(OOC: Continued from Three's A Crowd)

IC:
Jacen's truck screaching to a halt in the parking space outside his building and he gritted his teeth against the pain that continued to come in waves from his shoulder. None of the splinters were deep enough to actually be dangerous but they were deffinately irritating.

Climbing out of the truck Jacen slammed the door closed and then made his way around to help Kealey out, only to find she'd already exited the vehicle. Without a word, the police officer turned and led the way into the building, up the stairs, and then over to the door of his apartment.

"Here it is... sorry you had to come see it like this." Jacen said with a slightly pained smile as they walked in the door that opened up directly into a small living room. The floor was carpetted with a deep, royal blue carpet that blended with the light sky blue walls. Various pictures and small pieces of artwork, mainly forest or mountain landscapes, were hung on the wall though it was obvious that none of it was very expensive. In the far corner was a TV, DVD player, and collection of various movies and tv show seasons. A black leather couch and one dark blue fabric easy chair sat facing the tv, with a cedar coffee table set up right in front of them. A doorway right next to the TV opened up into what must have been the master bedroom. Off to the left was a small kitchen that looked like it would be a tight fit for even two people to get in. A short hallway next to the kitchen ran off to the guest bedroom as well as the guest bathroom.

Over all the apartment was clean and relatively well maintained. It was the typical, comfortable home that most any middle-class american would live in. The only oddity was a table that sat right next to the front door. Three or four different bottles of various alcohol were set there along with glasses for serving. It was apparent that these were probably one of the few things Jacen splurged on because this wasn't your normal inexpensive beer and wine.

Grabbing one of the liqour bottles, Jacen poured himself a quick shot of brandy and then tossed it back with one swallow. Setting the now empty glass down he walked into the master bedroom. This room had the same carpeting as the rest of the house but the walls were a plain, stark white. Apparently the paint and decorations were mainly for the benefit of visitors. There was a decent sized queen bed in the center of the room with a light brown and teal comforter spread over it. Next to it was a single night stand and on the wall next it was a chest of drawers. The closet was on one side of the room while the door to the bathroom was on the other side.

In a few moments Jacen had walked into the bathroom, retrieved a first aid kit, and then walked back out to perch on the bed while attempting to look at the splinters himself. Jacen had never been one to ask for help unless it was absolutely necessary but he also never turned down help if it was offered.

Kealey winced as the truck screeched to a halt in the parking spot. She was starting to come down off of the emotional high from the encounter in her apartment and the realization of what had happened as they drove away was actually starting to sink in. Curiously, Kealey wasn’t upset. In the absence of all the feelings from their attacker and the mad dash under fire from the building, Kealey just felt exhausted and numb. Concern. There was concern there too as she looked at Jacen’s shoulder, at the blood leaking from the places where the splinters were stuck.

Out of the truck’s cab they got, and Kealey winced as her shoeless feet hit the concrete. She hadn’t looked while they were in the truck, but she could tell by the stiff feeling of the material as she walked that she’d probably cut her feet up running through the shattered glass in the apartment. She couldn’t help but limp a little bit, but it wasn’t too bad. Realization hit that she didn’t have any other shoes…they’d all been in her apartment. With everything else… Again, it didn’t hit her hard, just numb shock. It was weird, and disconcerting.

They were at Jacen’s door now and Kealey just nodded her head when Jacen tried to explain something about the state of the place. Kealey had been there once before, briefly, while Jacen got ready for the first time they’d gone out. Everything was pretty much the same.

Once they were inside, Jacen poured himself what had to be a glass of alcohol and Kealey watched him down it before he moved away and disappeared into the hallway that lead out of the living area. Kealey hovered in the doorway for a moment, shuddering as Jacen moved far enough away that her powers kicked in. There were people around them, and as the emotions started filtering in, Kelaey’s hands started shaking and the full impact of what had just occurred in her apartment started to sink in.

Her breathing hitched, and Kealey shook her head. It was too much all at once. Forward she moved, she could hear Jacen moving around in what had to be his room, and she moved slowly, sighing with relief when she came within his field. The emotions went away and Kealey heaved a deep sigh of relief. Kealey knew she’d have to deal with what had happened eventually, and it was odd that her own emotions could stay so cool and removed unless the others were present, but for now, this was just easier.

Slowly, she peeked around the corner of the wall she’d come up to and she could see Jacen perching on the edge of his bed and trying to see the splinters. Since they were in the back, that wasn’t going to do at all. Kealey moved forward.

”The convent was also a school…I know some first aid. Let me.” she said, taking the first aid kit from his hands and sitting down next to Jacen on the bed.

Kealey shook her head as she looked at the splinters. The wounds were bleeding, but none of them looked very serious…at least as far as Kealey could tell considering the fact that they were all just sticking out of Jacen’s shirt. ”I’m so sorry about this…I never should have called you.” she said, hands hovering as she tried to figure out where to start. Finally she sighed and dropped them.

”You’re going to have to take off your shirt. I can’t see anything with it in the way.” If anything about this was awkward, Kealey hadn’t noticed.

Jacen was doing his best not to get overly frustrated as he tried to look at his wounds but he couldn't help it. The way the splinters were positioned it felt like he was straining the wounds every time he tried to twist his head around to see them. He was about ready to reach back and just blindly rip them out when Kealey stepped forward and pulled the first aid kit from his hands.

"Thanks." Jacen said after a moment, his shoulder slumping slightly as he just let himself relax. He still couldn't believe what the two of them had just gone through. Jacen couldn't remember the last time he had felt that helpless but he knew that Kealey had to be feeling worse. She had just lost everything other than the clothes on her back. Did she have renters insurance? How much had been lost that she could never replace? Had their been photos of families and friends that were now lost forever?

"Yes, you should have called me." Jacen replied quietly, his eyes closing for a moment as he allowed himself to give in to the stress related weariness that was now descending, "I'm sorry... I should have been able to do more. I should have protected you better."

He knew it was stupid, but he felt like he was at least partially responsible. The man had specifically said he wanted to speak to Mr. King. He had said he had no real interest in Kealey but instead wanted to deal with the police officer that had special abilities. How in the world had he put a friend into a situation like this? Maybe if Kealey hadn't known him then the attacker wouldn't have done so much to her home. Maybe he would have left her alone if she didn't know Jacen.

"Oh right... the shirt."

Moving slowly, Jacen stood to his feet and slipped the bloody over shirt off, allowing it to drop to the floor. Moving carefully he did his best to pull off his t-shirt without jarring the large pieces of wood but a slight hiss of pain as he pulled the clothing off showed that he wasn't entirely successful.

"You can stay here until you get back on your feet." Jacen offered quietly as he sat back down on the bed and allowed Kealey to better examine his wounds. He could feel a slow drip on his shoulders and back as the blood ran down but since it wasn't gushing he wasn't particularly concerned. "I've got the spare bedroom and... well... maybe it'd be good for you to have a room mate for a little while."

The moment Kealey's hands touched his bare skin, Jacen suddenly realized the situation they were in. Both of them were tired and stressed from the events of the day and now here he was sitting in front of her with nothing covering his upper body. After the way things had ended between them several weeks before he really should have felt more awkward but he didn't. Maybe the tiredness was overcoming the awkwardness but whatever the issue, Jacen didn't give a damn about how the situation looked.

Kealey actually cracked a half-smile when Jacen pointed out that he should have done a better job protecting her. She dropped her head for a moment and shook it slowly side to side. ”I know you’re special Jacen…but somehow I doubt that you could have done anything more against those crazy bullets. You kept the first one out of my head, after all.”

Somehow the words made it more real and Kealey shuddered as she realized what would have happened if Jacen hadn’t been there. ”If anything, your being there saved me doubly. If he hadn’t wanted to talk to you…” she let the sentence trail.

Jacen was thinking, and Kealey figured she was every bit as pensively quiet when she wasn’t speaking. It even took him a moment to realize what she meant about his shirt. Kealey winced with him as he pulled off his undershirt and hissed with the pain. Kealey dropped her eyes to the first aid kit in her hands and pulled out the gauze, antiseptic, and anything else she thought she’d need.

Jacen sat back down and Kealey turned her eyes to the wounds from the wood splinters. When Jacen had pulled his shirt off, the actual pieces had come out when he’d pulled off the shirt. Kealey looked closer and wrinkled her nose slightly. The wounds looked clean, no wood had stayed behind when the shards had pulled out. Pulling out the gauze, Kealey pressed a few squares against the puncture wound that seemed to be bleeding the most, and used a few more squares to wipe up the rest of the blood before it dripped onto the bedspread. Oh yeah, Jacen had offered her a place to stay, Kealey sighed, ”I don’t know Jacen…” she said, tossing the bloody gauze onto the shirt Jacen had dropped on the floor and reaching for the antiseptic.

”This is going to sting.” she said, wincing again in sympathy as she applied the swab, then, using an old trick she’d always used on kids at the convent, she blew on the spot. The bleeding was almost completely stopped now. Next came bandages and then it was done. All the while Kealey thought on what Jacen had said, she shook her head, hands dropping from Jacen's shoulder to her lap, ”Not…being alone right now would be nice.” she said softly, dropping her head at the phrase, ‘back on your feet’.

She had turned and pulled one leg under her to see Jacen’s shoulder better and now Kealey looked down. Her clothes were torn and dirty, and she was wearing sweats. Kealey had never had time to grab shoes, and her socks were torn and bloody…and that was everything she had. Still, it was almost like Kealey couldn’t feel anything about it. Just cold realization. She looked up at Jacen, well, mostly at the back of his head.

”Are you sure that would be okay?” she asked, one hand moving aimlessly to tangle in her hair, ”Staying here? I wouldn’t want to impose…or cause any problems...” the words trailed off. She was so tired, and she hurt everywhere, worrying about causing Jacen trouble by staying at his place was the last thing on her mind. ”I just wouldn’t know where else to go.” Her eyes did well up at that, Kealey didn't know where else to go. Her other hand joined the one that she'd already put into her hair as the tears started to fall. "I just wouldn't know."

Kealey was obviously looking at Jacen as some sort of hero but he just wasn't buying it. Surely there was something more he could have done about the whole situation. Obviously if he'd been equipped with the kind of gear he carried while in the military or on a SWAT mission then he could have dealt with things. He would have had his own weapon with scope to counter the sniper but unfortunately he had been attacked while in a civilian situation. Heck, he didn't even carry that kind of firepower in his truck. Maybe he needed to contemplate stowing some weapons somewhere safe in his vehicle...

Suddenly Jacen gritted his teeth and hissed slightly as Kealey swabbed over the puncture wounds with the antiseptic. With all of the medical advances you would have though someone would have figured out how to make antiseptic that didn't sting on contact but it hadn't been done yet! Suddenly he felt what seemed to be a cool, no warm breeze in his back. Was Kealey blowing on his skin? The very idea was enough to make the tired man suddenly feel goosebumps up and down his back.

Finally he felt Kealey's hands leave his now bandaged shoulder. Slowly turning, Jacen looked at the blond woman as she seemed to just be staring down at her hands and her torn and bloody clothes. Shock had built up a shell around her and provided her with a way to ignore the emotions and feelings that tried to push themselves upon her but as she continued talking and began to play with her hair it was obvious that the shell was cracking. Tears were beginning to drip from her eyes and just like that Jacen found himself feeling even more helpless than he had back at Kealey's apartment.

For a moment he was frozen in place, and then he moved a touch closer and slipped his arms around the young woman, pulling her toward him and into a hug. "We're gonna get through this Kealey." He murmured quietly once her head was safely nestled against his shoulder, "Stuff can be replaced. Friends can't be."

On the one hand, Jacen knew this had to be what Kealey needed but on the other hand he felt silly doing this. He was a man used to action and combat. Comforting a distraught woman was definitely not something he had ever trained for. What else could he do to help her relax? What was it women always wanted on those TV shows he watched? Hot tea? He didn't keep any of that in the house though he'd probably need to start stocking some tea bags. Chocolate? Yet again an item he'd probably need to start keeping around. A hot bath? Now there was something he could provide!

"How about we get you cleaned up? I can fill the tub with hot water and you can relax for a bit while I try to find some clothes for you to wear. Once you're feeling better maybe we can go... shopping?" He asked, almost choking on the last word though somehow managing to get it out. Kealey had warned him about shopping with her before and he really wasn't in the mood for it now but she definitely needed to go get some more clothes and things. Maybe he'd even buy her something as a gift. "Though definitely not lingerei... last time I bought a woman that it wasn't receive very well."

Kealey didn’t know what to do, she didn’t want to let her emotions spiral out of control. That had never accomplished anything for Kealey and she didn’t think it would start being helpful now. It was all so much, though, the sudden realization that she really didn’t have anywhere else to go on top of all the physical discomfort she was in. Then Jacen was hugging her and for a moment Kealey wondered if that wasn’t worse. She took comfort where comfort was offered, though, and she leaned against him letting the tears fall. He pointed out that things could be replaced and Kealey shook her head against his shoulder, “Not everything…” not the picture of her family.

Jacen was still talking as Kealey took mental inventory of all the things that she’d lost in the fire that consumed her building. He was offering her…a bath? Then he offered to take her shopping. She was still cuddled against his shoulder, but Kealey couldn’t help herself from laughing. ”Oh Jacen…” she said, pulling back out of the hug and using the heels of her hands to wipe away her tears as she giggled.

”You’re not used to dealing with weepy females, are you?” she said, sniffling slightly as her tears dried. ”Thanks for trying, though.” It made sense, he was the military, manly police officer type, of course he wasn’t used to comforting weepy female types. Kealey mulled over what he’d offered, and shook her head slightly.

”I think I’ll pass on the bath…a shower would be great, though. I’m a mess…” she paused, and thought for a few moments on the rest of the offer, her face falling slightly again as she looked down at her feet, ”I think I’m going to have to wait on the shopping though…do you have somewhere I can wash what I’m wearing and something I can borrow until it’s clean? I’ll need to go to the bank tomorrow and see about replacing my passport and everything…and you don’t have to go.”

Kealey stopped again and sighed, she was so tired. The adrenaline was wearing off and the lack of sleep from the past few days was really starting to set in. ”But yeah…being clean would be nice.” she said, and raised a hand to run it through her hair, only to stop, ”I think I still have glass in my hair...” she explained, ”I wouldn’t want to get it on your…” again, the words trailed off and Kealey realized she was indeed sitting on Jacen’s bed with Jacen, who didn’t have a shirt on. Oh yeah, there was the awkwardness. Instantly her cheeks pinked up and she sighed, a hand going to her head. Kealey was way too tired to deal with this, then something occurred to her and she looked at Jacen, tilting her head slightly with a frown on her face.

”I know you offered me the spare room and all…but won’t your…your…whatever…have a problem with me staying here?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Kealey wanted to bite her tongue off. Instead, she turned an apologetic wince towards Jacen and shrugged. ”I appreciate the hospitality and all…but most girls would probably have a problem with their…whatever…rooming with a single member of the opposite sex. Even if it was in separate rooms...and even if they were just being nice.”

Hello awkward conversation…but Kealey didn’t really care. She was tired, and if it turned out the spur of the moment invitation to crash had been misplaced, she wanted to be able to leave with enough time to find somewhere to stay.

Kealey's giggling and question about his dealing with weepy females actually managed to put a small smile on Jacen's face as she pulled away from the hug. Allowing his hands to drop to his sides he shrugged helpless as he looked at her. "Am I really that obvious?" At least she didn't seem mad about the fact that he wasn't good at it. In fact it seemed to have lifted her spirits a little.

"I think I can set you up with a towel and everything with a shower. And yes, I have a washing machine so we can get your clothes washed. My clothes will be a little baggy for you but I'm sure we can find something for you." Jacen answered as he watched Kealey's demeanor change slightly. She was beginning to get serious again and obviously was thinking about the situation. Probably over thinking but then again Jacen couldn't really blame her. In the course of a couple of days her world had been turned upside down. Anyone would be entitled to a little bit of introspection after dealing with a situation like that. It looked like she was even a little bit flushed... probably from all the stress and excitement she had dealt with over the past few hours.

"I know you offered me the spare room and all…but won’t your…your…whatever…have a problem with me staying here?"

And finally the subject that Jacen had been avoiding yet at the same time wanting to talk about had been broached. The awkwardness in the air was immediately apparent and Jacen tried to think of some way to get out of the subject without bad mouthing Lori to bad. He wasn't out to demean her character even if she was something of a... well he really didn't even need to think about it.

"You're welcome to say I told you so... can't blame you really." Jacen said slowly, rising to his feet and walking over to open a drawer and pull out a new, plain gray t-shirt/undershirt. Quickly pulling it on over his head he walked into the bathroom to lay out a new towel, wash cloth, and some of the sample bottles of body wash, shampoo, and condition that he collected from hotels. "I caught her in a rather intimate and compromising position with another man a week or so ago. Haven't seen or talked to her since."

He was doing his best to just speak about the subject matter-of-factly without allowing any hurt or feeling to come out on the surface. If Lori wanted to toy with his emotions like she had then that was her business but it was his choice whether he let that hurt him or not. His choice. It was a mental decision. Mental focus could keep him from feeling anything. Or at least that was what he kept telling himself.

"I uh... I've got sweat pants with draw strings and some shorts with draw strings. I think the shorts might be better for you since the sweats would be really long." Jacen fumbled slightly as he tried to change the subject back to more of a safe territory. "Is there um, anything else you need for your shower?"

Kealey nodded her head slowly, the small smile still on her face when Jacen admitted that he wasn’t very good at the whole weeping female thing. She hadn’t really expected a lot, and the hug had helped more than Jacen probably knew. ”You did just fine.” Kealey said, looking at him earnestly, ”Really. In my experience, most girls just want to know you cared enough to try.”

Jacen started talking again, and it was good news on the shower front, and the clothing borrowing front. Then Kealey opened her mouth. The discomfort on Jacen’s face was immediately evident when Kealey brought up the other girl. The girl who had been the reason for the awkward phone call in the first place. The girl Jacen had picked. Kealey couldn't deal with thinking about that at the moment, so she just listened.

He spoke, and Kealey’s face softened from the tense concern of the past few minutes to honest sympathy as Jacen said she could say that she told him so. Kealey frowned at that, apparently the memory of her harsh words was fresher than she’d hoped. Jacen was up and moving then, pulling on a new shirt and moving to the bathroom. Kealey realized she'd been watching him the whole time, and sighed, willing her blush away as well as anything else her treacherous mind was trying to allow to surface as Jacen explained everything that had happened.

Kealey rose, wincing at just how tender her feet were turning out to be and moved to where Jacen was setting things out for her to take her shower. He explained further and all the blond could do was shake her head. She could have said she'd told him so. She didn't want to though, not at all.

”I’d never say ‘I told you so.’ Jacen…” Kealey said, the same genuine sympathy on her face, ”I’m really sorry that happened to you.” she stopped and shrugged, ”I can’t say I’m a wealth of knowledge on the subject…but I’m a good listener if you want to talk about it. Or let me know if there’s anything else I can do…after my shower.” somehow the offer made it less awkward. Kealey was even surprised to find that she really did feel bad. He was a friend in need, and he was helping her, this was the least she could do.

Jacen offered shorts over sweat pants by virtue of their shorter length and Kealey nodded her head, ”Anything you want to offer would be great…” she looked down at her feet, ”Can I use your first aid kit too? I think I ran though some glass…”

At least Kealey hadn't gone ahead and used the 'I told you so', even though Jacen knew she had to want to. As angry as she had been the night he had stopped things as they became more physical it made sense that she still had at least some desire to gloat. Obviously she was to nice to do it but Jacen wouldn't have been at all surprised if Kealey had been thinking those exact words, just without uttering them.

"Maybe I'll take you up on that offer sometime but for now I think I'll just revel in my own stupidity." Jacen replied dryly as he walked over to his dresser and once again began to dig through the clothing. In a matter of moments he was able to pull out a pair of gray, black, and red patterned basketball shorts with a drawstring. For a moment he toyed with whether to give Kealey a white or black t-shirt, finally picking the black one. Even though it was slightest larger than his white undershirts, it wouldn't come off as slightly transparent should Kealey still be slightly damp when she pulled it on.

As he turned back around with the clothes in hand, the young woman's comment immediately made his gaze drop to her feet. They were a mess and immediately Jacen regretted not focusing on her more. He had let her take care of his shoulder without even noticing that her feet were a disaster area.

"Let me take care of those." Jacen said quietly as he moved over to sit on the bed and then reached over to gently grip Kealey's legs and swing her around so that her feet rested in his lap. Obviously he couldn't tend to them with her socks still on so after a brief, "This might hurt." of warning, Jacen carefully pulled the now ruined fabric off. Quite a bit of the glass had was safely embedded in the socks and he immediately disposed of them in a small trash can beside his bed but now he had to tend to the feet themselves. "And you don't have to go do everything by yourself tomorrow." Jacen addressed as he began to scan through the kit while turning the subject back to an earlier comment Kealey had made, "I'll be glad to go with you. Whether you want to admit it or not, you need a friend nearby right now."

Kealey could hear in the tone of Jacen's voice that there was more to his feelings on this matter than his off-hand and dry comments suggested. "I fail to see how you're stupid Jacen." Kealey said softly. "She’s the one losing out.” It was candid, and Kealey was embarrassed as she said it…but sometimes people needed to hear these types of things.

Jacen was apparently procuring clothes for her, and Kealey took the proffered items as he held them out. He’d been right, the clothes were going to be large on her. It was better than nothing, though, and Kealey couldn’t help but smile slightly at that thought. Yeah…something was definitely better than nothing.

Jacen hadn’t known about her feet and it was time for Kealey to get embarrassed again ]when he insisted on helping her with them. The blond stared longingly at the bathroom as he steered her away. She’d planned on doing it herself, but Jacen was leading her back to the bed and swinging her legs around and settling her feet in his lap. She nodded when he said it was going to hurt, then only winced slightly when it did. ”You know what you’re doing, right?” she couldn’t help but ask as she tried to peek around her own feet, Jacen’s hands, and her knees.

Her angle wasn’t exactly good to see what was going on and she moved, bending at the knees and scooting closer so she could see the damage done. They were her feet after all. After enough scooting, she could see the damage much more clearly…and it didn’t look all that bad, but now that she could see, it was way more obvious why walking was presenting a problem. A little first aid and she figured she’d be fine.

Jacen repeated his offer to help her out the next day, and Kealey looked up at him, face blank for a moment before she dropped her head and slowly shook it. ”I’ve been doing everything alone since I was twelve years old. It’s the company part I’m not used to.” she said, with a sad little smile, watching Jacen’s progress then looking back up at him, ”But yeah…the company might be nice. If you’re not too busy.”

"Well I sure can't be classified as smart for making a bad choice over a good one." Jacen replied humorlessly as he focused on taking care of Kealey's feet, "And yes I know what I'm doing. The military likes to make sure that everyone can at least do basic first aid."

Grabbing a cotton swab, Jacen doused it in Hydrogen Peroxide and then carefully brushed over all of the small cuts and nicks in the bottom of Kealey's feet. The bubbling of the Peroxide helped to push any trapped debris to the surface in order to help prevent infection. After wiping off the leftover peroxide with a cotton ball, Jacen doused another cotton ball with alcohol and cleaned her wounds just a little bit more. The obvious problem that now presented itself was exactly how to bandage up her feet. Kealey was about to get into the shower and a basic first aid kit didn't carry water proof bandages.

"That should take care of you for showering... once you're out we'll dry off your feet and see about putting some bandages on with some antibiotic cream." Jacen said with a nod and a quick smile flashed in Kealey direction. Since he was now off of the subject of his choice between Lori and Kealey, it was a much easier to be at least a little bit cheerful.

"If you want to step in the bathroom, I'll wait outside and you can just hand the clothing out... or we can wait to wash it until after you're out of the shower and dressed." Jacen offered as he stood back to his feet and motioned toward the bathroom. He hadn't missed her longing glance toward the shower and as such he couldn't deny her the pleasure anymore. Apparently that was yet one more thing that Kealey and Lori had in common. A love for the shower.

"I've got plenty of time tomorrow so we can do whatever you need to get done." He added as the young woman headed for the bathroom, "You make the schedule and I'll be the chauffeur."

Kealey didn’t know what to say, or even how to take what Jacen said about the decision he’d made. It didn’t seem like a topic he wanted to dwell on though, so Kealey returned to analyzing his skill at first aid. Well, at least he knew what he was doing. Kealey couldn’t help but admit as Jacen worked on fixing up her feet. The peroxide burned, but Kealey put on a brave face, she’d already cried all over Jacen. The last thing she needed to do was be a big baby about some little cuts on her feet. She was just about to tell Jacen not to bother with much more since she was getting in the shower anyway, when he pronounced her done and said they’d worry about bandages after the fact. Kealey laughed, ”Yes sir, Dr. King.” she teased, standing up, pleased that it didn’t hurt nearly as badly as it had before. Bandages might not even be necessary.

Jacen was talking about the logistics of the clothes washing now and Kealey scooped the borrowed things into her arms and made her way into the bathroom. ”They’ll wait until I’m out.” Kealey said, looking over her shoulder since she was already in the bathroom and shutting the door with her foot. It was shower time.

Kealey had grown up in a place where wasting water on long and luxurious showers was practically a sin, so it only took her about 10 minutes to complete her routine. As she toweled off, Kealey couldn’t help but think how hot water should be classified as its own special kind of miracle. Into the shorts she slipped, tightening them as much as she could and clicking slightly at how they still hung on her hips and past her knees. It didn’t matter though, because the shirt Jacen had given her was more than large enough.

Wiping steam from the mirror, Kealey examined herself in the mirror. Dark shadows spread below her eyes and the bruise over her left one was yellowing delightfully, she looked like hell. Hell wearing it’s big brother’s clothes. Running her fingers through her hair in the lack of a proper brush, Kealey sighed, it was going to curl up like crazy, it already was, the wet spiral ringlets pulling up around her face as it dripped down onto the shirt.

It would have to do. Kealey draped the towel over her arm so that she could continue to squeeze her hair out as it dried and scooped her dirty clothes off the floor. Then it was to the door. Kealey opened it and was slightly surprised to find Jacen still standing there and she yelped, taking a quick step back.

”You didn’t have to wait…” she said, moving past him and turning. She could still feel her hair dripping on her shirt and she shrugged her shoulders, ”Thanks for the clothes…where did you say that washer was?”

Kealey didn't hesitate in the slightest and after a brief statement, whisked into the bathroom firmly closing the door behind her. Jacen stood there, staring at the closed door for a few moments. As he heard the water begin to run he felt himself flush as he realized that he was trying to imagine what the blond woman must look like in the shower.

"Cool your jets." Jacen muttered as he pivoted and strode out into the living room. Walking over to his personal bar he poured yet another shot of brandy and tossed it back. Firmly placing the stopper back in the bottle, he set it down and then walked over to the sink to wash the glass he had just been using. Two glasses was the maximum he allowed himself anymore. Ever since the drunken fiasco with Lori, Jacen had been very hard on himself. He would never allow himself to be completely drunk ever again!

Once the simple chore was done Jacen wandered aimlessly through the living room before finally making his way back into the bedroom. After kicking off his shoes and socks he collected the bloody clothes on the floor and carried them off to the tiny laundry room that was off of his guest hallway. Finally he heard the shower shut off and so he walked back into the bedroom and then leaned up against the wall outside of the bathroom door.

"I didn't say where it is." Jacen responded with a smile as he took the clothing from her hands and turned to head into the hall, "Have a seat in the living room or feel free to fix yourself a drink. There's water, milk, a few sodas, and maybe even some bottled tea in the fridge."

Heading into the hallway Jacen took the clothing and dropped it into the washer piece by piece. "Turquoise boyshorts... who woulda thought." Crossed through his mind before he could stop it. He had fantasized about what sort of undergarments Kealey might be hiding under her clothing. He had always envision some extremely risque, downplayed by more slightly more upstanding exterior but obviously that had been a mistake.

"Are you hungry at all?" Jacen asked as he walked back out in the living room from the hallway, "I could order some take out or something."

Jacen pointed out that he hadn’t mentioned where exactly the washer was and went about taking the clothes from Kealey’s arms. ”No…you don’t have to…I….” she said feebly as the clothing, and Jacen, disappeared. It had been years since she’d had someone wash her clothes for her. He told her to go to the living room and make herself comfortable and Kealey stood and stared after him for a moment before heading in that direction.

Kealey couldn’t help but think about the offer Jacen had made, to let her stay there. Roomates. Kealey supposed that the nuns in the convent could have been considered her roommates when she’d lived there…but that was such a different situation. They’d been nuns…definitely not Jacen. Kealey looked back over her shoulder at him as she moved to the living room. No…she’d never had a roommate like Jacen before. He’d been right, though, being alone right now would have been bad. The assassin was still out there, somewhere. It was a sobering thought, in light of the more upbeat turn things had taken.

She wasn’t thirsty, and she was careful to stay in that bubble of quiet that Jacen seemed to exude, she’d done all the crying she intended to do, at least for a while. Down on the couch she sank, curling into the corner by the arm. The couch was comfortable, something Kealey never really associated with leather. She was tired, and the curled position and comfortable couch weren’t doing anything to keep her eyes open and by the time Jacen came into the living room, his voice made her jump.

Hungry? At the word, her stomach growled loudly and Kealey clasped her hands over it, biting her bottom lip to hold back a little giggle. Lifting her head to look up at Jacen, an apologetic smile spreading across her face, she cleared her throat, ”I guess I am…as if I haven’t already been enough trouble tonight. On the bright side…I’ll eat pretty much anything…” she paused for a moment, feeling awkward because she didn’t have her purse, or her wallet, or anything else.

”I’ll pay you back… somehow…” Kealey said, her eyebrows pulling together as she frowned at the thought, ”I wonder if anything will be left…” despite her earlier resolution, Kealey couldn’t help but wonder. Chances were slim though…and there’d be so much rubble, but maybe, ”I’d let the rest of it go without a thought… if I could have this one picture…” She wasn’t crying, her eyes weren’t welling up, but that was because Kealey was clinging to a tiny sliver of hope. There was always the chance that the frame had protected it. ”Do you think there’s any chance they’ll let us in to look?”

"I'll see about getting some food ordered." Jacen said with a smile as he opened a small drawer in the table where the phone was sitting and pulled out a bunch of delivery menus, "I'm afraid I'm pretty awful when it comes to cooking. What sounds good... pizza, Chinese, BBQ, or something else?" He asked as he took a seat at the other end of the couch from Kealey.

At her question about going through what was left of her apartment Jacen paused. Nodding slowly he looked back over at Kealey, giving her a comforting smile, "I'm a police officer Kealey. Once the Fire Marshall clears it as safe I can get you in to look around. You'll probably be surprised by how much saved."

They were starting to get back into more personal and emotional areas. Jacen needed to get them out of this situation but he couldn't think of anything. He could easily compliment her looks or beauty but somehow he didn't think now was the time for that. He could make a comment about how good she looked in his clothes but that obviously didn't fit either.

"We'll get things taken care of Kealey. It'll all work out somehow." Jacen finally said as he scooted a little closer to her and then reached over and began gently massaging at her shoulder. Unintentionally one of his thumbs slipped under the to large collar and brushed over bare skin as he worked at the knots that had developed in her muscles.

"I'll check with the officials and get us in there as early as we can. Throw that in with your official papers and some clothes shopping and you should be all set." Jacen said quietly, his focus as much on the massage and the skin he could see and touch as it was on the conversation.