I didn't mean to! I swear!

Chapter 39: Never Again

Darkness had fallen yet again when I finally pushed myself away from my bed. There illuminated by the laptop's soft glow slept Addy, Neeks and Blue all squashed together and snoring.

The end credits of Mulan hummed in the background as I threw on a sweater and prepared to head out.

We had, as I asked for, spent the entire day holed in here watching Disney movies and super hero flicks. Addy had ventured out for snacks but I hadn't so much as stuck a foot out of my blanket cacoon.

The world had passed around me and I happily let it. But now there was a new issue.

"Of all the bloody times to be hungry!" I chastised making my way down to the kitchen.

The only upside was that at two am no one was awake to bother me as I rooted through the pantry.

"Pasta or pizza? Decisions decisions." I murmured heating the water.

There was already store bought sauce so all I had to do was boil the pasta and mix, not even I could fail at that.

I was cluelessly fumbling about when I heard the quiet ringing of my phone.

26 missed calls, and all from my mother.

"Hello?" I answered suspiciously.

"Blaire honey where have you been! I've been ringing you for hours." My mother ranted uncaring of the God forsaken hour.

"I was asleep, you know the thing most people do at two am."

"Sleep later you'll never believe what happened!  Everyone in towns been on about it for ages."

Now I was intruiged, nothing like some gossip to put your problems in perspective.

"Well, what happened?" I asked as I nervously stirred the pot.

Was it supposed to sink and brown at the bottom of the pan? Maybe, I dont really know.

"Liam!"

My blood boiled, "What about him?" I asked in a clipped voice.

"Someone came into town, pulled him out of work in the wee morning hours and beat his sorry arse!"

I dropped the spoon.

"WHAT!"

"Someone came in pulled him out by the collar and smashed his face in right in the middle of town."

Right then there was a soft scraping at the door. Someone was sneaking in. I watched the door as my mother went on.

"Broke his arm, every finger in his hand-"

Someone pushed into the kitchen and I grabbed the nearest utensil.

Smokey grey eyes met mine.

Falcon...

"Shattered his collarbone, broke his nose, jaw, ribs too probably. The poor boy had to be-"

"The only poor thing is that they didn't do more damage." I seethed uncaring that a bruised battered Falcon stared me down as I spoke. "You said someone just rode in?"

I eyed Falcon warily.

"Straight in. No one saw who exactly."

"No one?" I stared him dead in the eye and he glanced away.

"Nope just mopped town square with his face and drove out. He should have stuck around, I'd have throw him a p-"

"Mum I'm going to call you back in a bit. Good night I love you."

"Love you too."

I hung up and placed the phone on the table looking him up and down.

His left cheek was cut and bloody, there was bruising all over his jaw. I couldn't see his right hand but the knuckles on his left were split and bloody and there was some blood splattered on his shirt.

Silently he stuck out his hand and offered me a blue gift bag. I took it wordless and peeked in.

Inside was mounds of DVD box sets everything from Frozen to Hercules. I stared at it in disbelief.

"I knew you liked them." He muttered throatily. When I didn't say anything he turned to leave. "I'm just going to-"

"Wait." I said putting my hand on his shoulder.

He winced away and I realised that at least some of the blood on his shirt was his own.

"Sit down." I murmured bending to get the first aid kit.

"Blaire you don't have t-"

"Someone beat up Liam, kicked his ass, probably hospitalized him."

"Whoever did that b* did society a favour." He muttered darkly.

"You won't get an argument here. If anyone wanted to see him trashed it was me."

His eyes darkened, "I know."

"Did you?"

"The less you know the better, but if you think I look bad you should see the other guy."

I brushed the swab over his cheek and he shyed away.

"Hold still. I'm pretty sure I got a vivid description on the phone. You know you didn-"

"I did."

I didn't respond except to apply some anti septic. He held still this time even though I could feel his wince under my hands.

We stayed there for a while him sitting precariously on an island counter, me standing between his legs wiping away the blood. It reminded me of that one time on the road.

"You need to take off your shirt."

"Blaire you've done enough. I can hand-"

"I've wiped away more blood than either of us wants to say, and whilst not all of it was yours you are bleeding under there and its my fa-"

He grabbed my arms, "Don't you ever dare say that! Never say it again, never think it. It's that sorry f***s fault and mine. It's my fault and I deserve every cut and bruise. I don't deserve you here playing doctor."

"Im not playing doctor, I'm helping an ass who just risked a whole f***ing lot to avenge a dumb mistake. You're right it's not my fault it mostly is yours, but you-"

"I put you in the path of a psycho. I endangered you, do you get that. I. Hurt. You."

I sighed,  "You did."

"So go don't push my mistake in my face, don't make me relive it, because that's all i do. I see it in my head, sending him to you, telling him exactly where you'd be. Every second since I found out- its all i see."

"Its all i see sometimes too." I whispered gently nudging his shirt up.

"I caused that." He sighed letting me slip it over his his head.

"And that will forever be your cross to bear, but for tonight let me help you."

He didn't say anything as I bandaged his bicep and chest, just the occasional wince. When I was done he sat and waited as I threw out the ruined pasta.

He watched me curiously as I made to leave.

"Thank you. " He murmured catching my arm. "I'm so sorry Blaire, you'll never know how much."

I felt his hand on my arm, the warmth and reassurance and suddenly everything I'd been holding back. All the old terrifying Liam nightmares all the pain and frustration, even the hurt of last night came bubbling up.

I turned and buried my head in his chest finally crying everything out... for the last time. He wrapped his arms around me and stroked my hair.

"I've got you, I won't let anything hurt you... never again."

I don't know where he led me but soon there was a soft pillow at my back as he held me in his arms and i stayed letting him rock me to sleep.

"I swear... never again."