Countdown To Goodbye ( Asher )

[Talon Green]

It had been a couple weeks since the incident at the hospital, the threat his dad had made toward his life, and though for the first week or so it had been very nerve wracking, both for him and Asher, he had agreed to stay with her, and they had stayed in for most of the time. Ordering in, watching movies, and just getting to know each other like no other.

But then as time had passed and he had managed a few trips out of the house to go take care of some business stuff it seemed as though nothing was going to happen.

So tonight. Tonight was date night. They had gone to see a movie. Nothing really high budget, and they had avoided the more popular sides of town they were both known to frequent. But it had been nice to just get out of the house.

Now, as the crowd exited the theater, Talon stood outside, letting the warm night air caress over his arms, wearing nothing but a black muscle shirt and a pair of dark denim jeans.

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he watched as the last of the crowd shuffled off, leaving him and Asher standing out front of the theater. Waiting for her to come to his side he would slide his hand into her own and then turn and tug her against him so that his lips could find her own, a brief kiss as he smiled down at her.

"That was nice. Honestly we should get out more often. Not that spending every waking moment with you has not been the best time of my life, but I think this was fun. Dont you?"

He would smile, his hand toying with a strand of her silken hair as he let those emerald eyes look down upon her.

He had yet to say that little four letter word to her, and though he wanted to so desperately, the dark cloud that had been looming over head had kept him from doing so.

Running his hand down her back he would wait for her reply...Though as the crowd started to slip away, he would not that the traffic on the street which in this part of town should have been light, was anything but. There were two black sedans parked across the street, and though that set his nerves on end due to the fact he knew how this game was played it was the other that he now looked for.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than the black SUV peeled around the corner, tires making that horrid sound and disrupting the peaceful night.

Instantly Talon's eyes shot to the passenger side windows, the front remained up, but the back one was already rolling down.

It was like it was all happening in slow motion, but in reality it was over in mere seconds. The instant he saw the flash of the gun barrel he released Asher and used his force to shove her away from him and onto the ground behind a car that had been parked before them.

One.....

Two.........

Three........

Shots fired and then the window was up and the car was speeding away, quickly followed by the two sedan's that had been parked there.

It had been a strange sensation, when the first bullet hit his chest....Pain usually did not hurt, but this was like liquid fire through his entire body. Instantly his senses starting to shut down.

The second landed in his right ribcage area, another jolt of unimaginable pain shooting through him.

And the third his left side, simply sending his body into shock.

He stood there a moment, his hand, of all things, going to the one at his side, and drawing back nothing but a blood covered palm....He had one last thought before he hit the ground, eyes turning to Asher to make sure she was okay......

Then, just like that he hit his knees.....Slamming into the pavement before he fell back, his head hitting the ground hard though at this point he felt nothing.....Nothing other than the warmth of his blood soaking his clothes and the coldness that was starting at his toes and working its way up.

[Asher LeBeau]

The week had been nerve wracking and wonderful with him, learning everything about him that she could, telling him about her past and both of them just opening up about what was going on with all of them. She learned about his life and he hers. They’d managed a few times out, Asher insisting that she pay for the food they got or cooking in the apartment.

The movie night had been his idea and she’d readily agreed, just to get out of the apartment. They’d gone somewhere else that they did not normally go, in hopes that nothing would happen, but it was always a matter of time before something happened and they’d tried to enjoy it.

A smile and a bright laugh in response to the kiss, her fingers curling tightly around his as she leaned up against him, running her hand down his shoulder and chest, nuzzling her nose against his. She’d agreed readily, suggesting that maybe they should go somewhere else next time, like a local concert or whatever was playing.

Then it had happened fast. One minute he was holding onto her and the next pushing her down and away from him before three distinct sounds where heard. She froze, wincing, her eyes directly on Talon and never once looking away from him. The shots hit and she screamed, along with everyone else on the street.

She had no care for her own safety and well being, instead shooting out to catch him as he fell, cradling him in her lap as violet eyes looked up to get a glimpse of the SUVs and memorize the tags. People were already on their phones, calling 9-1-1, screaming for help. She just gathered Talon in her arms, holding him tightly and knew that if she didn’t get to a hospital soon, then he definitely would not make it.

She was in between crying to Talon and screaming at a man on his phone to get an ambulance down here, fast.

“Talon. Talon! Please…oh god…I love you, please don't....” she murmured, pulling off her sweatshirt and tying it off, pressing it over the wounds. A few passengers scrambled around, helping her as her clothes steadily became soaked with blood, her hands already coated with it. Ties, belts, anything that could be used to staunch the blood and keep pressure on.

It was a slight relief when an ambulance pulled up, people directing them to the two on the ground, Asher shaking her head when they asked what had happened, saying she’d give her statement at the hospital. They wanted to separate them, but one look from enraged violet eyes they let her get in the ambulance and ride with him.

The moment they got to the hospital, she had to let him go so they could rush him into surgery, a nurse urging her into the waiting room after letting her get scrubbed up and cleaned, giving her a fresh pair of scrubs to put on.

Violet eyes seethed in pure, unadulterated anger. Oh yes, there would be hell to pay…

She pulled out her phone and started dialing, her emotions running wild. There was a reason she was a damned hellcat and Talon’s father was about to find out. You did not hurt the ones she loved and right now, while Talon’s life was in jeopardy, she was doing the only thing she could.

Getting even.

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[Talon Green]

He felt her there, he knew it was here because through it all came the scent of honey, his eyes looking up to see her through the haze that was slowly taking hold. As she cried and screamed for help his hand came up, coughing lightly as he felt the heat of his blood now splatter over his lips and chin.

As she spoke those words, his heart, the one that was barely beating at this point seemed to pause, and a weak, almost lifeless smile spread onto his lips. Slowly his hand raised, though soaked with blood he was past the point of realizing that....Instead he let one finger rest against her chin as he tried to sooth her.

"S..Shh...Angel....."

He coughed once more, more and more blood pouring from him as he struggled to come back awake to finish what he had started to say.

"I l..love you......"

With that his hand had fallen away and his head had dropped to the side, eyes falling closed.

From there on out he was unaware of what was going on, or what was being done to him. They had taken him into surgery, and though they had tried, by the time they put him in his room, they were already outside informing the girl who had ridden in with him that it did not look good.

They would be contacting his family, since some form of decisions may have been needed, but that for now she was allowed to see him.

He was breathing on his own, though barely, yet he had lines and tubes running into him and his skin was pale and lifeless...If not for the constant rise and fall of hsi chest, one would assume he was dead......

Yet as the nurse led the girl into the room, she would give her a knowing look and shut the door. She knew that pained look, and she knew that the he probably needed her in this moment just as much as this girl needed to be with him.

[Asher LeBeau]

She didn’t know what was worse. Him being on a deathbed to say he loved her or when she was ushered into the room by the nurse and shaking her head against what the staff was saying. She’d already run the plates and they were, unfortunately, connected to his father. Mistake number one.

They were traceable, all through legal routes of course, wouldn’t do to do something illegal and have it backfire on her, but she’d set her wheels in motion when they ushered her into the room. He looked like death warmed over as she pulled up a chair next to his bed, holding his hand and wishing desperately that he would wake up and open his eyes.

But she knew better. They’d already told her that his chances did not look good and if he didn’t make it…

Well, she’d be damned if she let his father get away with any of this. By morning, his name was going to be dragged through the proverbial slime of the tabloids, every sordid detail of his latest affair splashed through the pages. She knew the girl and once she’d been informed, Candy had been more than willing to sell the story. Hell, it was more than she’d been paid.

Her eyes were red from crying, but they held an unflinching look of steel in them, one that showed her fighter spirit when she was pushed to her limits, as she was now.

“Talon…please…I need you to come back. Don’t leave, please, for me, if you really love me, you won’t leave me this way,” she murmured, brushing his hair back from his forehead, moving slightly so she could kiss his forehead and his cheek, finally brushing her lips over his, her own hair pulled back into a tight braid.

“I need you,” she said softly, watching him.

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[Talon Green]

Soon enough the doors opened and his Father came through the door, the doctors following explaining how it was possible that his son could die at any moment.

Shaking his head as he looked at the pair he would scoff and just turn his back on the pair, a little growl sounding as he looked at the doctor.

"I want the form for a DNR if you would. I believe it would be my son's final wish to not have means taken to save his life. He suffers from a condition, it had tortured him for years, this is probably best for him."

The doctor's nodded, rushing out of the room to get the proper forms as his father turned toward the pair.

"I told him to tread carefully. Looks like your little game failed. Now why don't you run along and let the little abomination die alone like he deserves?"

He chuckled softly and then turned to leave the room, going to sign the forms needed to ensure that his son would not make it out of here if he could help it.

Yet all the while, on the bed, Talon had laid there, darkness surrounded him and yet that voice, it had reached him where no other could, and though he could not open his eyes, could not bring himself back from this place he had gone, his fingers could not help but twitch lightly as they weakly curled about her own.

She was there.........It meant more to him than anything, and he knew she was in pain, he heard her plea's....But he could not seem to wake up....it was just too hard......he just wanted to sleep.....to drift away....however that touch kept him grounded.....for now..........

[Asher LeBeau]

It was a laugh that wasn’t hers at his father, more like a scoff. She shifted, never once letting go of Talon, instead, turning to regard his father with pure and utter disdain, contempt, as if he were beneath her.

“Perhaps you should not use vehicles that are in your employ,” she murmured, her voice cold, hard, so unlike her. “Or maybe you should keep your illicit affairs private,” she continued. “You don’t know the meaning of dangerous, you child. You are such a pampered little thing, just waiting to be disciplined. You’re the abomination, freak. You are the one who should die.”

Violet eyes lifted and looked directly at him, glowing with an unearthly anger, one that would have evil itself running in fear. Asher had her own means, her own ways of keeping things to herself and then getting even, although this did not do it justice.

“Watch your step, old man. Your time in the sun is up,” was all she said before promptly turning around, dismissing him as if he were just another casual encounter.

There wasn’t much she could do since Talon wasn’t eighteen and still a minor, but if she could confirm with the police that the vehicles were indeed from his father, then steps would be taken to remove the directives ordered as well as the hospitals having a ‘do no harm’ policy.

The attending knew that the disorder Talon had wasn’t serious enough to cause actual suffering like claimed, but a DNR was something that couldn’t be argued with and watching the power struggle between the small woman and the tyrant, well, he had to stop and look twice at the bare-faced girl who looked no older than eighteen yet spoke with authority of someone who’d been around the block before.

Two hours until press time, was all she thought in her head before Talon’s fingers curled around her own, however weakly. Her heart fairly skipped a beat before she squeezed his hand gently, leaning forward to brush the hair out of his face, kissing his forehead.

“Talon, sweetheart, you need to pull through this. I need you to come through, to just trust me that living is much better than dying,” she said, keeping her voice soft. “If you die, then you won’t ever get to touch me again.”

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[Talon Green]

He heard her words and yet still he could not wake, he tried, the desperate need to touch her, to be with her left him lost and aching for more.

Yet hours ticked by and still he did not move, and at one point his heart rate had gone out of control, yet slowly it had regained its own steady, dull pace.

In fact not a move was made from him again for a good day and a half....Nurses and doctors alike sure he was in a coma, all of them muttering about how it was a matter of time.

He had suffered severe internal injuries and it was a miracle he was still breathing. Yet eventually, he found his way through that darkness that had been holding him down for so long....his emerald hues, dark in color now, fluttered open to the partially lit room.

He looked around, confused.....nothing really making sense....He remembered Asher....a gun.....He remembered her telling him that she loved him....and him telling the same......And then nothing...just her voice in the darkness...the only thing that had kept him even trying to come back.

Lightly he coughed, his entire body aching as he closed his eyes at the horrid colors that now surrounded him.

Yet he could not help but let his hand try and search out that familiar touch....panic setting in. What if something had happened to her? What if she had left him here?

"A..Asher...."

His words barely more than a whisper as he struggled to move but found the act damn near impossible. God if something had happened to her, he would never forgive himself...He had tried, he had pushed her out of the way.....He was supposed to die, not her...He had tried to protect her......

Another struggle to move, his hand reaching out more as he did so....Hooked to too many wires and cables to keep trying he would wince as he coughed once more and closed his eyes.

[Asher LeBeau]

The news had broken in a storm, with one escort brave enough to break the news, soon dozens followed. Stories of drugs, abuse, threats and attempts on lives, hell even being implicated in a few missing prostitutes was all coming up out of the woodwork. Asher had set something in motion with huge results.

Shamed, humiliated, forced to retreat, he’d never come back to the hospital. She’d gone home briefly, only to get clothes and a shower and coming right back, sitting in that same chair, curled up, half of her body on his bed while she slept. She’d also picked up a change of clothes for him, sort of as a hope that he would wake up and come back to her.

She’d flat out refused to leave his side, instead curling up next to him, scared for her life when his heartrate went out of control until it returned to normal and she’d held his hand, shaking. She’d began helping the nurses with the daily tasks, monitoring him and they’d grown kind to her, bringing her food even though she hardly touched it.

She was exhausted that day, fielding phone calls from the various people she’d set in motion as well as dealing with the police investigation of the shooting. They’d asked for her statement and she’d told them that Talon’s father had made a threat against him in her presence. The cars had been traced and right now everything was being dragged through the mud through the media circus.

She was so tired that she’d fallen asleep half curled on his bed again, tucked in an awkward and uncomfortable position, her breathing slow and even, hair fanning out behind her, a few strands across her face before she felt the bed shift. Groaning and thinking it was a nurse, she tucked herself into her arms again, one hand carelessly flung out before she heard his voice.

It was but two seconds before she was mostly awake, groggy but she sat upright, fixing him with a sleepy smile, pushing her hair out of her face.

“Hey. Good to see you’re awake finally,” she murmured as her phone went off again. She groaned before turning it on silent, focusing her attention on Talon.

She picked up his hand, lacing her fingers through his before bringing it to her lips, looking steadily at him with tired but happy eyes. “I love you.”

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[Talon Green]

He felt her hand and instantly he calmed down, his smile weak but there as she spoke those words, his heart would have raced if it had the ability to. Instead he settled for a weak, most needed kiss back before he would close his eyes.

"I love you to Angel...."

His voice still weak and every breath hurt and made ugly colors in the air, but at least he had her scent around him.

Weakly he lifted one hand and brushed her cheek as best he could before his hand fell back on the bed.

"Hav...Have I told you how beautiful you are today?"

Oh yeah, leave it to him to bring out his cheesy stupid line right now. Though honestly he just wanted to see her smile...That was what it was all about, this life he came back to......Her....nothing else.

Shifting his arm, he forced himself to move over...Every action making him hurt that much more...Yet when he was done he would motion for her to curl up beside him.

He needed her like the air his lungs currently struggled to pull in, and if she laid down he would wrap his arm around her as best he could, letting his fingers play with a bit of her hair.

"Strangest thing......I was in this dark place....and all I could hear....was the voice of an Angel calling me back...."

He grinned, the best sly grin a man in his state could manage...Yet deep down he was fighting back the fear of the realization that he had just about died, and honestly, he still could.....But at least he had her with him, that was enough to put him at ease and let him feel whole......complete for the first time in his life.

[Asher LeBeau]

Asher shifted, smiling up at him before doing what he urged, careful around the tubes and wires still attached to him. She shook her head, laughing slightly at his words, before leaning over and pressing the most gentle kiss she could to his lips, knowing that was what he wanted right in this moment. Moving back slightly, she curled next to him, closing her eyes and just enjoying the feel of him next to her.

“I’m not an angel, nor am I beautiful,” she said, her own response coming out as it always did whenever he said that. “I’m a demon in disguise,” she added, laughing a bit as she thought about the events she set in motion. That part was probably true, seeing as his dad was currently tied up in about three or four different murder investigations, including his attempted murder of Talon.

The man would probably never see jail time, but he sure as hell wouldn’t be living the high life. Sighing, Ash pushed that thought to the back of her mind where she would think later when Talon slept and focused on him again. She raised a hand up, gently stroking the side of his face, the relief and love evident in her eyes. “Talon, love, you need to rest. If you’re tired, sleep, but don’t push yourself,” she murmured.

She blinked up at him, smiling as she moved forward to kiss him again, placing butterfly kisses allover his face, unable to help herself. She was just so glad he was awake and not sitting on death’s door at the moment. It was more like he was standing outside the gate, but he was farther away.

That was what had mattered to her and she was glad of it. A determined, stubborn look entered her eyes as she looked up at him, a sultry smirk on her lips. “You’re moving in with me after this. Fuck it, I’m not letting you go back,” she said, stubborn as all hell.

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[Talon Green]

He would have protested her words but he could not...at least not right now. But that was how this game usually went. He called her beautiful and she came back with some little smart comment and then he usually pulled her into a kiss and shushed her up on the matter. But that was not going to happen right now. Instead, he took the brief kiss on his lips, a soft sigh passing his lips as she moved away and laid down to curl up beside him.

That one arm draped around her as best as he could he would let his fingers continue to twist a few strands of hair about within them. Softly his eyes fell closed, his breathing growing a bit lighter than it had been previously.

At her words he would open his eyes once more and look at her, the slightest rise of his brow given as she pretty much told him he was moving in with her.

"I don't know Angel....I can get pretty annoying..."

The corner of his lips turning up into a grin as he lifted his head as best he could and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"If that's what you want baby.....Guess I can take the couch..."

Yes..he was joking....Why? Because it soothed the pain inside at knowing not only had his Father berated him and run him into the ground all his life, but now he had tried to have Talon actually killed. He just didn't want to think about it anymore. It was easier to make jokes than it was to face the truth...at least for now.

"I am gonna sleep now baby...I..I love you..."

Slowly his eyes began to flutter closed, his breathing once more dropping and his heart rate increasing.....The sudden sound of the monitor's going off sounded throughout the room........

They had said touch and go, and though he had thought he was doing better, his sudden lack of consciousness and the sounds of those machines said otherwise....

Slowly his hand released that strand of hair he held of her's and fell down upon the bed.....

[Asher LeBeau]

She'd been so happy when he woke up but now she was panicking again, scrambling out of the bed when he started to crash, one of his hands held tightly between her own two smaller ones. Her eyes were wide with fear and every line of her body showed it in how she refused to leave his side while the nurses scrambled in at the sound of the alarms.

"Talon? Don't fucking start with this please," she murmured, voice broken into sobs as tears started flowing again. "Goddamnit, please don't......I can't do anything your fucking father signed a DNR...." she continued, not bothering to rub away the tears that stained her cheeks.

She never once let go of his hand or stopped talking to him, blocking out every view and every sound in the room, almost as if she were willing him to get better and to pull out of whatever was happening. She worried her bottom lip so much that it split open and she tasted blood, but that didn't register in the front of her brain.

She was focused solely on the boy in the bed in front of her, hardly getting a chance to respond to his words before he started going under.

"I love you, please don't..."

Her own voice was soft, almost pleading as she held tightly to his hand, worry making her sick and on edge, ignoring the commotion around her from the doctors and nurses. Suddenly hands pulled her back and separated her from him and she gasped, going to fight until she saw the crash cart.

Wait, crash cart? Hadn't his father...? She turned as one of the hospital lawyers addressed her, informing her of the situation that had occurred. Since his father was being investigated, any medical orders that had been issued were no longer valid and techincally he was ward of state right now...The next thing Asher knew, she was signing a paper saying that she would take custody of his medical decisions.

The woman smiled, knowing Asher by reputation and knew she would do the right thing. Her voice was soft as she asked the only question she would need to: "What do you want us to do?"

Brilliant amethyst eyes looked up at her with determination. "Save him anyway you can."

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[Talon Green]

They worked on him, using the crash cart on him when his heart flat lined, pushing everyone out of the room as the continued to struggle to bring him back. Minutes ticked by and though it took them to the point that they were about to give up, they got a pulse finally.

It was only then that they would give him a few more injections, making sure he was stable before they would leave the room, once more allowing Asher back into be with him.

Once more he was there, but he was barely able to stay awake, his hand was trembling but his breathing was steady. Thanks to being able to fully take care of what was needed, they had managed to better get him under control and keep him in a more stable condition.

His eyes fluttered open, once more looking out for Asher and his hand trying find her own as he tried to force himself to sit up, despite the fact that everything hurt....

He wanted her, and there was nothing going to keep him from that so long as he could still somewhat move.

Coughing a couple times, his hand curled around his ribs and he bit his bottom lip to try and stifle back a groan of pain.

Everything in the room blurry from the meds they had given him and his head feeling a bit light. But otherwise he was doing much better than he had been before.

[Asher LeBeau]

For the most part, she was dividing her time between talking with the doctors and getting a better feel for how his medical treatment would go and arranging the legalities to make sure that it wasn't a whim that would send him back into his parent's clutches. She chewed her lip, nodding from the doctor before taking up her position by the bed again.

She dozed in and out, waking up to the sound of the monitors but realizing nothing was wrong, various staff entering the room, and finally when Talon woke up. She immediately grabbed his hand, soothing touches over his skin as she urged him to lie back down and rest, to take it easy.

"You crashed and we brought you back," she murmured, kissing his forehead. "I'm not gonna let you die, not if I can help it," she finished with a dry laugh. "I love you too much to let it happen."

She settled back down in the chair, lacing her fingers with his as she lay her head down, utterly exhausted with the events of today and the past few days. Had it been a week? She'd lost count of the number of days, instead choosing to sit by his side and not give up.

Hell, he'd managed to land her in a relationship and to speak as well as feel those words she thought she never would. It was a powerful phrase, one that shouldn't be spoken unless necessary, but to her, it was the one thing that she held onto for him.

Various people came and went from the room, all of them hospital employees, because, well, from what Talon had told her no one really cared enough to know what was going on or if they did, to stop by and see him. Not that there wouldn't be a trial by dragon from Asher if anyone that she didn't like stopped by to set off her already short fuse.

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[Talon Green]

Her hand touched his and instantly the panic he had felt rising in his chest started to fade away. Letting out a soft sigh he would force himself to lie down as his eyes turned to look at her. Instantly he noted, even through the haze of his eyes that she was exhausted. How long had he been here? Hell.....how long had she been here.

Coughing once more as he tried to speak, he felt the roughness of his throat, undoubtedly they had ran a breathing tube down his throat when he crashed. Growling, even though he really didn't mean to he finally managed to get out a few hoarse words.

"A..Asher...you need to get rest.....G..Go home and sleep baby.....I will be..f..fine..."

He laid there, his hand tugging ever so slightly so that she could come to him and allow him to press his lips to her own, his hand brushing weakly over her face as he simply took in every little detail about her.

She had saved him, and though yes, she had saved his life, she had done so much more than that....He just did not know if she would ever realize it.

Running his fingers lightly through her hair he tried to sooth her, to show her that everything would be okay, and that she did not need to worry anymore....But he knew that there was still a lot to work on in getting better and that she would not stop worrying until he was home.

He was unaware of what had happened with his Father, or any of the events that had gone on, but he did not care, he only cared that she was okay and that she got some rest. He hated seeing her like this...It killed him inside.