Chapter 26

Slowly, Sean awoke to the smell of pizza wafting in from the kitchen. He rolled out of the warm sheets and brushed his teeth while absently scratching his head. After finishing up in the bathroom, Sean followed his nose to the delightful aroma of breakfast. He was greeted with the sight of Elizabeth bent over as she fished through his refrigerator. She had worn one of his t-shirts for pajamas. Sean smiled at the pleasant view and snuck up on his girlfriend, while she was preoccupied with perusing his groceries. He lifted the tail of the shirt, the sudden draft startled Elizabeth and she leapt up in the air in surprise.

"What the." she howled as she spun around.

Sean chuckled and wrapped his arms lovingly around her waist. "It looked like you weren't wearing anything under that shirt. Just checking to satisfy my curiosity."

"Curiosity killed the cat," she warned him, but his grin was too infectious and soon had her smirking as well. "Well, did you find your answer?"

"I'm not sure," Sean answered slyly as he palmed her naked bottom. "You jumped before I could get a good look. I think I may have to inspect a little more thoroughly."

Sean closed the refrigerator as he leaned in for a good morning kiss. Elizabeth was more than willing to oblige and slipped in a little tongue as well. "Mm. Good morning to you, too."

Sean grinned when he remembered what brought him here. "Is that pizza I smell?"

"Yes. You left it on the kitchen table last night. I thought I'd warm it up in the oven for you."

"Pizza for breakfast? I knew there was a reason I loved you."

Elizabeth barked in laughter. "You really are incorrigible. Go sit. I was just about to pour some juice."

Sean did as he was told and sat down on the hard wooden chair. After living at his girlfriend's house for so long, his own apartment seemed rather crude and uncomfortable. Sean sighed; she spoiled him.

Elizabeth brought the pizza out from the oven and slipped the steaming disk on the table. She poured them each a tall glass of orange juice, set them on the table and then she sat in his lap. This was their preferred seating arrangement. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and gave him a peck on the cheek as they both pulled slices from the plate.

"Mmm. I'm starving," Sean commented as he finished his slice in a few quick gulps. "I just realized that I didn't have dinner last night."

A lot happened last night, Sean thought. He gave Elizabeth a gentle hug with his left arm as he recalled her ranting. What she told him invoked a rage that he had never felt. If it weren't for the helpless woman in his arms he might very well have sped off into the night and dealt out his own brand of fatal justice. Thinking of it even now woke the dragon. Exhausted sleep had finally claimed him and he awoke refreshed with a different perspective on things. Oh, Charles would be getting his due but killing him would be letting the bastard off too easy.

"Let it go, Sean," Elizabeth said, breaking his train of thought.

"Hmm?"

"I can see the wheels turning in your head," Elizabeth responded accusingly. "Getting back at Charles isn't going to solve anything. Just leave him alone and he'll leave us alone."

"He hasn't left you alone yet, has he?"

Elizabeth turned her hurt expression away. "I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Then when? When will it ever be the right time to talk about it?" Silence rang out between them. "That's exactly the problem. You never talk about it although you need to." Sean sighed. "You must seek professional help, Liz. I can't do this alone."

For the first time ever Sean admitted that he was out of his league. Ever self-sufficient, the man was willing to give up his self-styled independence for the woman he loved.

Elizabeth looked at him almost frightfully as she considered her options. She didn't want to visit a shrink. To tell a total stranger what had amounted to two years of hell was beyond her. Again she looked at Sean. He was her pillar of strength. Simply telling him had helped beyond words. She valued his advice and admired his strong sense of self. Also, she understood his willingness to give up some of that independence for her sake. She had seen the man act as stubborn as a mule with other people but he always bent when she needed him to, always for her. She came to a decision.

"Alright," she whispered. "For you I will. I'd do anything for you, Sean."

Sean gave her waist another gentle squeeze. They leaned their heads together as they ate.

Sean watched as Elizabeth pulled into her driveway and he followed suit in his own car. They decided earlier for Sean to move more of his things to her place, he practically lived there anyways. The two lovers got out of their cars and Sean wrapped an arm around Elizabeth's slender hips. They opened the door and stood speechless at the disaster that greeted them.

Sean reacted instantly and grabbed Elizabeth as he ran out the door. He slammed it behind him and went straight to his car as he fingered the button on his key ring and the trunk popped open. Sean rustled through the small compartment and pulled out his cane. He fingered the catch, twisted the handle and pulled out two feet of gleaming steel. Sean told Elizabeth to stay in her car as he stormed into the house, his sword leading the way.

The door opened easily before him and Sean stalked through the living room. Elizabeth's place looked like a tornado had gone through it. The white leather couch on which they had spent countless hours cuddling had its insides ripped out; the stuffing was poured out like rotting guts. The television had been kicked over along with the speakers to the sound system. Sean's pulse pounded behind his eyes as they swept back and forth across the room. The kitchen was not spared; the refrigerator was toppled on its side, doors ajar, spilling its contents onto the cold tile floor. Step by step he made the rounds as he searched room-by-room. The worst damage was seen in the bedroom, the four-poster bed on which they had spent untold nights together had been torn apart. The springs and stuffing protruded through the fabric panels of the mattress gaping open like exposed ribs. Then there was the smell. Someone had urinated on the mattress and defecated on the pillows.