Disclaimer & Warnings: See part 1
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Constructive comments are welcome: pattypat@iname.com

Chapter 10

The expected page came two days later. Two days of worries and anxiety for Nicole. Two days more on the streets for the Destroyer, her daily routine almost undisturbed except for a couple of phone calls to her cop friend.

Then the page arrived. Finally. The rendez-vous was for an hour later, giving barely time for Nicole to jump in her car and rush to the site to get in position before everyone else arrived. A couple of words of recommendation and both women set up their mind on the goal to achieve.

Nicole was quietly sitting on the fourth floor, all her equipment set to record the upcoming session. She heard some noises downstairs and her heartbeats sped up when she heard the steps coming closer. She hid herself lower in the shadowy corner until she recognized Troy's smiling face.

"You shouldn't be up here," she whispered, annoyed and yet glad to see her lover for the first time in two days.
"I know," Troy smiled back, kneeling beside her and bending over to steal a light kiss. "Just wanted to say I love you before all this shit starts."
"I love you too," she gulped, "but you have to get down before he arrives."
"I go," she reassured quietly. "Be careful babe."
"You too, love."

Another five minutes passed in silence, both women on their respective floor pensively waiting for the minister to show up. And he did arrive in time, a victory grin on his face.

"Hello Destroyer," he said tonelessly. "Did you get rid of the blonde cop?"
"What do you think? Of course I did."
"Permanently?"
"What dya mean?" she asked, falsely surprised.
"Did you eliminate her, Destroyer?"
"If you mean kill her, no I did not. I just sent her away and I haven't seen her since."
"Tsk tsk tsk... I asked you to get rid of her, Troy."
"You didn't specify," she answered,  having conveniently misunderstood his assignment.

Upstairs, Nicole almost gasped loudly. She was ordered to kill me, she realized, and she deliberately disobeyed his order. The blonde cop shivered at the realization of how close to fail she had been.

"You used to be sharper than that, Destroyer," Bujold continued on his paternizing tone. "This is rather disappointing coming from you..."
"You're here to give me a speech or to play?" she asked bluntly.
"Both maybe... I don't like being cheated, Destroyer. You'd better remember that before something happens to you..."
"Are you threatening me, Minister?" she growled.
"Just a friendly warning."
"You ain't no friend of mine. Got toys with ya?"
"In the bag," he pointed at the gym bag on the floor nearby as he started to remove his clothes.

The bondage session went as usual, Troy playing her dominatrix role to the perfection, knowing exactly when to stop and what to do so her 'customer' would enjoy it the most. Nicole watching it through the camera lens couldn't avoid being aroused by the skills her lover was demonstrating. She could hear the whip cracking, the noise reverberating in the empty building, amplifying its erotic effects on her. Concentrate on your work, Nicole, she berated herself.

A very long hour went by before Bujold's cuffs got unlock and he started to dress himself.

"I'll pay you only half today," he told the Destroyer, "Thomson will give you the rest."
"That's not the deal we had. I get full payment each time or I don't do it anymore."
"And what are you going to do? Steal to buy cheap unclean dope on a street corner?"
"If I have to, yes. Stick to the deal we made or the arrangement ends," she warned him, making sure the drug exchange could be seen to the camera.
"You're in no position to ask anything, Troy. So I suggest you take that and keep yourself in line. And check who you get acquainted with. We don't want to see you fucking another cop. Got that?" he threatened.
"Unless it's a friend of yours, of course," she added sarcastically.
"Don't use that kind of attitude with me, Troy. I own your life, don't you forget that."
"No, Sir," she said dejectedly.
"Thomson will call you soon for the other half. I suggest that you service him as well as you serviced me. Now, in the mean time, if you can get rid -permanently- of that annoying snooping cop, you might get a reward... Good night, Destroyer."

She didn't bother answering. She looked at the half payment she got, knowing that it would be insufficient to last until her next encounter, forcing her to buy some stuff of unknown quality on the street. She was beyond angry, but the thought of Nicole taping it all gave her hope to see the end of this nightmare soon. When she was sure that Bujold was gone, she joined her lover upstairs and spontaneously jumped in her open arms to seek comfort.

"It's ok, babe," Nicole whispered, holding her unsettled companion tightly.
"We have to be quick, Nick. He must know something's up or he wouldn't have paid me half. Or he wants me dead, which is a possibility, too."
"How long can you cope with the dope you've got?"
"A bit more than a day. I'll probably have to buy some before I meet with Thomson. That's what he wants. Or he wants me craving and begging for his support..."
"I'll try to find you some stuff.. I think I can access the storage of the Narcotics' department."
"No, don't put yourself at risk for this. I'll manage."
"Bu.. ok," she resigned herself under the warning look. "I'll work on the tape tonight. I'll make copies and get them ready to be sent. In a few days, we'll be safe away from here."
"God, I hope you're right," she sighed. "It's weird.. I have never hoped anything for myself until now."
"It's about time you think about yourself, my love."
"Maybe..."

"I wish I could stay with you," Nicole continued after a tender moment of silence, "but I've gotta work on those tapes..."
"Yeah, you go, babe. The sooner you do it, the sooner we'll get away."
"That's the plan," she smiled. "Take care and be safe, honey.. I'll see you very soon," she concluded with a tender kiss.
"You be safe, too."

Nicole decided to keep the wiring in place to catch Thomson as well. He was a high profile judge and it wouldn't hurt to incriminate him as well. She just took the recorder and the tape with her as she rushed toward her house where everything was ready for copying the video.

"You gotta be kidding, Jimmy," Nicole argued with her phone correspondent. "There must be another way... You sure?.. Shit, I don't think she'll trust me enough for that. Couldn't we meet outside instead?... Yes, I did say it has to be done quickly, but... Ok, ok.. I'll see what I can do. I'll call you back. Thanks Jim," she concluded as she hung up.

Damn... That'll never work. She'll never follow me in the enemy's nest, no way. But she had to ask. It was vital for the rest of their plan that they went to sign those papers right away. She dialed Troy's pager and left her cell phone number as numerical message, knowing that the Destroyer would call her back as soon as she could.

Fifteen minutes later, her phone buzzed and she quickly answered it.

"Miss me?" Troy teased gently as a way of greeting.
"Ya betcha, love," Nicole's smile carried over her words, "but unfortunately, that's not why I paged you."
"Wassup babe? Ya sound worried. Something wrong?"
"Not exactly, but.. We need to get you to sign some papers for the fake packages you'll need to travel."
"That doesn't sound that bad, honey."
"It's in the Courthouse," she dropped softly.
"Oh," was all Troy manage to say.
"My contact, Jimmy, says he cannot do anything without your signature and he cannot just get the papers outside because there are also some electronic forms..."
"I see. And how do you expect The Destroyer to go there without being seen and caught?"
"There is one way, but you need to trust me."
"Which way?"
"I get you there as if you were under arrest, me in uniform and you in handcuffs," she concluded, holding her breath to face Troy's reaction.  Surprisingly, the storm she expected never occurred.
"That's a hell of a leap of faith you're asking me, babe," Troy's soft voice stated calmly.
"I know."
"Can we go on with our plan without these papers?"
"Hardly, those includes your passport. Although maybe for that, Jimmy could get around the system. But that would left us with no backup plan if the custom starts asking questions."
"I know many judges and lawyers, Nick.. Friends of Bujold, too.. They'll get suspicious."
"It's a risk we need to take. I know it's asking you a lot, Eileen, but that leap of faith is also a step toward freedom."
"By going handcuffed to the Court house," she underlined. "And then what? customs probably have portrait of wanted criminals like me. We should give up, Nick."
"No! First, thanks to your 'relations', you don't have any official search warrant against you. I checked. Nobody will stop you to go anywhere. Only Bujold might but he won't know we're leaving the country."

She doesn't trust me, Nicole realized sadly. Hell, would you if you were in her shoes?

"Eileen, believe me, if there were any other way..."
"I know, love.. But it's a very.. unsettling request you've made."
"Yes, I'm asking a lot, I understand that."

Hundreds of thoughts were running into Troy's mind at one hundred miles a minute, waging the pros and cons, the cons blatantly winning the argument. But I love her and she said she loved me, too. Would she deliberately hand me to the authorities? What would she gain in that? She knows that Bujold won't let her get back to Task Force anyway.. She did so much good to me, I'm pretty sure she wouldn't betray me. She didn't before...

"What do you have to loose, Troy? If we get caught, one of your customer can get you out in the blink of an eye while I'll get stuck in there... If we don't get caught, we're a step closer to our new life together..."

She's right, Troy thought, I have nothing to loose but my pride. She could loose everything she has, her job, her house.. even her identity.. What proof does she have that I'm not on Bujold's side and trying to get her under?..

"Where and when do you want us to meet, Nicole?" the Destroyer asked firmly, her decision made.

Although relieved that Eileen had accepted to follow us into the Court building, Nicole couldn't refrain herself to feel sad about the reasons that made Troy accept the idea. Oh well, I probably wouldn't have trusted her either if I had been in her situation, she tried to rationalized. But somehow she knew that she was trusting the Destroyer with her life, and she had even proved it already, so the fact that Troy wasn't reciprocating that trust was weighing heavily on the blonde's heart.

She was wearing her uniform, gun included, and waited in some back street near the Courthouse for the Destroyer to show up. She did, almost on time too.

"You look great in uniform," Troy's warm voice told her.
"Thanks," she smiled, refraining herself from jumping into the tall woman's embrace. "I really feel uncomfortable in it, though."
"Why? You're a cop, a good cop, and you should be proud of it."
"Not when I'm leading the woman I love, handcuffed, to Court."
"We both know why, so don't feel bad about that," Troy concluded as she pushed her wrist together to the blonde police officer.
"I.. I'm sorry, honey," Nicole said sincerely as she put the bracelets loosely. "I wish there was another way.."
"I know, babe. The sooner we go in, the sooner will be out.. hopefully."
"I love you, Eileen. Whatever happens, don't forget that, please."
"I won't. I love you, too. C'mon, let's go and get this over with."

Both women turned around the building and entered the busy main hall of the Court house. Purposefully, Nicole walked leading the dark-haired woman by her handcuffs toward the elevator, but Troy discreetly pulled her toward the stairs.

"Big shots I know don't walk," the Destroyer whispered to explain her move.
"Oh.. good thinking," Nicole agreed, looking around and seeing that their move had been unnoticed. Although there was many people walking around in all directions on every floor, they managed to reach the office where Jimmy was expecting them anxiously without incident. Nicole undid the cuffs while she presented her two friends to one another.

Jimmy was nervous and his hands were shaking heavily. He quickly presented the documents she needed to sign and the electronic instrument needed for fingerprints and other identification.

"Don't you want to read them before signing?" Nicole asked as Troy was about to write down her name.
"Do you trust him?" she asked, her deep blue eyes locked into the cop's green ones.
"Yes."
"Then I do, too," she stated, signing the needed papers quickly.

Nicole was surprised and started to hope that maybe the Destroyer didn't accept this crazy idea just because she didn't have anything to loose but because she was trusting her. The blonde inwardly smiled widely.

It took less than fifteen minutes to go through all the documents and it was already time for the risky walk toward the exit. Nicole replaced the cuffs and lead Troy the same way she had lead her on the way in. It must have been their lucky day, because nobody tried to stop them and Troy didn't see anybody she knew.

They walked as cop and captive up to Troy's vehicle where the blonde asked her companion to sit in the back, which she did without question. Nicole sat on the driver seat and took off, driving quickly but safely toward her house. Once again, Troy hid herself on the car floor until they entered the garage and the door closed behind them.

Nicole helped her out of the car, removed the handcuffs and literally jumped in her arms in a relieved and loving hug that almost prevented the tall woman to breath.

"I'm so glad everything went ok. I was so worried. Eileen, I love you so much..."
"I love ya too, babe," Troy smiled, touched by the young woman's enthusiasm. "It was one hell of an idea ya had there, to walk straight in the Courthouse like this.. Pheeew..."
"It was worth it. In less than a week, we'll be away from this hell and ready to have a healthy new life together."

They entered the house and Nicole quickly went to change into something more comfortable than her uniform while Troy took the opportunity to take a long warm shower. Nicole grabbed a couple of beers in the refrigerator and waited on the sofa for her lover to join her. Silently sitting side by side, very closely together, they appreciated the peace and quiet after the adrenaline rush their little walk into the enemy lines had provoked.

"Thank you for trusting me enough to follow me," Nicole whispered to her companion.
"No thanks needed. I think the leap of faith was mutual."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Well, ya know Bujold wants to get rid of ya and I know Bujold.. We could have set you up..."
"The thought never even crossed my mind, love," the blond stated sincerely. "But you knew I could turn you in easily once there."
"Somehow, I knew I was safe with ya," Troy admitted softly, hugging her companion closer. "When did ya say we'd take off?"
"Five more days, love. Plane tickets are reserved and confirmed, all we need is Jimmy's work and we'll be all set to go."
"Do you want to incriminate Thomson if he calls before that?"
"Oh yes! I'd love to get 'em all, but I'm not gonna sit around waiting for them to call you. If he calls, we'll do the same as we did yesterday. You ok with that?"
"Absolutely."
"Do you still have some dope?" she worried.
"I'll manage, babe, don't worry. My guess is that Thomson will call in a couple of days. They want to let me craving for a bit before they give what's due to me."
"What about the... 'getting rid of the cop' part?" Nicole asked, almost holding her breath.
"I'll say I couldn't find ya, no sweat, babe."
"You sure?"
"Sure I'm sure," she winked at the blonde.

They sat silently in each other's embrace for a long time, both women lost in their own dark thoughts. Daylight was almost gone when Troy started to talk again.

"As much as I'd love to stay, I have to go, babe. I have to be seen in town or they'll know something's up."
"Yeah," Nicole sighed heavily. "I can wait for you to be able to spend the night in a warm place with me, though.. It's so unfair that I can stay here and you have to go freeze your butt out there."
"It's okay, I've done that for fifteen years. One or two more nights won't kill me."
"Let me feed you before we go, okay? I'm sure you spend the little cash you have in heroin and not in food..."
" 'fraid you're right, babe. A warm meal would be good," she smiled at the friendly offer.
"You got it, love! And I'll even make you a doggie bag to take with ya!"
"Best restaurant in town," Troy teased affectionately, following her companion into the kitchen.

Less than two hours later, a very well fed Destroyer was sadly dropped off downtown by very concerned blonde cop. Wait, wait and more wait, Nicole pensively whined, I can't take it anymore! I need to hold her at night. Shit, I need HER to hold ME at night... This has to end and quick.

Chapter 11

Unfortunately, the Destroyer had been right and Thomson didn't call until a couple of days later. Nicole had given her money to buy her necessary fix until that, but the stock bought at a street corner wasn't of the same quality her body was used to ingest. Nicole could tell when they talked on the phone that Eileen was not in her best shape, consequence of bad quality stuff. However, the Destroyer assured her that she would be fine and there was nothing to worry about.

When finally Thomson paged her, he also gave her barely an hour to rendez-vous in the old storage building. Nicole once again rushed toward the meeting place and set up her recorder with a new tape and she was all set only minutes before they arrived. Although they both craved each other's presence, Nicole and Troy had agreed in not meeting each other this time, presuming that it'd be too risky if Bujold or Thomson were already suspicious. In any case, the judge arrived a bit before the Destroyer and Nicole silently started her recording.

The session went almost as it did with Bujold, except Thomson tastes in BDSM were slightly rougher. Through the camera lenses, the blonde cop could see that Troy was having a hard time keeping up with her customer's fantasy, her body weakened by the lack of clean heroin. Nicole cursed mentally at her inability to help her lover the way she would like to.  When the session finished and the judge had disappeared, Nicole prudently went down one floor and ran toward an exhausted Destroyer.

"You okay, love?" she worried.
"I'll be fine," Troy mumbled, holding herself against a pillar until her dizziness pass. "You shouldn't be here with me..."
"I know.. I just had to hold you. I know you hurt, love, and I wish I could take it away from you," she stated, a single tear rolling silently down her cheek.
"You can't do anything right now, babe. Don't worry... I'll go now.. Wait fifteen minutes before leaving, in case."
"I will. Be careful, love, promise?"
"Yeah... I'll call ya later," she concluded with a quick kiss on the blonde woman's lips before taking wobbly steps toward the stairs.

Nicole went back up to retrieve the recorder and the tape. Troy!  A premonition hit her in the guts as hard as if she got physically hit. She rushed toward the edge of the building floor facing the street her companion was to take when exiting the place. As in slow motion, she saw it all happening, the car waiting and launching itself when Troy started to put a feet on the road. The Destroyer heard the tires screeching on the pavement and tried to avoid it, but the driver hit her hard nevertheless and flew away as quickly as it had appeared, leaving the unconscious woman lying on the ground. Oh God, no!

Troy heard the car before seeing it, but she instantly realized that it wasn't a coincidence. She watched the black Jeep speeding toward her, knowing that she was the target. She tried to run to avoid it, but her reflexes weren't quick enough. As the time seemed to slow drastically, she felt the car hitting her hipbone before feeling her guts being pushed against her spine, her body bent in half and her head hit the hood violently, letting her slipping into a painless unconsciousness. Her last thought was how much she loved Nicole.

Forgetting all about the tape and recorder, Nicole rushed down the stairs three steps at the time and was beside her bloody friend within seconds. Oh God.. so much blood.. Trying to get her cop training in gear, Nicole checked for a pulse and was relieved to find it. With shaking hands, she pulled her cellphone out of her jacket and dialed 911, crying almost hysterically as she gave her position to the emergency phone operator.

"Eileen, hang on baby," she cried, not daring touching her lover's body in case of spinal injuries. "Don't you dare leave me now. We have a whole life ahead of us and I want you to be there with me, you hear that, Eileen?"

It took five long minutes to the ambulance to reach the site of the accident. They quickly assessed the situation and Nicole immediately understood by the look on their face that it was as bad as it seemed. She cried even more, feeling desperately helpless. The police arrived soon after the medics and started to take measurements, asking Nicole all sorts of question she answered to without even realizing it, her eyes never leaving the limp form of her friend bleeding profusely. Please.. please let her be saved..

When they finally got Troy on a gurney in the ambulance, Nicole was reluctantly authorized to accompany her to the hospital. She had given her cellphone number to the policeman and all she cared about was to be beside her lover, making sure she'll make it through her injuries. Once in the hospital, Troy was rushed through the ER was a nurse showed the way to the waiting room to a desperate Nicole. The gentle nurse brought her a cup of water with a tranquilizer to calm her down a bit while she had to wait for the doctors to do their magic to save her lover.

The wait seemed to last forever and even though she wasn't as hysteric, Nicole was so anxious she couldn't even sit down more than a minute before walking back and forth again. Finally, four long hours later, a doctor entered the waiting room and forced her to sit gently.

"You are with Eileen Ó Riain, right?" she asked.
"Y..yes."
"I'm doctor Elsie Mackay. You are?"
"Ni..Nicole Lorenz. How's she?" she gulped nervously.
"We managed to stabilize her so she’s no longer in immediate danger but she is seriously injured right now and the next few days are going to be critical…Are you a family member?"
"Y.. N.."
"Easy now, Miss.. Take a deep breath.. there.. now, are you a family member?"
"She's my.. lover," she choked, realizing they were a few steps from being lovers yet.
"All right. Do you know any of her close relatives?"
"She doesn't have any..."
"How well do you know her?"
"Told you she's my lover. Are you the Great Inquisitor now?" she asked, upset that she didn't give her informations about the injured woman.
"No," the doctor chuckled, "but I can't tell you what's going on if I'm not sure you're close to her."
"I'm very close to her, doctor. And I'm also a police officer," she stated, regaining some strength, "so what's the deal with Eileen?"
"Did you know she consumes heroin?"
"Yes I do. Tell me how she is, doctor," she ordered dryly.
"As I said, the next few days are critical, but we are hopeful. But we think that the impact damaged her spine and at the moment she can’t move her legs.  Its hard to assess how serious this injury is because there is a lot of swelling right now.  We’re going to immobilize her for a few days until we can reassess her injuries.  At the moment there is every hope that her paralysis will resolve when the swelling goes down but there is a still a chance that this spinal injury could be more serious."
"You mean.. she.."
"..could be paralyzed.  Well, we just don’t know at the moment, we know that the swelling is causing a temporary paralysis but its best to wait and see how things develop in the next few days..."
"Oh God.." she gulped, tears falling freely down her face.
"Are okay, Miss?" the doctor worried.
"No," she yelled. "Fuck no, I'm not okay, doctor. My lover is hooked up in your fucking ICU with the prospect of her future in a damn fucking wheelchair and you want ME to be OKAY??! Shit no, I'm NOT okay! This fucking nightmare will never end.. what the fuck did we do to deserve so much shit?! Dammit!" she yelled, concluding her speech by violently hitting the wall with her fist.

The pain calmed her down almost instantly.

"Aw shit," she cried, "now I broke my hand on top of it!"
"Let me see," the doctor requested softly. "Can you move like this?.. and like that?.. Good. It's not broken but it'll be sore for a couple of days, I'm afraid."
"Sorry I lost it," she sobbed, "but she's gone through so much shit in her life already, it's just so unfair."
"I understand, Miss. It's always hard to see a loved one being hurt."
"I want to be with her. Can I see her now?"
"Only for a short time, but yes. Follow me, please."

She followed her silently in the hostile corridors until they reached the intensive care unit. After wearing the sterile scrubs that ICU regulation required her to wear, Nicole and the doctor entered the silent room where Eileen laid unconscious.

"She has a tube down her windpipe," Dr Mackay explained,  "and this machine here is helping her breathe so her ribs can heal.  We are giving her blood and fluid via these other tubes into her veins because she lost a lot of blood.  We’re also  monitoring her heart and lungs so all the other wires are connected up to this monitor.  I know it looks scary but the wires and tubes are really just a way to let us know how Eileen is feeling because she’s not able to tell us herself right now."

Nicole nodded her understanding, but her mind was frozen on the sight of her injured lover. The sight of the strong Destroyer lying pale and bruised among wires and white sheets was heartbreaking and unshed tears fell down Nicole's cheeks as she slowly approached the bed.

"Will you be all right?" the doctor asked softly.
"Yes," she answered mechanically, taking softly Eileen's hand in her own.
"I'll have a nurse bring you some ice for your hand," Dr Mackay said before leaving the two women alone.

"God, I wish I could set the clock back and avoid all this," she whispered to her beloved. "This is so unfair. They'll pay for that, love, I swear they will!... Eileen, my love, I know you can hear me in that dark spot you're staying now.. Eileen, you've got to fight it. You've got to come back to me. Together, we'll beat them. You will not leave me alone, love, I know you won't.. Because I couldn't live without you anymore.. Together, Eileen, we will live happily, away from the city, away from the drug.. Just you and I, cuddling together in front of a fireplace, looking at the snowy alpine summits.. You hear me, love? We have a life ahead of us.. You've got to heal and come back to me.. I'll be here, waiting for ya.. Oh Eileen, I love you so much.." she sobbed, holding on Troy's hand like a lifeline.

The nurse entered the room gently and gave an ice pack to Nicole for her hand.

"My ha.. oh yeah.." she sniffed, "thanks.. I wasn't feeling it anymore, but yeah.. thanks," she smiled weakly.
"You shouldn't stay too long. She needs rest and so do you," the nurse said softly.
"I will go nowhere until she wakes up. She has to know I'm here. I need to be here."
"I'm afraid that won't be possible, Miss."
"Then make it possible," Nicole hissed, "because I ain't going nowhere."
"I.. I'll go get Dr Mackay," the nurse mumbled as she left the room.

A few minutes later, the doctor was firmly requesting that Nicole walked out of the room to talk without disturbing her injured patient. Reluctantly, Nicole had followed and a long animated discussion between the two women forced Nicole to comply to the doctor's judgment and the hospital rules. Regretfully, the blonde went to bid good night to her lover before leaving the hospital. She went back to the storage building and retrieved the tape before heading home and make copies like she had done previously with Bujold's session.

For the next three days, Nicole almost never left the Destroyer. Only when forced by the hospital staff would she go and take a few steps outside, take a shower and change clothes that her neighbor and friend had brought over. She also made a few phone calls, to the travel agency, to Jimmy and to her supervisor, letting them know that she wouldn't be available for an undetermined time. But as soon as she was allowed to, she'd rush back to the dark-haired woman's bedside. Nicole barely slept and even less ate during that time, the worries getting the best of her.

Used to have nurses and doctors in and out of the room, the blonde barely registered it when the man entered. Only when he didn't seem to move closer did she realize that he wasn't a member of the hospital staff. Her blood ran cold when she turned and faced the man responsible of all her troubles.

"You," she spat, jumping off her chair to face the minister. "Did you come here to finish the job, Bujold?"
"Why would I? I just came to check on an injured friend," he lied with a smug smile.
"You have no friend here. Get out of here, now. You have nothing to do here."
"Listen kid, I have more reasons to be here than you'll ever have. She works for me. She needs me."
"Not anymore. We won't have anything to do with you anymore and you better leave before I crack your skull against the wall, you bastard."
"Do you expect me to be scared of you?" he laughed.
"Get out. We'll talk outside. She needs calm," she grabbed him and pulled him out of the room. "Now Bujold, I'll give you one single warning. Not two, not three. One. You get out of our lives or I'll ruin you."
"And what will you do for that?" he grinned sarcastically.
"I happen to have a few video tapes of your encounters with the Destroyer, including the exchange of dope and all. You, Thomson and others. You keep bothering Troy or me and the tapes go in the mail to all news agency across Canada."
"You don't have such tapes. Like your previous inquiry, you have no proof."
"Oh but I do," she warned between clenched teeth. "Believe me, this time I have all the proofs I need!"
"You're bluffing," he stated, a little less sure of himself.
"Wanna bet? wanna take the risk?"
"I could always get rid of you, permanently," he threatened.
"If I don't check at a certain place at a certain time, tapes will automatically be sent to the medias."
"I don't believe you."
"Here, take this," she said, grabbing a video tape from her backpack. "This is one copy, I have dozens more, so I can spare one. Enjoy!... You're toast, Bujold. Give up while you can. All I ask is for you to let Troy and I quiet."
"She'll come back to me."
"No she won't. Do we have a deal, Minister?"

He thought silently for a couple of seconds, looking puzzled  at the video cassette.

"All right, I'll make sure that nobody bother the Destroyer or her chaperon. Make sure nobody sees those tapes," he finally agreed.
"Deal. Now scram, you're polluting the air here," she concluded, turning back to join her lover in the sterile room.

She waited anxiously for some long minutes, expecting Bujold to come back in the room and argue, but when she realized that he was really gone, Nicole exhaled heavily, relieved.

"Woah Eileen.. you just missed something. Never thought I would one day send a minister to hell, but I just did. Didn't think he'd actually buy all my bluff, but he did.. Not that I trust him to hold his side of the bargain, but hopefully that'll give us enough time to get you in shape and fly away together."

Nicole got up to take a glass of water and came back to sit beside her lover's bed.

"Oh Eileen," she sighed, "how much I miss to see those baby blues of yours..."

As if answering to Nicole's wish, weak eyelids opened slowly and light blue eyes locked on anxious green ones making the blonde gasp in surprise.

"Eileen?" she asked, unsure if this was real or a figment of her desperate imagination.
"Where am I?" Troy whispered weakly despite the ventilator.
"In the hospital, love. You'll be fine," Nicole answered, tears of joy flowing down her cheeks.

Troy slightly nodded her understanding of where she was while Nicole pushed the button calling the nurse who arrived in a rush a few minutes later.

"She's awake," she unnecessarily told the nurse she knew as Linda.
"Easy now, let me do my job please," Linda gently requested as she pushed Nicole slightly aside. "How do you feel, Ms. Ó Riain?"
"Tired."
"It's normal. We'll take care of your injuries and you rest to get your strength back," the nurse explained slowly as she finished her examination, giving more room to Nicole.

The blonde took the injured woman's hand in hers and kissed it softly, not noticing the frown on Troy's face.

"Who are you?" the dark-haired woman croaked.

Nicole's heart stopped for a full five seconds after Troy's genuine question, then beat overtime to catch up, leaving the blonde gasping for air. Oh God, she doesn't remember me...

"I.. I'm Nicole, love. I'm your..." Her what? lover? soulmate? "..your friend."
"Oh," was her last word before falling into unconsciousness again, leaving behind a devastated woman crying by the side of her bed.
"Shhtt," reassured Linda, "it's all right. It's normal. She'll remember who she is and who you are with time, don't worry too much about it."
"And what if she doesn't remember me?" Nicole sobbed.
"Have faith in her. If she loves you half as much as you love her, she'll come back to you."
"Thanks," she sniffed, "I sure hope you're right..."

The next day went by in a silence only broken by the soft voice of Nicole talking to her unconscious friend. There was no sign that the Destroyer would awaken any time soon and the blonde was really starting to get desperate. Troy had to wake up and get back among the living. She just had to. There was no way Nicole would let her do otherwise.

"Come back to me, love, please," she whispered, caressing softly the pale skin of the woman's forehead.
"Miss Lorenz," the evening nurse greeted her as she came in the room, "you're still here."
"Of course I am. And I asked you to call me Nicole, please Linda," she smiled warmly.
"Well Nicole, you should go home and get some food and rest. You're wasting away here watching her."
"No I'm not. She is my life, Linda. I can't go anywhere without her. Where she is, I will be."
"At least go down to the cafeteria grab some food," the nurse insisted.
"I'm not hungry, thanks."
"You've been saying that for almost a week... This isn't good, Nicole. We'll end up with two patients if you don't feed yourself."
"Later..."
"Look, I'm going to take care of her now, there is nothing to do here for you. Go downstairs. I'll be finished when you come back," she pushed.
"No."
"Go babe."

All sound in the room stopped while both Nicole and Linda turned to face the bed where the weak voice had come from, finding two pale blue eyes looking at them.

"Eileen!" Nicole cried as she rushed closer to her friend. "Thank God you're back!"
"Almost," Troy croaked, her dry throat making her voice hoarse. "Hey babe..."
"Hey.. Oh I'm so glad to hear that.. I was so worry, my love. You scared me so much..."
"I know..."
"Easy Miss Lorenz," the nurse warned afraid that Nicole would choke her lover to death.
"Ya look like shit, Nick," Troy teased affectionately in a weak smile.
"Gheez thanks," she half laughed, half sobbed. "How do you feel, love?"
"Beat."
"Ahem," Doctor Elsie MacKay interfered gently. "Do you mind if I check on our patient, Miss Lorenz?" she teased gently.
"Please do.. and tell me she's back for real," she whispered as she passed near her.

She gently tapped Nicole's shoulder to comfort her before stepping closer to the Destroyer. She presented herself and started a thorough examination of her patient while the blonde stepped out to give them privacy.

"Are you in much pain?" the doctor asked.
"Yeah.. breathing's hard.."
"You've got four broken ribs and a punctured lung. Breathing will be painful for a few days more, I'm afraid. You must know that because your heroin addiction, it's.. touchy for us to adjust the painkillers.."
"Been here before.. know that.. 's okay."
"All right, Miss Ó Riain. You need much more rest. I'll check you back later."
"What's the real deal?" Eileen asked sleepily.
"You've been hit pretty badly and you need a lot of rest to let your body heal. I'll be able to give you a better diagnosis once you'll be more rested. But you're one strong woman."
"That bad, huh?" Troy weakly answered.
"Not that bad at all.. But I can see that you'll be falling asleep on my fascinating techno-babble. I'll tell you more later, promise," she smiled confidently.
"'kay.. thanks.."

She left and Nicole came back in immediately, finding her beloved already asleep.

"Sleep tight, my love, I'm staying right here for you," the blonde whispered as she sat by the bed.

The next day found the Destroyer weary but more alert and understanding of her environment. Doctor MacKay explained to both her patient and Nicole what exactly was the extent of Eileen's injuries and everybody was relieved when Troy's legs reacted to the tests, implying that there was no permanent paralysis. However, some major physiotherapy would be needed, as well as lots of rest.

Nicole and her companion had brushed the subject earlier without going too deep in it, but the blonde needed to ask the doctor's opinion on it.

"Doc," she started, looking anxiously at Eileen, hoping she wouldn't get upset, "we heard about detox possibilities while under anesthetic. Could it be done with Troy while she's already under your care?"
"Definitely so, yes. Once she’s stable enough for anesthesia and being put back on a ventilator for a while, we can rapidly detox her over the course of 3-4 hours with Naltrexone, then monitor in ICU for the next day or two."
"Love?" Nicole asked softly, hoping a positive answer from the dark haired woman.
"Then I'll be clean?" she asked weakly.
"Technically yes, but you will have to go to counseling to help you dealing with your problem. I don't have to tell you it's easier to relapse than staying clean."
"One day at the time, I know," Troy smiled to the doctor.
"And you'll be going through this with me by your side, love. All the way," Nicole softly added.
"So would you go through that procedure once we'll judge you fit for it?" Dr Elsie MacKay asked.
"Yes, I'd like that very much..." Troy agreed, looking deep into Nicole's green eyes.
"Perfect, I'll supervise it myself. I'd say that we probably could do it within the next few days, depending how you keep recuperating, Miss Ó Riain."
"Thank you, doctor. It means a world to us,"
"I'll be seeing you later today. Miss Lorenz, please let her rest..." Elsie teased as she turned around to leave.
"I will. Thanks doctor... How do you feel, love?"
"Old," she smiled tenderly. "Got hurt pretty bad this time, huh?"
"You can say that again! I'm just glad that you will be all right. I was so scared," she cried, unable to stop the tears.
"I know, babe, I know.. I can't believe I've been out of it for over four days..."
"Your body needed it to start mending."
"I screw up our travel plans, didn't I?"
"Not exactly your fault, love. Beside, they're just delayed, not canceled."
"Could you change the tickets? Did ya get the papers?"
"Wow, wow.. don't start worrying about anything. Just concentrate on getting better, that's your job. The travel plans are my duty. Got that, Destroyer?"
"Yes Ma'am.. but you didn't answer my question..."
"Yes I was able to postponed our flight and yes I got your papers. We're still on track, love. Even better, we'll arrive there and you'll already be detoxed."
"With a few weeks delay, but yes..."
"What's a few weeks in front of Eternity?!"
"Philosophical today, aren't we?" Troy smiled tenderly.
"I'm just so happy to be able to talk to you, to see those beautiful eyes of yours.. You.. You have no idea how helpless I've felt, seeing you lying unconscious and..."
"Shhht... don't think about it anymore, babe. I'm here. I'll be ok... C'mon closer, we both need a hug and a kiss.."
"But.."
"Ya won't hurt me, c'mon..."

Carefully, Nicole bent over and hugged her companion tenderly while their lips met in a tender and promise filled kiss that made them dizzy.

"I love you, Nick."
"I love you, too..."

Chapter 12

Almost three weeks after the accident, a wobbly Destroyer helped by her devoted blonde lover exited the hospital. Eileen was still very much in pain, but she was able to walk and be on her own, however slowly and under the loving supervision of Nicole, so she was discharged by the institution and was driven toward Nick's home. Doctors and nurses had been impressed by the quick recovery she was showing, but Troy wasn't. It was way to slow for the energetic woman. The detox procedure went perfectly as expected, although Eileen couldn't stop her mind from wishing for the drug, especially when she felt insecure, like she was on the way to Nick's house.

"Are you all right, love?" the blonde cop asked softly, sensing the tension.
"Yeah.. 's okay.."
"What are you worrying about?" she insisted.
"Nothing.. everything.. I dunno.."
"Could you try to be more explicit, please?"
"Shit, babe.. I worry about failing you and getting back to the street, I worry about Bujold and his gang, I worry about being a burden for you, want more?" she almost yelled, looking away from her friend.
"That'll do for now," Nicole answered bitterly. "Can I answer a few of those worries? You won't fail me if you go back to the street, you'll fail yourself. But you won't. WE won't."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because I'm a romantic and love always wins in the end."
"Right," Troy snorted. "And I thought I was the one needing therapy!"
"Be nice! Now Bujold, he'll stay away from you if he knows what's best for him. I'm sure he watched the tape I gave him and he knows we're only half bluffing."
"Ya can never be sure with this slime..."
"True, but we'll be careful. He won't hurt us anymore, love. I promise."
"Man I need a fix..."
"Now, your third point," she continued, ignoring Troy's remark, "you will never ever be a burden in my life, Eileen. You are my better half, you own my soul and my heart, you will never become a burden!"
"Not a burden my foot! You sure can have a better life with anybody else rather than this handicaped drug craving looser with mood swings who's sitting in your car right now!" she growled angrily.

Nicole stopped her car with her emergency flashers on and turned slightly to face her companion.

"Let's make something very clear, Eileen Ó Riain," she started, holding her own anger back. "Look, we've been through this before and I don't want to go through it again. So you'll listen carefully, my love. Nobody can make me happier or can be better for me than you. You are healing physically and you will overcome the craving. And you're many things, but you certainly are not a looser."
"Am too," she grumbled.
"No! You failed detox once before because Bujold forced you back to it. That will not happen this time! The other thing is that there's too much temptation and risks here for you. That's why we need to leave. The sooner the better. Now tell me, love, do you still want to come with me and start in new together?"
"Yes..."
"Good! 'cuz there's no way I'll let you go back on the streets! Do you trust me?"
"Of course."
"Do you love me?"
"Oh god yes! How can you even ask that?!"
"Well.. you got me worried for a second here..." she admitted truthfully.
"I'm sorry, babe," Eileen said softly. "I'm not sure where all this came from... I do love you and I do want us to be together, clean and free..."
"I love you, too... C'mon, let's go home and plan our trip to the Alps," she finished, resuming her driving toward her house. Phew.. one down, many more to go.. This will not be an easy battle, but Eileen, there's no way in Hell I'll let you down anytime soon.

After settling down for a quiet day together, Nicole showed her companion some brochures of the region where they would go live as soon as Troy would feel healthy enough to endure the long flight overseas. The more they talked about it, the more animated Eileen became and it warmed Nicole's heart to see how much her lover was hoping for their dream to become reality. They didn't had time to really look at their options before, just planning a way out but not really examining all the possibilities their escape could offer. Now, it seemed to both of them that there definitely was a light at the end of the dark tunnel Troy had lived in for so long.

The only interruption in their day of planning was during the couple of hours when Troy had to undergo physiotherapy. Nicole could feel Troy's hidden tension but everytime she brushed the subject, the dark-haired woman simply stated it was nothing important.

Early on that evening, Eileen admitted being exhausted and they decided to call it an early night.

"You want  to sleep in the guestroom?" Nicole asked, unsure if her friend wanted to share her bed.
"Ya want that?" Troy asked, genuinely surprised.
"Not really.. I'd rather have you very close to me.."
"So?"
"..but I don't want to hurt you overnight if I move.. and I guess I wanted to allow you a way out, if.."
"Nick," the injured woman interrupted softly, locking her warm blue eyes into worried green ones, "I love you and you never can hurt me when you're by my side. I don't need, nor do I want, a way out. Trust that?"
"I love you too.."
"Good.. Then let's share that huge bed of yours," she smiled tenderly, pulling her lover in her arms and walking toward the room.
"When they kicked me out of the hospital, I went shopping and got you a few new clothes and night shirts. Figured you didn't have much beside what you were wearing out there..."
"I earned only one set of changing clothes, you're right. I don't know how to thank you for everything that you're doing for me, babe... This is.. overwhelming."
"Get used to it, I intend to spoil you rotten, my gorgeous friend," she giggled timidly.

As they laid in each other's arms, Troy let out a deep sigh which Nicole didn't miss.

"What is it, love?"
"I'm sorry, babe..." was the sad whispered answer.
"About what?"
"I ain't good with words and I ain't better physically to let you know how much you mean to me.. how much I love you..."
"Shhht.. It's all right. You're in no shape to do anything but sleep for now, my darling. It's quite all right. We'll have plenty of time for that later. Just hold on to me, it's perfect for the moment."
"You're so patient with me, babe.."
"You have to give yourself a chance, love. You need to heal, physically and emotionally. We have a long road ahead of us and we'll take it one slow step at the time, but we'll get there. I'm not worried. As long as we're together, nothing can stop us."
"I hope you're right..."
"I am! I promise!.. Now, you've got to sleep...
" 'kay.. Night babe.."
"Sleep tight, my love. I'll keep your demons at bay tonight..." And forever, I hope.

Nicole awoke the next morning with the smell of fresh coffee and toasts coming from the kitchen. She smiled as her stomach growled at the thought of food and she walked softly to join her beloved.

"Good morning, sunshine," Troy greeted her warmly when she stepped in the room.
"That it is, my love," she agreed as she hugged her lover, careful about her injuries, pulling her down for a tender kiss. "You're up early."
"I'm not used to lots of sleep. I guess I got more in the last weeks than I did in the last ten years or so. Want to share some breakfast?"
"I'd love to, thanks love."
"My pleasure, babe. You've done so much for me already, the least I can do is preparing your breakfast once in a while."
"Oh, so it's not a permanent thing I'll need to get used to?" the blonde teased fondly.
"Weeell.. my cooking skills being limited to breakfast, we could make a deal: ya cook lunch and dinner but I'll do breakfast. How does that sound?"
"Like I'm going to love getting up every morning," she chuckled.

They ate silently for a moment and Nicole noticed the almost hidden frown on Eileen's face.

"Wassup?" she asked softly.
"Ya know me too well, ya know that?" Troy smiled tenderly. "Ya can read my mind and I can't hide anything from ya.."
"Got that right, lover. So spill it..."
"I'm just thinking about things," she evaded.
"Such as?"
"You... me.. the trip..."

Nicole waited patiently for Eileen to continue her train of thoughts.

"..I know you love it here, this house and your job and the country.. and you're leaving it all just for me.. it's a lot to digest.. I kinda feel bad getting you to do something you didn't want to do..."
"You don't force me in doing anything I don't want to do, love. True I didn't want to leave Canada with my parents, but now it's different. I know I was waiting here for something to happen. And you entered my life. Now I can move on. I know that why I needed to stay here longer than my parents did."
"How can you be so sure? You love it here, you told me so..."
"Yes I do. But I love Switzerland too... And I'm looking forward to showing it you. You'll love it too, you'll see."
"With you as a guide, I'm sure I will. But.. we're both thinking leaving for a long while, right?"
"Absolutely, yes," she answered, puzzled by her friend's reasoning.
"What about your belongings? your house? furnitures?.."
"While you had to remain on the streets and me here, I've packed most of the things I want to keep. There's only a few clothes left, the rest is all ready to be shipped by cargo. I've talked to our real estate agent who's going to take care of selling the house. It's my parents, so he'll send them the money directly."
"What about the rest?" Troy insisted, concerned.
"Someone'll pick it up, or whoever buy the house will keep the furniture.. I don't know and I don't really care. The only thing I'm sure is that I want us to be free to leave as soon as you're feeling well."
"It's worth a lot of money..."
"I guess so, yeah..."
"Ya don't wanna sell them?"
"I thought about it.. but if I start selling the furnitures now, we'll end up to have to live in a hotel to be comfortable. I'd rather stay here until we leave."
"Maybe you can get someone to sell them for you, like for the house?"
"Perhaps... But don't worry about it, love, there's no need to."
"Just that I keep thinking about everything all the time," Troy sighed, passing a shaky hand in her long hair.
"Are you all right, darling?" Nicole worried.
"Yeah.. just a bit edgy, I guess..."
"Everything will be fine, I promise. You just have to concentrate on getting well and let me worry about the rest."
"Easier said than done," Troy grumbled, finding the bottom of her mug fascinating.
"Eileen," Nicole said softly, taking her lover's hand tenderly in hers, "as long as we're together, we're going to be just fine, trust in that."
"I do. Thanks for putting up with me, babe."
"That what friends are for, love," she smiled warmly.

They ate silently for a few seconds, then Nicole resumed their conversation.

"Hey, I've got an idea," she said happily.
"Reeaallyy..." Troy teased, wiggling her eyebrow sensuously.
"Not about that," the blonde laughed, "although that is on my mind, too. No, but about the furnitures and stuff, I bet you know shelters which could use them, don't you?"
"Well..some of it, yeah, but they can't afford to pay for all that nice stuff you've got."
"But if I were to give it to them?"
"They'd be tremendously glad," she smiled enthusiastically.
"And they could sell the rest to have the money..."
"Probably... Ya really wanna do that?"
"Sure do. I'd rather have people who need it to have it, than some crook making profit on it..."
"I'll need to go talk to Pops, he'll know exactly who needs what and where," Troy stated with less enthusiasm.
"I'll go with you, love," she stated, taking her friend's hand to show her support. "I know going in your old crowd isn't easy for you, especially now..."
"Thanks, you're right. We could go tonight?"
"You know where to find Pops?"
"Of course. Every street bum knows where to find Pops!"
"But.. he's always on the move.. Took me hours to find him.."
"Yeah... but you didn't live down there long enough. We'll find him within ten minutes!"
"Cool.. I'm glad to know that these furnitures will help others to feel cosier somewhere.."
"You have such a big heart, my love. Ya never cease to amaze me, ya know that?"
"I do, now.. You're pretty amazing yourself, Destroyer," she concluded, moving around the table to be able to kiss her lover passionately.
"Thanks," the dark-haired woman blushed slightly. "When did ya expect leaving the country?"
"Whenever you feel strong enough to tough the long flight. Why?"
"I.. I'd like to go as soon as we can. Think we could do that by the end of the week?"
"Probably, but it'll be awfully painful for you.."
"Staying here is too dangerous, babe. Not only don't I trust Bujold and his gang, but I know way too much where to find some dope, I need to get away to be sure to stay clean. I don't trust myself as much as you do," she smiled weakly.
"All right, love. Why don't we go see the travel agent this afternoon and see what he can arrange for us, huh?"
"I'd like that.. Thanks babe. You're so good to me..."
"And so are you, my love. So are you..."

"Nicole, I'm so glad to see you again," the lady at the travel agency greeted them loudly. "And this must be your friend Eileen you told me so much about."
"Yes, she is," Nicole agreed, unable to ignore the raised eyebrow of her companion. Uh-ho..
"Hi, I'm Leslie Warren," she continued while shaking Troy's hand.
"Hello," the dark-haired woman answered cautiously.
"We'd like to revisit our travel plans, for good this time," the blonde stated.
"Certainly. Here, make yourself comfortable while I pull up your file on screen."
"I'd like a few changes from our original tickets, Leslie."
"Not a problem, dear. Did she tell you we've known each other since pre-school?" she asked Troy.
"No..."
"Well, I take she hasn't told you as much about me as I heard about you."
"Leslie.." the blonde started.
"She lied to me, though. You're way more gorgeous than she told me. And those eyes.."
"Leslie.."
"But I'm sure you hear that all the time. You're not the talkative type, now are you?"
"No." As if we could say more than one word with this chatterbox!
"You must still tire quickly after that awful accident that got you in the hospital for so long..."
"LESLIE!" Nicole almost yelled, finally succeeding in getting the agent's attention. "Talking about the accident, as you stated, Eileen get tired quickly and is in a lot of pain, even if she doesn't admit it to me," she concluded, looking deep into Troy's baby blues. "So, I want to upgrade to first class accomodation. And we'd like to leave before the end of the week."
"Baby," Troy started to argue softly while Leslie hit her keyboard, "not first class, it's way too expensive..."
"Nothing's too much expensive if it can make your trip a little bit better, love."
"Here, I can get you on the Swissair flight taking off Thursday afternoon."
"Your call, love," Nicole said with a warm smile.
"Thursday afternoon's perfect for me. Nick?"
"Then it's perfect for me, too. Book us on that one, Leslie."
"Done! Hey, I just happen to be on break soon, we could go and have a drink all together and get acquainted?" Leslie proposed enthusiastically.
"Sorry Les, but we have so many things to finalize before we leave, I'm not sure we'll even be able to finish it all."
"Oh... all right.. Some other time, then," she pouted. "Should I bill the price difference on your card, Nicole?"

They exchange the formalities, paperwork and signatures, and as soon as they could, Eileen and her lover left the travel agency.

"Phheeww..." Nicole stated when they were a block away. "Sorry about her, but she's a good travel agent."
"Man, how can she speak so fast all the time?" Troy grinned.
"I'm sure that her best trick to make a sale. Customers end up paying for anything as long as it means they can leave her office," she giggled, holding her partner's arm around hers.
"You two are good friends, I take. What did you told her about me?"
"First we're not friends. We've known each other for a while, but she's no friend. And what I told her was that my travel partner and dear friend was unable to take the trip due to an accident. She knows nothing about you except that your name is Eileen and we travel together!"
"But she said..."
"She made it sounds like I told her a lot, but trust me, she's the last one I'd go tell anything personal!"
"Thank the gods," she smiled.
"How do you feel, love?" while opening her car's passenger door.
"Tired," Troy admitted honestly.
"Let's get you home for a nap before dinner. You've looked beat since your physiotherapy."
"Yeah.. I wanted to push it a bit further today.."
"Take your time, love."
"Not much choice," she grumbled as she settled in Nicole's car.

After a couple of hours sleep, Troy ate a great meal cooked by her partner before they both got ready to go in town to find Pops' RV. It was easy to spot for who knew where to look: a large Winnebago colorfully painted by some teenagers in an artistic graffiti kind of way, with POPS in bold letters on the back. True to her words, Destroyer found it very easily. Helped by Nicole, she carefuly walked to the vehicle.

"My, my.. Isn't that the great indestructible Destroyer herself," a tall man in his thirties greeted them upon arrival.
"Dreamer, nice to see you again," Troy answered joyfully, giving him the warrior forearm shake. "Dreamer, this is my partner Nicole."
"Pleased to meet you," he warmly answered, shaking her hand. "So what's bring you down here, Troy? I heard you've ran into some problems?"
"Yeah.. Got hit by a car almost a month back."
"Not like you to cross a street without looking...."
"Damn right. It was deliberate."
"You know who?"
"Of course, but that's old story. I'm all right now.. recuperating, physio and all.."
"Word's that you're getting off the street and that you're clean?"
"Correct on both accounts, thanks to my better half here," she smiled, looking tenderly at Nicole who blushed slightly.
"Well, I'm glad. I know you would've done it the first time if it weren't for all that crap you were involved with."
"Got the better hand this time. Can I see Pops for a while?"
"He is.. nope, he was with someone," he rectified seeing a punk getting out of the mobile home. "Go on, he'll be happy to see you."

Nick and Troy knocked at the door before climbing in the RV and Pops greeted with enthusiasm, obviously glad to see the tall woman.

"I remember you," the old man told Nicole. "You came once to ask about the Destroyer..."
"You've got a great memory, Pops. I did come to you asking about her."
"How could anyone forget such a pretty face, darlin'. I've heard good news about you lately, Troy. Are they true?"
"If you heard that I'm clean and leaving the streets, yes, that's true," the dark-haired woman answered softly.
"Well, I know the road won't always be easy in front of you, but the worse is behind. I don't doubt that you'll be successful in your future plans, Troy."
"Nicole will make sure that I am," she smiled. "That's part of the reason why we're here tonight. First, I didn't want to leave without thanking you for everything you did when I needed someone to help. You have no idea how good you were to me and how grateful I am."
"I'm just glad I could help. But don't sell yourself short, Troy. You were a great help out there for those kids who didn't come to me. You may not want to hear it, but you've done more good out there than anybody I know."
"That's not true, Pops, but thanks..."
"We will be leaving the country soon," Nicole continued, easying Troy's embarrassment at the compliment, "and I have some stuff that we thought could be used by shelters or even to you..."
"What kind of stuff?"
"Furniture, blankets, cooking ustensils... Do you know who would be interested?"

They talked for about half an hour, the older man giving his advice about who should and who shouldn't be given whatever Nicole had to give away. It was agreed that some ustensils and blankets, as well as some extra clothing, would come to Pops who would see that they'd be used or given to the ones who needed it most. Dreamer was appointed to help with the distribution amongs the different charity organism and the rest would be sold by him, the money left to Pops to feed the needy. Nicole found the man fascinating and would've loved to talk with him longer, feeling that Troy was happy to be with him too, asking for some advice and swallowing the compliments, but a distressed young woman with a baby came to see Pops, so they let him do his good work and left the area.

"You like him a lot," the blonde noticed as they were riding toward her house.
"Yeah.. he's like a father.. I'll miss him."
"Once we're settled and bored of the mountains, we can always come and visit," she suggested, taking Troy's hand to show her compassion.
"I'd like that... As much as I admire him, I don't know how Dreamer has done it. Got clean and came back on the street right away to help Pops, never touched the dope again. I don't think I could resist if I were down there..."
"You're much stronger than you give yourself credit for, love."
"Maybe.."

Epilogue

A week later, sipping a warm tea while looking at the snowy summits in front of their new home, Nicole and Eileen were silently reflecting on the new turn their lives had taken. The noise of the wood cracking in the fireplace didn't disturb their thoughts, even more emphasizing the feeling of comfort and peace both women were sharing. They had left without looking back. Litteraly. Nicole had given the key to Dreamer so he could sell the furniture, with a signed paper proving that he wasn't stealing anything and they had gone. The trip had been long and painful for the dark-haired woman, but she toughed it up without complaining. Only Nicole's accurate knowledge of her companion gave her any indication of what was truly going on. First Class had been much better than Economy, but eight hours sitting is still a long time when you're healing. But they got through it, together.

Watching the sunset light fading against the tallest mountain, Nicole smiled at the tought of their very last move before leaving the country. One simple phone call. And the videotapes were sent to every media newsroom in the country. Gotcha, son of a bitch! Mess with my girl, will ya! I think not!  They didn't hear anything since, but they didn't care either. They had better things to concentrate on. Like each other. *sigh*

"What's that sigh for, babe?" Eileen asked, turning toward her beloved.
"Just happy to be here with you. Not to have to worry about you being out in the cold. Not to worry about how you'd survive another day on the streets... Just so damn happy to have you by my side."
"Right back at ya, babe! It's so peaceful up here. The air is so clean. The chalet is so warm. And you're so hot.. How did I deserve to get you in my life, I'll never know.. but I'll be forever grateful for it... I love you so much, Nicole. Don't ever leave me," she pleaded in a whisper.
"Never. I love you too," she concluded, pulling her companion down to share a passionate kiss that emphasized their words. Forever , they both thought.
 

The End (room for a sequel? ya betcha! ;o)

Thanks to have stayed with me. I want to apologize to all of you who have been asking when the next update would be. I am way beyond the deadline I had fixed to myself. Next time, I'll publish the story only when it'll be finished. No more hanging... :o)  Patty.

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¹ Accueil Bonneau - Wanna help? Make a gift..
² Ref. National Institute on Drug Abuse, research reports
³ Pops, Father Emmett Johns

He is also called "the god of the street".
He is a Saint.
To know more, check his website.

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http://www.danslarue.com/

Images from Croc's site

* Speedball: a mix of cocaine, heroin and amphetamine.
A real story about drugs & teens:  "Christiane F." ©1981