[Original] Flirting the Fence

"Please send him up." She said into the intercom, holding the button down.

"Yes Ms.McNash, he's on his way up right now." The voice said, and Beth could heard heavy footfalls in the background.

Moving over to her door, Beth opened it and leaned against the jam, waiting for Day to come up.

"Oh my dear Beth!" Mrs.Holiday, her next door neighbor called to her, rushing out of her own apartment to come to Beth.

Instantly Beth was absorbed in a cigarette and rose perfumed hug. "Oh dear, you look so dreadful, and I thought Jason was such a good young man." Her neighbor said, pulling back and looking at her with pity.

At 53 years old Mrs.holiday had been through three husbands, and took each one for every cent they were worth. She had a penchant for throwing elaborate parties, and inviting some of New York cities snobbiest people. Beth didn't really like the woman for the simply fact that she didn't trust her.

Nonetheless Beth smiled, extracting herself from the woman's embrace, just as the elevator door dinged and she saw Day get out with his son. Beth's face lit up, as Day turned his head and saw her, striding over to her with confident assured steps.

Mrs.Holiday took a large step back as Day reached Beth and gave her a hug. "Well I never!" Mrs.Holiday said dramatically before rushing back to her own apartment and shutting the door.

Beth couldn't decided if the woman was upset with the fact that Day had just all of a sudden hugged her after she had nearly been beaten by a man, or if she was flustered because he wasn't white. The snick of a lock, and the sliding of a chain confirmed that it was likely the later.

Beth drew back from the hug, ushering Day and Brian into her apartment. She indicated they could sit, while she flitted around looking for something she could give them. "I'm sorry I wasn't expecting company so-" Beth began leaning into the refrigerator, trying to busy herself.

"Beth, Don't." Day said silently, making her rise from the refrigerator.

"Brian why don't you sit down, and figure out how to work the TV?" Day said to his son, who happily went over to the wide screen Tv and grabbed the remote, fiddling with it until he found cartoons.

Beth's calm composed smiling facade wavered, and broke. Day was there in an instant, wrapping his arms around her, comforting her. Beth shook her head, trying to compose herself, tried to break away from him, but she was just too tired, too drained to do anything but rely on his strength.

Day stroked her hair softly, whispering about how strong she was, how brave she was. "You did the right thing." She heard Day say as she held onto him.

They stood there for a long while until Beth felt composed enough to draw back. "I need to pack. I-I have to go to a hotel or something, but I can't stay here." Beth said, wiping her face with the back of her hand and moving around Day, towards the bedroom.

Beth could feel Day following silently behind her, like a protective lion. She forced the bedroom door open, cringing at the blood stained carpet, and the slightly mused bed.

Taking a deep breath, Beth forced herself inside the room, skirting the blood and immediately going to the closet. She yanked out three suitcases and plopping them onto the bed. Quickly, brutally, efficiently, Beth went around the room collecting her belongings and stuffing them into the suitcases, all the time aware of Day's concerned gaze following her frantic movements.

The phone began to ring again, and Beth paused, wondering if she should answer it. In the end she reached for the cordless on the bedside table, pressing the talk button. "Hello?" Beth said into the phone.

There was a pause. "Bitch when I get out of here I'm going to fucking find you and cut-"

Beth dropped the phone, stepping away from the phone shaking her head. Day was right there, strong arms wrapping around her as the voice rose, screaming through the phone before the line cut.

Beth gripped Day's shirt, turned her head, and screamed into his chest, her legs giving out. "FUCK HIM! FUCK HIM!" Beth screamed over and over again.

Silently they sank to the floor, and Day began rocking them back and forth. Giving her as much of his strength as she needed.

Chapter 14

Day buried his chin in Beth's hair, rocking her back and forth gently. Perhaps his first estimation of her had been wrong. She wasn't fucked up, Day thought rubbing her arms, her life was fucked up! In the 18 hours or so he had known her, her fiance had cheated on her with her friend, she had almost been raped, and she had faced domestic violence. The woman wasn't crazy or weak, she might even be the strongest woman he knew!

Day tried to settle her, listening as Brian giggled at a show on the TV and Beth raged against his chest. It took several minutes until Beth calmed, and Day felt comfortable enough to talk to her. "You're coming home with me." Day said bluntly, still holding her in his arms.

Beth drew back, looking at him through red rimmed eyes, her face tight and angry. "No. I don't want your help!" She lashed out, trying to break away from him.

Day grabbed her arms, shaking her a little. "Beth! This isn't about what you want, but what I need. I need to see that you're gonna be safe! Beth you were almost raped and you could have been beaten by your ex. I saw the pictures of your friend, and that could have been you! Do you understand? This isn't about your fucking pride, it's about your fucking safety!" Day yelled at her, shaking her a little harder than he meant to.

He watched as she bit her lip, clearly trying to absorb everything he had just spilled at her feet.

Day just shook his head, drawing her closer into the circle of his arms. "I'm begging you Beth. Call it fate, or serendipity, whatever! But that has to be a reason I found you, there has to be a reason that I feel so connected to you. If anything happened to you I... I... Fuck I don't even know what I would do." Day said lowly, gruffly, pulling back to make sure Beth saw the brutal honesty in his eyes.

Slowly she nodded, giving over to him. "I-I need to pack." She said slowly, moving back from him and getting up.

Day let her pull away from him, as he slowly climbed to his feet. Mentally he knew she needed space, but physically... all he thought she really needed was a hug. But Day just sighed, deciding to leave her alone for the time being.

"I'll be out with Brian. Come get us when you're ready to go." Day said walking from the room, to give Beth her much needed space.

Half was down the hallway he heard half-broken sobs coming from the bedroom. Day paused catch between giving her space and taking over. Fuck! He thought banging his fist against the wall.

I'm fucking useless! Day wanted to scream, wanted to rage. None of this should have happened to Beth, she was too sweet, to innocent, even though she tried to act New Yorker tough. She didn't belong here, in the city dealing with this type of shit. He didn't want her to end up cold and useless like the dozens of other people he passed on a daily basis.

In his line of work, Day dealt with rich snobs who thought they could shit on the world. Cold, detached people, who thought a check solved everything, righted every wrong. He didn't want Beth to become like that, yet as Day looked around her neutral colored apartment, he could see she had been making her way down that road.

Day turned away from her tears, walking into the living room to see Brian laying on his stomach, propped up on a pillow watching TV. Day sat down heavily on the beige leather couch, his lips curling in disgust as they wandered around the cold apartment. There were no mementos, no trinkets, just clean soothing colored walls, that lacked any depth or emotion. Fuck, Day thought rubbing his neck, now I'm John fucking Keats.

Two asinine cartoon episodes later and Beth came out with all her luggage. Day immediately got up and tried to help her.

"I'm fine". She said stoically, staring at a point just beyond him.

Day narrowed his eyes, suddenly becoming angry. "I'm not going to fucking force you Beth." He growled at her.

Still she stared at a point just past his shoulder, making his ire raise even further. "I know." She said in a monotone, giving him 2 word answers that only pissed him off more.

"You had no problem looking at me when we fucked, but now you're suddenly blind?" Day bit out harshly, regretting the words instantly.

Quicker than he could process, her hand reached up and slapped him across the face, with enough force to turn his cheek.

Day heard Brian scramble up, and come over to them. Very slowly Day turned back to look at Beth, who had fire in her eyes.

Rubbing his sore cheek, Day gave a little nod. "I deserved that."

Beth just pressed her lips tighter together, refusing to say anything, but at least she was looking him in the eye.

Day reached up to rub his neck again, feeling like the world biggest asshole. "Look I'm so-" He began but Beth raised her hand cutting him off.

"I've had a shi-" Beth began, looking down at Brian who stood within listening distance, "craptastic couple of hours and you apologizing for being a... petunia, is the least of my concerns. I get that I really have no place to go. I'm rational enough to realize that all my friends are really Jason's friends and would have no problem selling out my whereabouts to him. Not to mention my family is a couple states over, and haven't gotten the news yet, and I don't see myself catching a plane to show up on their doorstep and deal with that drama just yet. And don't get me started on Jason's parents, who are about as friendly as a tank of sharks, so that leaves you! Whether I like it or not, I have no one I can trust here except you, and I'm not even sure that's a wise choice on my part. But I accept the fact that if I don't go with you I run the risk of something awful happening to me here, so I'm between a rock and a hard place. So I choose the hard place, I choose you." Beth took a deep breath in, ending her triad.

Day took a step back, looking at her glowing cheeks, and curling hair, all caught up in the heat of her anger. Fuck me! Day thought as a rock hard erection started straining against the metal of his zipper, making him want to adjust himself. Anger always suited a woman, it made her look hotter and took the sex to a whole new level, that left both people drained. Day loved angry sex, almost as much as he loved make up sex, if only because both involved an outpouring of emotions, and Day had some thick emotions he wanted to pour in Beth.

"Here!" Beth said passing him the largest suitcase.

She walked around the room grabbing a briefcase and a pair of shoes near the door, before placing them near her mountain of luggage. Day watched her do one more sweep of the apartment before she nodded to herself, coming back to him and Brian and beginning to pick up her backs.

"Help Ms.Beth out Brian." Day mumbled to his son, still a little shell shocked at her speech and his own reaction to her fury.

"Thank you Brian." Beth said sweetly, handing him a small bag to carry.

Brian puffed up, as if she had just given him the world and walked soldier style over to the door. They left the apartment, Beth locking the door behind them. Day was silent on the elevator ride down, and the car ride back to his house, slightly uncomfortable with the fact that Beth had basically schooled him.

Parking the car in his reserved parking space, Day grabbed her heaviest suitcase, and then a smaller one, trying to make up for his behavior by helping her with the luggage as much as possible.

Beth walked close to him, as the streetlights came on, letting Day know it was officially night time, and anything could happen. Slowly inspecting the dark for any gang members lurking around, Day found the street oddly quiet. But not wanting to take any chances, Day hustled Beth and Brian into his apartment building, and up the four flights of stairs.

Winded and a little sweaty, Day opened the door and walked in, placing Beth's suitcases in the living room. Day heard the door close behind him, and Brian call out that he was going to pee.

Day turned awkwardly to Beth taking in her crossed arms, and tapping foot. He just stood there, scratching his head, and trying to figure out the next step. "The uh, guest room's down the-" He began but Beth cut him off.

"You're an idiot if you think I'm sleeping in the guest room." She interrupted him, her tone condescending.

Day gritted his teeth, trying to be gentlemanly and shit, but failing at it. What the fuck did she want? Day wondered, moving to stand in front of her.

"Well, the only other place is the couch but it's-" Day began gesturing to the sofa he had had since Shontell and him had moved in four six years ago.

"I'm not sleeping on the couch either." She said irritably, picking up one of her smaller bags and beginning to walk down the hall towards the bedroom.

Day growled following after her, opening his mouth to ask where the fuck she thought she would sleep, when she answered before he could even get a sound out.

"I'm sleeping with you. I'm not in the mood to be alone, and we've already slept together so I don't see a problem." Beth called over her shoulder to him, pushing through his bedroom door and heading straight to the bathroom.

Day watched her set up her toiletries on the side of the counter that Shontell had used, feeling a bit panicked. "But-" he tried again.

"Not now Day. I just want to get a hot shower, and then crawl into bed with you. I know that sounds weird, but you're the only person I can even consider being around, and I need a life raft, I just need-" But her voice broke, and she stopped putting her stuff away, leaning heavily on the counter.

It was only then Day realized she was still in shock, still hurting, still... fucked up. The anger, the sass, that had all been a front masking all the pain she was still feeling. Now that was something Day could relate to.

Shontell's death had left him destroyed and if he hadn't been snapping at people, he had been picking fights with them. Anger was a damn good alternative to facing the problems, it was his favorite alternative.

Day watched Beth compose herself, and then continue to put her stuff away, a little more slowly this time. He sighed, not exactly sure what to say to a woman. "Maybe we could fuck later? That might help you relieve some stress." Day offered jokingly, saying the first thing that popped into his mind, but silently hoping she would agree.

Beth laughed loudly, turning her lime green eyes to stare at him. "That would be nice."

Chapter 15

Beth watched Day's eyes go wide, and she had to smile at that. "I'm joking of course." She said, laughing at him.

Day looked like a petulant child as he uttered "Yeah, I know."

Beth felt a little bad messing with his head, but at the moment she didn't feel like herself. She felt like she was being pulled in a million directions, as everything she had to get done came crashing down on her.

Quickly she put away the rest of her toiletries, not even sure why she bothered, she wouldn't be there that long. But maybe the mundane task of organizing her make up on the counter was giving her some kind of power and control.

Once she was done she exited the bathroom, moving briskly past Day. It was only then she realized her cell phone must be dead. Beth hadn't even missed the annoying vibrations that alerted her to Facebook messages and texts. She sighed knowing she would have to charge it, and call whoever had called her back.

Beth strode into the living room, nearly running into Brian who was coming out of the bathroom pulling his pants up with one hand, while in his other hand was a spiderman comic. Beth just shook her head, and continued into the living room, grabbing her purse and smaller suitcase on the way.

Moving to the couch, she unzipped her carry on and fished out her charger, then dug in her purse for her cellphone. It didn't take long for her phone to start buzzing and beeping after it had gained some juice.

Beth was about to dredge up the courage to look at her messages and missed calls when there was a knock on the door.

Beth was quick, and before Day could even move to answer it she was there pulling the door open with a too bright smile. "Hello!"

A young man with mud stained clothes, dorky glasses, and what looked to be an assortment of papers stood looking exhausted and exasperated. The man stared over the rim of his glasses at her, suspicion clear in his eyes. "Excuse me?"

Day was there in a sec, moving Beth aside, and ushering the man in. "Did you order yet?"

Beth heard Day ask the man as the went into the kitchen and sat at the table. "Lebanese. Who's she?" The man asked without preamble to stare at Beth.

Beth closed the door with a huff, and went to the man extending her hand. "Beth McNash. I'm a friend of Days." She said shaking his hand.

The man looked at her over the rim of his glasses again. "Ricky. Not from New York are you." It wasn't a question.

Beth bristled a little, getting a little sick of people telling her that she wasn't from New York. She felt like she had been born here, the city fit her so well. "No." She said answering the question he didn't ask.

The man turned from her back to Day, and spread out the papers, ignoring Beth.

Beth's jaw dropped at being so clearly ignored before she closed her mouth. She was about to go back to her phone, and begin the painstaking process of calling people back and making reservations for herself, but something caught her attention.

Beth leaned past the man sitting at the table and looked over the documents strew across. "What kind of contract are you signing?" Beth asked Day, not taking her eyes of the pieces of paper.

Something interesting caught her eye, and she picked up the paper glancing over it.

"Hey! That was all in order!" Ricky said indignantly.

Beth snorted and read over the document, seeing several fishy things that just didn't add up. She began to search a couple of the other sheets, finally realizing what the document was entailing.

"Daddy can I watch TV?" Beth heard Brian ask Day.

"No. You've watched too much today. Why don't you read a book?" Beth heard Day respond.

Just as Beth finished reading, Brian left in a huff to go and read his book. Shaking her head, she slammed the documents on the table. "This is a joke right?"

Day and Ricky looked at her like she was crazy. But part of being a criminal attorney meant she sifted through bullshit documents and confessions on a daily basis. "Who wanted you to sign this?" Beth asked the two men.

"E&M Foods corporation. They want us to build four grocery stores around New York." Day answered quickly, grabbing the documents and looking at them trying to see what she saw.

"Day they're trying to cheat you, if you look here you can see..." Beth heard herself start to explain the intricacies of the contract to the men. Their eyes went wide as she showed them the problems.

The entire process took her about half an hour to explain, and by the end she was feeling better about herself, and both men were looking at her with the kind of admiration they might give their idols.

"Fuckers!" Day said harshly, pounding his fist on the table.

Beth jumped a little at his aggression, but could understand it. She had gone over the entire document with the men pointing out the things that were wrong with it.

The doorbell rang, and someone called out Lebanese. Beth rose to get the door but Day was already up and answering the door. He paid the delivery guy, and took the two grocery bags of food.

Beth laughed watching Day kick the door closed, and carry the food to the kitchen. "Are we feeding a small village?" Beth asked, shuffling the papers into order with Ricky's help.