The Memoirs

Toni. Just. Sighed. "You’re telling me you have to get dolled up for Dominic, Fel? You looked fine in your shorts!" Toni yelled at the closed bathroom door.

"Of course!" she yelled back through the door. "I have to look GOOD!" She tossed the shorts into the laundry hamper, wondered briefly about how much she should leave unpacked to live in and how her dirty laundry was going to get done when she left, snagged the comfortable Adidas workout pants she'd stolen from Dominic a decade ago, shimmied into them, fluffed her hair, brushed it out, and burst out of the bathroom door. "There!" She twirled.

Toni rolled her eyes heavenward. "He's a man. A gay man. I’m sure he does not care if we look bad." A beat. "Think he'll recognize his brother's shirt?"

Felicia giggled. "He'll be too busy ranting over my thievery of his workout pants."

She peered at her best friend, slender eyebrow up high to her hairline as she grinned. "The funniest thing is I sincerely doubt he'll ever fit in those. He's filled out since that picture, thank you." She beamed. Yeah, she was mama henning, alright? Badly. And she grinned, slyly, at his friend. "I’ve seen the entire package. Of course," A frown. "he was on my table, but a girl doesn’t forget these things."

"Not that much." Felicia giggled. "Okay. You've got to tell me. How big, now?"

"At least seven. Lovely, lovely ass." She was wicked. "I feel so dirty saying that, by the way." She straightened, tried to wipe the grin. "He was dying, I have no right to remember measurements and really sexy scars."

"Scars?" Felicia's attention perked up. "What kind of scars?"

"Two, on his hip. One on his leg... one I stitched. Love cut, I’m sure of it. Three on his chest, one light one bisecting his nipple. I was busy saving his life, but I had to check that these areas weren’t recent before doing it, ya know."

Felicia frowned. "Those... he didn't have those when I was going out with him, Toni."

"What?" An eyebrow rose. "As soon as our Mr. Senatori gets here, we're going to be asking some probing questions."

Speak of the devil, and he should come.

Ten minutes later, Dominic was buzzing her door. His coat, wool, was scratchy against his skin, but he welcomed the distraction as he pulled it closer around him. It was bitterly cold for it being almost February, and he shuddered as he rubbed his arms up and down with his hands and stomped his feet.

"Come on in, Irish! It's unlocked, but for the love of Christ and sweet baby Jesus... WATCH YOUR STEP!!!"

He opened the apartment door... and was immediately faced with a dog almost as big as he was. He froze, staring at the big black dog for a moment... measuring him up, he was, and he cocked a brow at the dog.

What WAS IT with his FEMALES talking to PENISES?! Arnold snarled at the man, glowering at him and daring him to take another step in. He'd be walking with a--The Penis had the nerve to growl back at him! Uh, EXCUSE ME? GRRRRRR!

Dominic growled back at the dog a second time... and was pleased when he backed up. Of course, as soon as he placed an Armani covered foot through the door, he wish he'd bolted the other direction. He groaned in horror, glancing about the apartment as he closed the door behind him, keys going in his pocket.

Caught his reflection in the glass beside the door. Too pale, dark circles, but the girls wouldn’t notice. "Halloo?"

"Dominic! We're in the bedroom!!!! Go into the kitchen, bring the beer, and come on in! Arnie won't bite!" She paused and consulted Toni. "He won't bite Dom, will he? I mean... since Dom would smell like Graham, kind of?"

Toni rose a brow as said dog came trotting into the bedroom, laying his face on Toni’s knee, and giggled. "I say no?"

"Christ and Jesus Almighty." He adored the woman, but Jesus she was not neat. He pealed out of his coat, setting it on the dining room table, keys and cell phone, as well as his suit jacket and tie all got stuffed in the pockets. At home now, he went into the fridge for the Guinness, putting it under his arm as he maneuvered his way through the cluttered house, before knocking gently on the partially opened door. "Hallo? Girls?"

"Come on in, we won't bite. And oh, be careful if you sit on the bed, Freddie's around there somewhere." Felicia was bouncing on her butt in the floor, holding on to Huggins.

Dominic stepped in… offered a crooked little smile at her, and waved at Toni. "Hiya, there. What is it exactly that you--" He heard crying, and glanced around...then crouched, set the Guinness on the floor, and lifted a very tiny Chihuahua off the ground by the scruff. "Aye, hello there pup." He set him under the other arm, and plopped on the bed between the girls, kicking his shoes off as he leaned over to kiss Felicia on the cheek, then Toni. "This is like the Twilight Zone."

Felicia dragged him back for another kiss to his other cheek. "Dom, you look like hell warmed over." Then she blushed. "It's... just a little disorganized."

Toni grinned, sighed, and rolled her eyes. "Your ex-girlfriend is a pack rat."

"You don’t have to tell me." He offered a little smile at her, and pulled out a Guinness for both ladies. "She used to keep the napkins from the restaurants we'd go to, and 'scuse, I’m not hell warmed over, I’m six day pot roast defrosting."

Felicia yelped in memory, and dug under the bed. She dragged out a shoebox crammed full of napkins, matchboxes, and half a folded pizza box, and shoved it at Dominic.

Yeah. He grinned a ghost of a grin and cracked open the box, peering inside. "Aye, and look, movie stubs. As we went to see every picture that came out the year we graduated..." He chuckled and popped open his own beer, taking a healthy drink from it and fitting in, Armani and all. "Darlin, what do you plan on doing with all this? Aren’t you to be moving with our Sheriff Ethan? He might not appreciate things such as these."

"I don't know," she whined. "It's... my stuff! I even still have that red sweater from when we very first started going out!"

Dominic blinked. "You’ve more breast now. Darling, it'll never fit."

"Man after my own heart." Toni gave a sigh, and thumped her head on his shoulder. "She’s driving me nuts."

"Me as well, and I’ve only been here a fraction of a minute. Darling....toss. Throw. Luggage unhinged!"

Felicia's eyes boggled. "But... Dominic! You'll take the box of napkins and matchbooks and stuff, right? I mean, Lionel's got to have an extra room around that place you can keep this stuff in!"

Dominic’s smile was crooked as he gazed at her, box in his lap. The early afternoon sun was peaking into the room, showing off the clutter and crap spread everywhere even more.

But Dominic, because he adored the girl, nodded his approval, sighed, and closed the box. "Alright, darling, I'll take the box." And it endeared him she'd kept it after all these years, as he took another long swig of beer.

"Thank you!!" she squealed and hugged his leg, the only part of him within her reach. "I just... don't want it all thrown away."

And he leaned over, kissing the crown of her head and grinning. "Aye, its my pleasure." Look at that. He'd smiled.

After the last two days, and everything that had happened, he had it in him to smile, at the antics of one of his very best friends in the world.

And just the thought made another small smile peek through.

He climbed to his feet, set his beer down, and rolled up his sleeves, unbuttoning the first two buttons of his blasted button down shirt and crouched to grab a box. "Come on, lassies. It won’t take long with the three of us doing it."

"You can take your shirt off, Dom. We don't mind." Felicia grabbed Huggins, and squeezed him tight before tossing him back up on the bed in easy reach. "I just... I had to call Toni because I've not got a clue in hell what I'm going to be keeping and trashing."

"Oh, thanks be to God." He unbuttoned the shirt the rest of the way, leaning the white short sleeved undershirt on, and hung it on the door, and peered at his former doctor. "You actually listened to this loon?"

Toni heaved a hard sigh. "If she wasn’t my best friend.." She climbed to her feet, too, pushing her own sleeves up as she began to sort. Clothes she'd seen on her friend, she'd been there to BUY, went in the box, the other things being tossed into a growing bag of stuff for Goodwill.

Felicia started digging out under the bed. "I heard that." Her upper body was buried under the bed, and her lower body wiggled and squirmed as she pulled out yet more boxes. "These are all scrapbooks and photo albums; you guys got another empty box for these. Dom, I even got the album of your graduation pics in here somefuckingwhere." Her voice was muffled through the box spring and the mattress."

He couldn’t help smiling and groaning in horror at the same time, as he began to wrap her shoes in clothes, because he knew her shoe fetish well, and pack them in the box. "Darling, don’t show Toni, alright? There’s just about enough humiliation in the world for Dominic Senatori, we needn’t have all the extra's."

"She's already seen the beach trip."

"I’m going to start in the front room." Toni added meekly, as she caught Dominic’s pink face. "If you hear a scream, Arnie finally ate me." And she winked and flounced out.

Dominic glared at her butt and went on packing, slipping her shoes in neat little rows before beginning on her purses. "Don’t show her what a bunch of idiots the Senatori's are just yet. Wait till she's married, eh?"

"She already knows." Felicia finally came out with her prizes, an armful of eight scrapbooks in a flat crate. "Dom... are you okay? I mean... really?"

He glanced at her, and it was so like her to catch these things. So he just sort of shook his head a little but offered another little smile, as he packed her purses into the nearly full box.

He worked like he thought--fast and tidy.

"Aye, lass, no I’m not. But I’m hoping to be."

She reached out, crawling across the mountains of crap she'd dislodged out of her closet earlier, and she caught his wrist. "You want to tell me about it?"

A little shake of his head. "Not particularly, no, though not because I wouldn’t tell you. Its just... a very private thing."

Felicia took a long shot. "Have anything to do with those scars you didn't have when we were going out?"

His head shot up, and he plopped down on his butt, his foot sliding out from where it had been caught underneath him. His left knee was up, by his chest, and he stared at her a moment before it clicked. "I’m going to kill that pretty thing."

"No you're not." Felicia reached out and traced one of the larger scars through his undershirt. "You're not at all." She reached up and took another cold beer out of the case and passed it to him. "Anesthesia?"

"Please." He took it and popped it open, taking down at least half of it before he set it to the side and started on her purses again. And just felt BAD. She'd never force anything from him, but the look she was giving him was tearing him apart inside. "It was a long time ago, sweetheart."

"I figured as much." She dropped her eyes as she started packing the scrapbooks and photo albums into an empty box. "Dom... I'm not gonna try and drag it out of you, cause I know you better than that. If I needed to know, you'd tell me. But... I just want you to be all right. It's all I ever wanted for you."

He rubbed his tongue against the back of his teeth a moment. He hadn’t had Guinness in... almost ten years, and the feeling of it sliding down his throat was just lovely. He'd missed it, and it was something he'd have to make for his lover from scratch. But he listened to her, and felt even WORSE, the guilt clawing at his belly as he gazed at his oldest friend. "Fellie, I’m sorry darling. I hate you hurting over things I do, but I just...I can't tell you. What... I can tell you was that it was a traumatic thing, and it comes back now and again. Unfortunately, I’m dealing with the now part, instead of the again part."

"Don't be sorry, Dom. That's not anything you've got to be sorry about. I get that about you, and believe it or not, I'm cool with it. I just wonder if there's anything I can do to help you deal."

He gazed up at her, fingers poised mid wrap of her leather purse. "What you’re doing, right now, is helping me deal."

"What, getting you drunk and making you pack up my apartment?"

Dominic’s grin was bright this time, and it cast some of the dark circles under his eyes a little lighter. "Well duh."

"I worry about you, you know." She reached over and rubbed a thumb over one of the dark circles. "You look like you haven't been sleeping, and I can just tell... you're not yourself."

"Eh." He packed the last purse, a whopping seventeen of them, and closed the box, reaching over for one of the big rolls of brown tape. He ripped the tape open, connecting the sticky side to one end, and dragged it down the length of the top of the box. "I didn’t sleep last night, love."

"I can tell." She rummaged in her bedside table and came up with a black marker. "Here, just label the box what's in it."

"Aye." He opened the marker and wrote, A billion pairs of shoes and the crocodiles that go with them, capped the marker, and set the box aside. And already, there was floor space developing. "Alright, darling, you do clothes, I’m going to tape your shelves shut so everything will be as it is. That way, you don’t have to pack what’s in them, you know?"

"You can do that?" She blinked up at him. "Do you want to take Sir Huggins with you? Maybe he'll help you sleep. But I want him back though... my little girl or boy will need him in a few months."

Dominic stared at her. And almost, almost cracked up. Almost. He bit his lip, and the good humor filled his heart as he pictured his lover squished between himself and Mr. Huggins, and grinned crookedly at her. "I got married last weekend, Fellie. I’m sure my husband wouldn’t appreciate my sleeping with an enormous penguin, but you’re so sweet to make the offer."

"So, you can kick him out of the bed and you and Huggy can sleep."

"You know, that’s not a bad idea now that you mention it, darling." He smiled at her, crookedly, and offered his arms. "Come on, in."

Felicia crawled over the rest of the crap in the floor and hugged Dominic tightly.

Mr. Huggins sat on the floor behind them, watching.

He hugged her right on back, kissing her hair softly and smiling into it. "Felicia, thank you, and might I ask, why isn’t Lionel’s and my marriage news? How did you find out?"

"I watched the press conference on CNN. It didn't take a rocket scientist to put the rest of the pieces together. Plus? Your ring? Dead giveaway."

"You're the only person we've told that doesn’t disapprove." He said softly, rubbing her back gently as he kissed her forehead and let go.

Felicia looked up at him. "Why on God's earth would I disapprove?"

A slight shrug, a smile, and he sat down on all her junk, beginning to sort through it. "Lets talk about that later. Now, you tell me about your law man."

She smiled widely. "Got a few hours? I could go on and on about Ethan."

"It so happens I do. Tell me about him, darling." He began to drop miscellaneous things he knew she treasured into a box, the rest for the trash. It was the last big pile in her bedroom... then on to the living room, to help Toni.

"He's... he's just amazing." She started folding more of her stuff to go into the box, retrieving some out of the trash and stuffing it into the box to be kept . "I love him so much. He's just divorced his wife, and he's been... so gentlemanly. We've been going out since Christmas, and we're already just... we know. I love him so much, Dom. He's such a good man."

"Since Christmas?" A soft frown. "Doesn’t it seem kind of... fast, lovely? Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

"It's what I want to do. Dom... it's only been since Christmas that we've been able to go out together," she explained. "We... we've been seeing each other for a while before that, before the divorce went through. His wife left him; they were going to try to get back together, but she dumped him totally for another guy, and we'd been talking for a couple months before that. Don't worry. We're sure, Dom. I swear. Ethan and I... we know it's right."

"And there’s the baby." He smiled in pleasure at that. Babies were just... "Its such a miracle. I hope you both are as happy as what the graces have given you, darling, no one deserves it more then you do, as I’ve said before." Another smile at her as he winked and stroked his fingers over her arm. "Having you close by again will be wonderful, darling. I’ve missed you."

"Yes!! The baby! We've already decided on names, and everything. Ethan and I are both... just so thrilled." She squeezed his fingers. "I've missed you too, Dom. More than you know."

"I’m glad, beautiful. You deserve it, you do. After all this time, I’m so happy you've found the one who's right for you." Another smile as he finished sorting her junk, having watched her put stuff back in that he took right back out, and taped the box up.

And the shattering, earth stopping scream from the living room had him jumping a mile and scrambling to his feet. "TONI!"

"I thought you'd be my one, but I'm glad it's Ethan!" Then she shot up. "Toni!!! What the hell!!!" She got to her feet right after him, and threw the bedroom door open.

The woman was still screaming on top of her lungs, and Dominic shoved past all the stuff piled in the hall....and let out his own cry.

She was buried under the book case.

"Jesus, God!" he cried, and yanked Felicia over quickly. He leapt over the books set in two towering stacks and maneuvered himself above Toni's legs, grabbed the heavy wood, and lifted. It wouldn’t budge at first, but he threw his back behind it, fingers flexing and grabbing tight, and lifted. "Get... her... out... Fellie!" He gritted.

Felicia cried out herself, and then her eyes boggled as Dominic pushed the oak bookcase up. "Toni!!! We're here!" She grabbed her best friend by the shoulders, dragging her out as quickly as she could. "Come on, darling, help me out, push with your hands, help scoot back if you can. Come on, Toni, please, be okay. I'll never ask you to help me move again, ever."

As it turns out, she was screaming curses on the top of her lungs. So much so that as soon as she saw Dominic drop the book case, his pale skin turn pink. SO WHAT?

"FUCKING HELL DAMMIT SHIIIIIIIIT!" She squealed, snarling at the book case and kicking it with her free foot. Foot, of course, which she knew wasn’t the broken one.

DAMMIT.

"Toni!!!" Felicia fretted over her friend. "I gotta find the phone. I'll call 9-1-1. We'll get you to the hospital." Then she looked at Dominic. "Dom!! Did you hurt yourself doing that? Are you all right?"

Dominic let the book case down with a loud thud, eyes widening as he looked down over the petite woman. She was screaming profanities on top of her lungs, and his eyes widened as he glanced up at Felicia, shaking his head. His fingers were numb, but in tact, and he simply got down on his knees next to Toni and looked her over. No blood, nothing seemed to be....broken.

Oh. Except her boot, twisted wrong.

"Alright, well that’s quite gross. Come on, up with ya." He shooed Felicia’s fingers away and scooped his fingers underneath Toni's back and legs, lifting her up into his arms. "To the hospital. And a Wendy’s, because you’re a bird. Come along, Fellie, grab my coat and cell phone for me, will you? I’m going to go get her in the Jag."

"No, no, your Jag's too small. It doesn't have the leg room. Take the station wagon; I'm about to sell it but you can fit her in the back." Felicia was flittering about the apartment, picking up all the things Dominic asked for, Toni's things as well, plus hers. "Dom, are you sure you're all right??"

"I‘m fine." He shushed Toni, who’s cocoa shaded face was a shad paler, and let her head onto his shoulder as he cuddled her close. "Fellie, breathe. Take a breathe darling. Get the keys to the wagon, get my cell, and off we go, alright? Im fine, Im just fine. Come on, then, lets go. Toni, sweetie? Don’t faint on me. Women swooning ha a bad, male effect on me."

"My foot. Is smushed. How am I going to go to work? How am I going to pay my bills?!" She shrilled, slapping a shaking palm to her face.

"Toni!! Don't worry! Are you kidding, I'll help you! This is all my fault, I'll take care of you. I've got the huge huge severance package coming, cause even though I quit the hospital they've got to cash in my retirement and stuff and I'll help you until you get back to work!!!"

"FELICIA!" Dominic snapped it, loudly, and blinked at her from his stance at the door, holding Toni in his arms and motioning to her. "Uh, leaving?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming, I just had to get my shit together! I'm coming! I got yours and Toni's and mine!"

"Alright, then," He jostled Toni as little as he could, grinning down at her as he angled sideways out the door. "Isn’t this the way you wanted to start the week, darling?"

"Dominic." She gritted, glaring up at him as the throbbing and pain began to fill her brain. She was never going to laugh at men who came in with broken bones again. Oh, she was in tears with it. "I should have never laughed!"

"Whatever it was, no you shouldn’t have," He soothed quietly, pulling her closer to his chest as he walked down the steps of Felicia's apartment building. "Just a floor up, darling, then we'll get you to the hospital and as right as rain."

"Yeah!" Felicia flew out of the door behind Dominic and Toni, and slid her ass down the railing to get down there before Dominic did. She threw open the back of the wagon and started padding it with their jackets, and she made sure she had her keys in her hand. "Okay. Okay. Dominic, you sit in the back with her and I'll drive."

"Alright." He was cheerful, calm, even serene as he gently slipped her into the backseat ass first, closed the door, and went around the station wagon to get in on the other side. But before he did, he grabbed Felicia’s hand. "She’s terrified. Don’t let her get more scared, darling. Don’t drive at breakneck speed, alright?" He opened the door and got in, pulling Toni gently onto his lap. "Theeere we are."

She was just crying, and she hated it, and Toni snuffled hard, burying her face in Dominic’s chest.

"Right. Right. Don't terrify the best friend. Right." Felicia dropped into the driver's seat. "Come on, Toni. You ready to go? Let's go." She cranked the wagon quickly, and floored the gas to get the engine going.

"My foot is pointing the other way, Fel." She sobbed. "There is no other place I’m ready to go more to then to the hospital."

"Its quite the fashion statement, darling." Dominic soothed, smiling at her as he gently pulled her closer. "There we are."

Felicia pulled out of the parking lot with surprising ease and gentleness. She avoided the speed bumps at either end, and then once she was out on the highway she looked. "Main road or back way and Dominic, what time is it???"

"Its....one fifteen, on the dot." He said softly, still soothing Toni gently, rubbing her back as he held her close. "There we are, darling. Aren’t you a beautiful lady, come now, don’t cry."

"MY FOOT POINTS THE OTHER WAY!" She shrieked, and thumped him on the chest, twice, before her foot jostled and she let out a near scream. "OW! ITS YOUR FAULT!" She hit Dominic again.

"What did I do??" He cried, eyes wide as he tried not to be offended by her smacks.

"YOU'RE CODDLING ME YOU CODDLER!"

"Toni!!! Toni, please, calm down, don't beat up Dominic! It's my fault, I shouldn't have had you come over in this disaster area, I'm so sorry!" She floored the wagon as fast as she could and pulled onto the main interstate.

"ITS SO NOT! ITS HIS FAULT!"

"Its my fault, darling, yes! I did it, I MEANT to do it!" Anything to keep her mind off the pain. Ew. And the blood. Okay. He didn’t like blood, as a general rule, and planted a palm on the doorframe as they spun around a corner. "I’m an ass! A bloody ass!"

"YES YOU ARE!"

Felicia was whining deep in her throat as she drove like a bat out of hell. "He didn't do anything, Toni, stop beating him up!!"

"I’m not beating him up! I’m giving him... something!" She glared at her former patient, and was rewarded with a glare right back.

Which just made her cry. "My foot! The other way!"

"Well stop bloody looking at it." Dominic said firmly, rooting in his coat pocket, past his tie, to get to his phone. He shifted Toni to his other hand, grabbing her firmly, and dialed Lionel’s office quickly.

"Lionel Luthor." Lionel's voice was more than a little bored as he answered the phone.

"Lovely? Its me." He winced at Toni's shriek as Fellie took the turn a little faster then she should have.

"Dominic? What in the name of God is going on? Who is screaming?" Lionel sat up straight in his chair.

"My ears, as they’re bleeding." Dominic got a snarl at that from his lap mate, and winced. "I’m in the car with Fel and Toni... a book case fell on our darling doctor, and we're taking her to the emergency room. It seems her foot is broken and twisted the wrong--"

"WAY! THE WRONG WAY!" Toni yelled, taking the phone from Dominic. "You better come down here and console me, Lionel Luthor, or I swear the next time I’m doing surgery on you I'll leave sponges in your gut!"

Lionel was holding the telephone six inches away from his ear. "Dr. Braxton, calm yourself this instant. I will meet you when you get there, and we will take care of your medical costs."

"NO YOU won't!" She shrieked, even louder. "YOU WILL COME AND CONSOLE ME!"

The last part was yelled in the background as Dominic yanked the phone back. "Darling, call Lex and tell him what’s going on. Don’t cancel tonight, just tell him we'll be late."

"All right, I will, and please, tell Toni to calm herself." Lionel put the phone back to his ear.

"I will." He said the last part softly, and added after a minute. "I love you, Lionel."

Lionel couldn't help the smile that spread over his face, and his fingertips stroked the phone. "I love you, Dominic. Very much so."

"I'll see you in a few minutes, okay?"

"I will be there soon." Lionel hung up, and then called immediately back down to have his car readied and a twenty five thousand dollar check drawn up.

Felicia was about to have a fit. "Dominic! Dominic!!!!!!!!!!! Is Lionel going to meet us there? Are we going to be seeing him there? Dominic, is Toni okay?"

"Bye--oh, we're here lovely, bye!" he hung up the phone, gathered Toni close, and pointed. "Fel, breathe." He said calmly, nodding. "Lionel is coming. Toni passed out. Come on, darling, stop the car at the front and I'll get us out."

Felicia slammed the brakes in front of the emergency exit. "Get her out, and then I'll go park in the employee parking and I'll be right in, I swear. They'll recognize Toni in there."

"Aye, that." Dominic popped open the door to the little station wagon and held her close, as he pulled her from the car and rearranged her in his arms. He quickly burst through the double doors, calling out, "Uh, hullo? Hello, anyone? We're needing a bit of assistance here, please."

Doctor Brewer was the doctor on call, and he recognized Toni right off. "What happened here?" He grabbed an orderly by the arm. "Get me a gurney, a 10g needle, and 20 megs of morphine."

"Yes, sir!!" The young orderly moved out of the way, and appropriated the first stretcher that he came to. He wheeled it back to the ER for Dr. Brewster, and then disappeared again as he hunted for the ten-gauge needle and the morphine.

"Toni? Come on, it's Dale. Come around." He tapped her face lightly. "What happened, put her up here."

"Aye." Dominic lifted her up just a little, and she was such a slight thing that it didn’t take any exertion at all. He stretched her out on the gurney, taking care with her foot, and all he had to do was take his coat off her left leg to show the doctor just what was wrong. "Moving. A book case fell on her."

"Okay. Wait right here, sir. We're gonna take her down to radiology, and get a look at what's going on in there. If we're lucky, that's just a dislocation instead of a break, and we can pop that right back in place."

"Oh. Popping. Lovely choice of words, that." He grimaced at the young kid and gazed down at Toni's face as fuzzy eyes began to flicker open. "There we are, princess. Open those big eyes up, sweetheart."

"Mmm." She muttered, looked around....then reared up on her elbows. "Where the hell are you taking me?!"

"Toni, it's me, Dale Brewster. Lay down, shut up and stop being a lousy patient," he said with a grin. "We're going to radiology, and we're gonna take some film."

She gave him a heated glare, but it didn’t have any feeling behind it. She liked Dale, had dated him while she was on the transfer project here in Metropolis, and glared again. "I am not being a lousy patient. Get me off this thing! I can walk! Or get me a wheelchair, I won't be carted around like this!" She shrieked.

Dominic was stopped at the double doors leading into the inner ER by a nurse, and winced at the poor doctor as he waved. "G'luck darling! I'll be out here!"

Dale scoffed. "You want to walk? Be my guest." He swept the rails down off the gurney. "But I'm not picking your ass up off the floor."

"You are such a bastard." She glared and folded her arms, laying back down again.

"That's what I've been told," he grinned, pushing her down the hallways. "But don't worry, even though you're a lousy patient, we'll treat you right."

Felicia pushed through the emergency room doors in a flurry, looking for Dominic and Toni. She found Dominic across the room, and she flew over there. "Where's Toni?"

Dominic rolled his eyes and turned, finding a seat amongst the world weary and sleepy, sick, and maltreated as he settled. Then reared, snagged Felicia before she blew past him, and pulled her into the seat next to his. "Getting X-rayed. Sit down, darling, calm yourself." He put his arm around her, and offered her a little grin. "You’re adorable when you flutter. Calm down."

"I am not fluttering." Her eyes widened. "I gotta call Ethan! He'll be coming over tonight and I gotta call him and tell him what happened!! Crap!!"

He handed over his cell phone wordlessly, and slipped back into his suit jacket, which looked positively rough with the sleepy eyes and white t-shirt underneath. All he needed was boots to complete the cowboy look, which amused him.

And years later, he would remember what the woman sitting behind him said and treasure it. She was talking to a young man, no older then Lex, beside her, and Dominic looked over his shoulder as she spoke. "You dont need a ticket to have faith, sugah. Dont need nothin in yo' life butcha hart and yo' health. Even if she dun make it... have faith. Sh' loved ya like she dun lived...wit pride, dign'ty an respect. Not lotta people have that, sugah. You jus' member dat."

Dominic turned back around before he saw her staring, and his eyes narrowed as he thought, as his fingers relaxed Felicia's trembling body.

Felicia had a very rapid conversation with Ethan, ending with a promise to call him back as soon as she heard how Toni was, and then leaned against Dominic. "Dominic... I'm sorry you got dragged into this."

"Don’t be." He said softly, distracted as he squeezed her fingers. "Tell me, Felicia, from a woman’s point of view. When a man....when a man shows his mate he's scared, deathly scared, is it emasculating?"

Felicia thought for a moment, and then pulled her fingers out of his and put her arm around his shoulders instead, hugging him. "Not at all, Dom. It's... it's like a show of trust. Of faith. That you love and trust this person enough to show them all the parts of yourself, even what you may not be proud of, or may be ashamed of. You trust 'em enough to let 'em know you're not perfect."

"Even when… you promised not to be scared of it anymore, and somehow it still does scare you? Even then?"

"Even then." She hugged him tighter. "It's even better then, because you're not hiding or pretending anything. Just... you and him."

"Sorry to change this around on you. Supposed to be here for Toni, but a really wise lady said something that really just shocked me."

"No, it's okay. Dom... it's okay. We're both worried about Toni but we got other things happening in our lives too. I had to talk to Ethan, your Lionel is coming, I think she'll understand if she's not the primary topic of conversation."

Dominic paused a moment and went into his pocket, removing something he always kept with his change. He'd had it since he was six, and he handed it over simply. A Saint Christopher, in tarnished but lovely silver, on a short chain. It was the least he could do, to the woman who'd just saved his marriage. "I want you to have this."

Felicia's eyes widened. "Dom, no, I can't. That was your father's. You gotta keep that, and pass that down to your kids."

He smiled softly, shook his head, and closed her fingers around it. "I was closing myself off again. Thank you, Felicia." Christ, he needed to kiss his lover, give him a hug, tell him he loved him, old goat. "You're a pretty smart lady, you know."

Felicia tightened her fist around the little medallion, and hugged him. "You're welcome, Dom." She sniffed his cologne, and it always made her smile. But not like Ethan's did. "You're not too stupid yourself, you know."

"Oh, bloody male idiot, and I’ve been reminded of the fact time and again." He laughed softly, kissing her cheek and holding her close. "Listen."

You could just barely hear Toni shrieking in the back rooms, and it amused Dominic immensely.

Felicia giggled as she heard her friend's voice carrying through the entire OR, and she hugged Dominic tightly. "They always say doctors make the worst patients!"

A nice, green spike of jealousy pounded through Lionel's heart for a brief instant as he walked into the waiting room. Then the features of the person holding onto Dominic coalesced into Felicia and the spike lessened a great deal, and he was able to smile as he threw his hair over his shoulder and walked over.

Dominic gazed up, because if he didn’t know when his lover entered the room, he was no kind of husband at all. He smiled at him, bright and sunny in his still pale faced, and offered a hand to him. "Hi."

"Hello, Dominic." He took the hand, pulled his lover up, and hugged him tightly before sitting down beside him. "Felicia."

Dominic hugged, tightly, then when they sat down, took his lovers chin between first finger and thumb, turned his face, and kissed him. Softly but warmly, the first time since the day before, and he dove his tongue in to taste, just a second.

Lionel responded to the kiss eagerly, teasing the flickering lick of his lover's tongue with his own, nibbling his lower lip, sucking it gently as they kissed, an elegant hand coming up to spread his fingers gently over Dominic's cheek.

Oh. The touch was what he needed, and he felt...he was accepted, if he'd ever stopped being so. He kissed his lover with all the gentle sweetness in his possession, biting gently at the lower lip and the soft, prickly beard which rubbed against his own and he just… he loved. So much. He felt his lovers acceptance, felt it, and it was so appreciated he had to press his cheek against Lionel’s so he wouldn’t embarrass them both in public.

"I love you," Lionel said quietly, into the ear that pressed close to his mouth.

"I love you, too." Dominic said just as softly, and grinned a little wet grin at his lover.

Felicia cleared her throat. "I'm going to get some coffee at the coffee shop. Dom, you okay?"

Oh. Hospital. Felicia. He turned to look at her and flushed a bright red, coughing and clearing his own throat. "I... yes." And he just felt so happy. "I’m fine."

Felicia slipped the St. Christopher back in his hand, and kissed his cheek. "Good. I'll bring you both back coffee in a bit." She grinned at Lionel, raised an eyebrow, and disappeared.

Lionel reached out and stroked Dominic's cheek, then dropped his hand to Dominic's shoulder. "Are you really all right?"

"F..." She was gone. He sighed at her retreating back, gazed down at the St. Christopher in his hand, and smiled a little, softly, before gazing up into those chocolately depths of his lovers eyes. "I think so. I get depressed like that sometimes... Lionel, I’m sorry."

"It's quite all right." Lionel's fingers teased the neatly-trimmed ends of Dominic's short buzz. "I understand, more than you realize. But you stood by me in my time of depression and weakness, even though you didn't know what was going on. I couldn't do less for you."

Dominic tipped his head into his lover hand just a little, and nodded softly as he pressed his fingers into Lionel’s free hand, linked their fingers and squeezed. "I don’t know what it is I did in a previous life to have this, have you. But I thank God every morning of every day."

Lionel just smiled softly as he squeezed their linked fingers. "I think we're just lucky to have each other. I needed you to heal me, and you needed me, though I'm not yet sure why." His smile widened fractionally as he pulled the check out of his pocket. "Do you think Toni will have a fit?"

"I need you to help me keep my sanity." He said softly, and brought their linked fingers to his mouth to kiss twice, three times. And didn’t realize for a minute that they were being watched by the entire room. "Toni will kill you. Do it behind her back." He smiled again and dammit, he was just... Christ, and Jesus. He kissed their joined fingers again before pressing them to his heart, sighing softly as he lay his head on Lionel’s shoulder.

"I'll help you keep your sanity, provided you don't cause me to lose mine." He grinned, and then tucked Dominic as close to him as the chairs would allow. His cheek rested on Dominic's temple, and his gaze harshly swept the room. "You know, beloved, I do believe people are staring."

"Don’t care." He said softly, eyes closed as he cuddled close. He needed this. Desperately. "The last time something like that happened was last year, around this time. I was walking by the perfumery on Iron Street and suddenly smelled what Lawrence always wore. I didn’t know I'd even remembered it, but there it was, and I had a panic attack on the street. I had to go get back in my car until it passed." He shook his head. "I don’t want you to be frightened of me. I made an appointment with a therapist I used to go to." He said it softly. "I'd like for you to come with me."

"I'm not frightened of you. At all." Lionel tugged his lover closer. "I'm sometimes frightened for you. I'm afraid--" Lionel snapped his mouth shut. "I'd love to come with you, Dominic."

"No. What are you frightened of?" Panic, though he didn’t show it as he looked up.

"I'm afraid that this will make you leave me."

"No." His throat tightened so hard he could barely breathe. "No. I will... Never… EVER... leave you because of this." Kill himself, sure. Leave Lionel to go live somewhere else? Never. "Never. You... are everything good and beautiful in my life."

"Good. Because I don't know what would become of me without you." He stroked his lover's cheek gently. "When is the first appointment?"

"Next week, on Thursday. No one's booked for the time slot I chose, so we won't lose work over it."

"I don't care about that." He squeezed Dominic's fingers. "I just care about getting you back."

"It doesn’t interest me how old you are," Dominic quoted softly. "I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dreams, and for the adventure of being alive. I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine and your own, without moving to hide it or fake it or fix it. I want to know if you can be with joy, mine and your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, or to remember the limitations of being human." He said quietly, gazing at their intertwined fingers.

"That's very beautiful." He brought their hands up so Dominic's eyes would be on his. "I can be anything you need me or want me to be."

"It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, searing and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done for the children. I want to know if you can be alone with yourself, and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments." Dominic’s fingers squeezing tightly. "And it dawned on me, Lionel, while sitting here, that the empty moments are filled with you. No matter what I’m doing, no matter what I’m saying, I see you in my heart. I want to be whole for you... I want to be the man you love. And I will be, again, because I refuse to let this get me down, to break me. You and I are worth more then that. I want to stand in the center of the fire with you, Lionel. And this time, I won't shrink back."

Lionel... just smiled. "I'll stand there with you. I'll protect you when I can, do anything to bring you back to yourself with me." His hands pulled Dominic close to him, stroking his face and his hair. "I love you." He smiled. "None of the quotes I know are appropriate for the occasion."

He grinned crookedly at him, eyes filled with tears and cheeks flushed, and he looped his arms around Lionel’s neck. "Let’s tell the world about us, Lionel."

Lionel's hand slipped down to stroke Dominic's ring. "If that's what you want, then I will convene the conference tonight."

"I want people to know the kind of man that stands next to me in the face of adversity and loves me. I want to show people the man I adore. I’m sick of hiding. I love you, and the damn world is going to know it." He just beamed.

"So? Tonight? Tomorrow? Next week? Tell me when, Jiminy."

"We've got forever, so whenever’s good for you." Grin wasn’t. Going. Away.

"Well... we'll talk to Lex at dinner tonight. Break the news to him that we intend to do this. And then we'll move from there."

"Dinner! I forgot." A nod. "We'll tell him, and I'll bring the Plexiglas to shield our suits when he sputters everywhere. As--"

He blinked. tried. So. Hard. Not. To. Laugh.

Toni was standing in the doorway to the inner ER, wearing a smock and a temporary splint as they were getting ready to caulk her up. And she was making the come hither first finger curl.

Lionel buried a smile in Dominic's shoulder and when he looked up his face was as sober as ever. "Here... go to the cashier, take care of this while I head her off." He slipped Dominic the check, then rose gracefully to his feet and approached Toni. "Dr. Braxton... a new fashion statement."

She was pink with fury, and crossed her arms, which only made her pitch over into his arms and show the entire inner ER her hot pink panties. She snarled, straightened with grace mustered, and hobbled, with her IV stand, back to her room, expecting him to follow.

Dominic burst out laughing as soon as he saw her hobble away and with a grin at his lover, scooted off.

Lionel, well used to keeping his game face on, merely righted her and then followed. He tried again. "Pink is a becoming color on you, Toni."

She rose a hand and flipped him off over her head.

Lionel kept his face bland, but he was laughing inside and fighting a smile. "Perhaps you shouldn't make such gestures with your hands; don't you need them to balance you?"

She almost pitched over. Again. Skidded on the floor in her little white socks, squealed, and thumped against the side of her door as she hobbled in.

Lionel sprinted quickly to steady her and wrapped an arm firmly around her waist.

And she almost bit his arms off at the elbow, snapping her teeth at him and glaring even as she straightened and accepted his arms. "You know, Lionel, somehow this is yours and Dominic’s fault. I haven’t quite figured out h-" Almost tripped. Again. And chunked her single crutch in a fit of fury as she plopped on her bed. "How, but I will."

Lionel knew enough about women to merely agree. "Of course it is, Toni."

She merely glared at him and crossed her arms across her chest. "Dominic should have left me under the book case. I was more comfortable THAN I AM RIGHT NOW!" She shrieked, and crossed her arms and scowled.

"Of course he should have. How inconsiderate of him to attempt to get you medical attention and to see to your well being," Lionel concurred, nodding as he settled himself into the chair beside her bed.

"Thank you! Someone finally sees my point! At least then I had pressure on it and I DIDN’T HAVE TO SEE MY FOOT INSIDE OUT!! Do you KNOW what that does to someone?" She demanded, glaring at him. "You must think this is so funny, hmmmm? Payback for me prodding at you and laughing at your beardless state?"

Lionel looked at her with a perfectly straight face. "Do you see me laughing, Toni? Do you see any indication at all that I am thoroughly enjoying your discomfiture?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Do I have to dignify that with a response?" She glared.

"Of course you don't." He was just as bland as he ever was, but he was about two more glares away from bursting out laughing.

"I am sitting here, with my foot TURNED INSIDE OUT, and they’re just like, "Oh, we'll get to you.". WHAT THE HELL? FOOT! TURNED! INSIDE! OUT! ALL they did was thread my arm up with an IV that was so bad I HAD TO REDO IT MYSELF, strip my clothes off, prod my foot, and TELL ME it was broken. NO SHIT SHERLOCK!" She shrieked, throwing her arms in the air.

"Toni, please, calm yourself. This can't be doing your blood pressure a bit of good."

She glared at him with venomous contempt. "My blood pressure can hang itself."

Lionel huffed. "You shouldn't be so cavalier about your blood pressure, Toni. I believe that Lex has a bit of a problem with his and it causes this vein in his head to throb rather unattractively. I'd hate to see you develop the same pounding vein."

She stared at him. "You are really teasing me, aren’t you?"

"Do I look like the teasing type to you, Ms. Braxton?"

"You’re subtle, but I so know you’re teasing me." She glared at him and laid back against her pillows, sniffling hard. "I want them to fix my foot. I don’t care if its swelled and they can't yet!" More sniffles.

Lionel nodded. "Who are the orthopedists on call here, and if you don't want one of them, do tell me who you want, and I'll have him here within the hour."

"I want to go home." Another sniffle. "Arnie's still at the apartment. And Graham, he was supposed to call me. Now, look at me. I’m in the hospital with YOU."

Lionel calmly extracted his cellular phone from his pocket. "So phone Mr. Senatori instead."

"No." A solid shake of her head, and she turned to look at him with her disarrayed hair and streaked makeup. "Do I look crazy to you? I do NOT call him, he calls me."

"Call him, blame it on the drugs, and when he mentions it again, pretend you have no idea what he is referring to and it cannot be held against you."

She stopped mid-rant... stared at him, and sat up, foot flopping in its brace as she shifted. "Yeah?" A discreet rub at the tears that had fallen from her eyes. "You think?"

"I think. Or, I could call him for you, and very discreetly mention that you've been injured and let him light up the hospital switchboards."

"Oh. Oh, I like that." And she'd blame it on the morphine someday when she reached over and hugged him. Just wrapped around his neck with her small arms and hugged him tight. "You’re the best old goat a girl could ask for."

Lionel returned the hug gently, and patted her on the back. "Why thank you, Toni. I believe that is the best compliment I've received all day."

She sniffled again, rubbed her nose wit her palm, and heaved a trembly sigh. "Call him up? But..." Her eyes were a little bleary, and she lay back, situating herself under the blankets. "I’m kind of tired."

"I'm not at all surprised. You've had yourself a bit of a hard day. I will call him, tell him you're resting at the moment, and where to find you, all right?"

She nodded, turned, and the morphine did its magic, because she fell right to sleep.

Lionel chuckled softly as he picked up his cell phone dialed through his stored list of numbers, and landed on Graham's home in Vancouver.

And when Graham picked up, he was less then happy. The baby was screaming, his house was upside down, Roddy had called earlier that morning looking for his sister, the police were here, and he was in the middle of packing.

So when he lifted the receiver and barked out a short, "lo?" no one could really blame him.

"Ah, I see returning home hasn't improved your attitude at all, Graham."

"Lionel." Except he had no patience for the man at the moment, brother damned. "What can I do for you?"

"It's actually something that I can do for you." Oh, how Lionel enjoyed needling Graham--a very bad habit he'd picked up from Dominic. "Have you spoken to Toni recently?"

"I've no', no." In fact, he'd just tried calling her the night before, and simply gotten her answering machine. And it worried him, as he jostled Shane to the other hip and leaned into the phone as his baby boy wailed. "Lionel, I’ve not the time for this. What is it you want?"

"I just thought that you'd appreciate knowing that Toni's been hospitalized, and what in the name of God are you doing to my boy?"

"She’s WHAT?" He cried. WHAT? WHAT?! "Christ and Jesus, is she alrigh'?? What happened??"

"She and Dominic were helping Felicia pack her apartment up--she's moving to Smallville with Ethan, if you'll recall, I think they decided that the night of the dinner in Metropolis. But as she was helping pack, one of Felicia's oak bookcases fell on her. Dominic helped lift the bookcase off of her, and they've rushed her to the hospital in Metropolis." Lionel's grin was evil as he tormented Graham.

"Christ, God, is she alright'? Is it serious? Lionel, stop beating around the bush. Is..." His throat caught, and he never thought his heart could hurt as violently as it suddenly did, turning his tone harsh and his voice gruff. "Is she gone?"

"She's resting comfortably right now."

He rubbed his chest a little as his son shrieked, and he passed him to the other hip as he gazed around his house.

Chaos.

Chaos that would have to wait. "I'll b'there in a few hours. Canna leave now, not until the police leave."

Shane's mean stupid cousin stupid girl thing DUMB had yanked his hair. And he planned on screaming angry tears until revenge was enacted.

"Why don't you try calling her before you come down, Graham," Lionel said calmly. "And please, let me talk to Shane, before he breaks something screaming."

Gladly. Graham pressed the phone to Shane’s ear, and glared at his tiny kid as the baby immediately quieted and listened.

"Hello, Shane," Lionel said quietly, his voice modulating lowly so that the baby would have to shut up to listen to him. "Do you remember your uncle Lionel?"

Oh. My. God. NO WAY! Shane started, peered at the phone, then pushed his ear against it. He could HEAR his bestest friend, but where was he? He pushed it around, looking for him, and when he didn’t find scratchy hair goodness, listened again.

"That's right, my boy. Now, do you remember what I told you when you visited me before, about not crying because you are a big boy and gentlemen don't cry?"

Blah blah blah. Best friend. Oh. He was so HAPPY. "Iynol cookie!" Came the declaration. Not that he really got what it meant, but he usually got a bestest friend and a crumbly yummy thing whenever he said either, so he figured saying BOTH things would be double good!

"That's right. Lionel." He grinned at the phone. "Now, you're going to behave for your father, aren't you? You're going to be a good little man."

"inol, inol, inol," And he squealed and let out a laugh, as daddy muttered behind him.

"That's my boy," Lionel said proudly. "Now, may I speak to your father again please?"

"Inol!" He squealed.

And Graham cursed colorfully at his overjoyed, tearless son a he set him on the floor and said flatly, "Its good we're moving there, because I might have to bring you here."

"I have never understood why you seem to have such a trouble with that beautiful, endearing child. He is a true angel, and I have no problem at all communicating with him." More needling.

"Thank you, Lionel." He grit his teeth. Hard. "I’ve got to go."

"She's got a broken foot, Graham."

Oh. God. His heart calmed and launched back into his chest, and he’d be DAMNED he would ever admit the point blank terror he'd had in losing her. He quieted a minute, and let the realization of what she meant to him sink in, before carefully speaking. "Is she alright?"

"She's all right. She's sleeping now, in the bed in front of me. The orthopedist is waiting for the swelling in her foot to go down before they can reset the bone."

"Good. The packin' should be done in a week, n' I'll be home." To take care of her the way he was supposed to. "Bu' I’ve really got to go. Lindy's handlin' the police b'herself."

"Why are the police there?" Lionel asked curiously.

"Nothin' to concern y'self with, just some things over her ex husband. Should be cleared up, when I can find my shotgun."

Lionel pondered quietly a moment. "If you can keep Lindy safe for the next forty-eight hours, you won't need your shotgun."

"I'll be keepin her safe, don’t you make a mistake over that. My girls are always safe." He growled. Matter of pride, that.

"Good. Two days, Graham. And the man will be out of your hair forever. I give you my word on that."

"Aye." A moment. "What is it you plan to do, Lionel?"

Another quiet pause. "Do you really want to know the answer to that, Graham?"

"No. I dun wanna know."

-fin-

go on to the next part