patted my leg, avoiding my knee.

Shaking my head, I signed the page, but before I could date it, Darren stopped me.

"Date should be last Thursday."

I looked at him again. "Isn't that illegal?"

Darren sighed, but he was smiling. "Just do it." Then he raised an eyebrow. "If you don't, Jean Pierre will skin me alive."

I dated my signature as he told me. He took the page and pointed to the new one. It was an acceptance of employment form. Jean Pierre had signed it too, and it was also dated from last Thursday. I signed it, and a few other forms.

Darren took them all. "I'll have copies made for you later."

I looked at him. What Jean Pierre was doing was definitely illegal. I wasn't an employee. I shouldn't be able to apply for any kind of benefits. "Why are you doing this?"

Darren gave me a level look and took my hand. "You may not realize this, but you're part of our family now. We want to take care of you." He paused and took a breath. "Jean Pierre felt horrible. He told me he wanted to hire you on last week, but...well, he procrastinates. He said, and I quote," Darren took on an exaggerated French accent, "Monsieur Dareen, you will take cair of dees, or I vil skeen you elive!"

What they were doing for me...it was so unexpected that I almost started balling again.

I snickered. "You kind of went German there."

Darren shrugged. "So my impersonation skills suck." He put his hand on mine again. "Listen, don't rush anything. Just let me know when you're ready to come back, okay?"

I nodded, felt my eyes tearing up. Darren noticed and smiled sweetly, then he hugged me again, kissed my hair.

He stayed for a little while, asking me how I was feeling, but he never once asked me what happened. I guess he wanted to wait until I was ready to talk about it. All I told him was, "A friend of mine needed help."

Darren smiled warmly. "You're one hell of a friend, Amy Carter."

Trevor walked him to the elevator, and Darren told him to call if we needed anything. It was hard to believe I'd made any kind of impact with anyone at Dangerous Angels in only three months, but apparently, I had.

We ate dinner - Mom's fabulous lasagna - and had tea in the living room. I'd wanted coffee, but Mom insisted. I was on the couch, leaning against Sarah, when she touched my chin and turned my face up to look at me.