Chapter 36: Done is Done

Billy was clearly upset. What had begun? I opened my arms and he stepped in.

"Not sure I did the right thing Kat." Billy shook his head. In a short time he sighed, straightened up, and his hat was tossed to the nearest table.

I stepped back allowing him freer access to the house. Closing the door he walked directly to Cleo and waited for her to look up at him. It was all very somber.

"I just handed over complete control to Dean. He's right now dealing out a torture that he'll call justice. I have no idea what he has in mind."

Cleo stood, just as slow and serious as Billy was being so was she. "I hope he kills them."

Billy slowly shook his head. "That's not going to happen. He'll allow them to live after he's done with them." He said no more but turned from her.

She glared at his back and went upstairs. The house was silent aside from the hum of the refrigerator, when that too cut off, my ears rang with the quiet. I was at a loss.

"Billy?" I started forward. "Want something to drink? Eat?" I was wringing my hands in front of me. Billy took a long time before he answered.

Billy looked at me. Remembering that I slept in the nude. I knew my hair was tousled and knotted from the pillow. The satin robe I'd tossed on in haste gaped a bit, before it was cinched at the waist. It was short, barely covering my thighs. I was sure I was pale, I knew I was confused and worried, and it showed. He'd said he wanted to keep me out of it.

"Yeah." He said, his tone saying he really didn't care. "Anythings fine."

I was happy to have something to do. I placed a left over hamburger in the microwave to reheat. On the counter I sat out mustard, pre-sliced onions wrapped in plastic and other condiments. The microwave beeped.

"Tea?"

"Fine." Billy prepped his own bun. Maybe he was hungry after all. I placed a large glass of iced tea near his plate and he took a big bite.

I sat my bare ass on a stool opposite him and watched him eat, mindful of my ever gaping robe. He'd finished and pushed his plate away. The tea, he chugged down all at once. I refilled it. We still hadn't spoken. There wasn't much to say right now. I put things away and sat the plate in the sink.

"Come." I walked around the island and took his hand. Gently I tugged him off of the stool and lead him to the sofa.

He sat. I sat at the far end, against the arm. I patted my lap and he lay back, placing his head on thighs and his hands across his chest. I pet his hair, brushing it off of his face. I required nothing from him. Each blink seemed to take him longer. I lightly let my fingers smooth his brow and drift over his eye lids. His body relaxed and seemed to sink deeper in the sofa. Slowly, one breath at a time Billy fell into a deep sleep. Still I watched him sleep, my fingers touching, petting and gently reassuring him he wasn't alone.

Billy wasn't the kind of man that could kick a dog for the sake of the kicking. I touched the cleft in his chin, thinking he sometimes came off as a hard ass but he was far from it. Dean may be doing any number of very distasteful things right now. I didn't know. But I think Billy knew. It went against his grain. At the same time he knew these men would only understand that kind of treatment. Would he behave differently were it someone he loved that had been harmed instead of only someone he knew? A sister, mother or maybe wife? Maybe he understands he would be just like Dean and that's why he's allowed Dean time alone.

Could I stand next to these men, watching Dean and allow it to happen? Even knowing what they did to Cleo? I don't think so. I'd want them punished, yes. But I wouldn't want to do the punishing. Where I standing there now, watching Dean, could I do so for long, and not say 'that's enough'?

I understood why Billy is upset. I think if Dean goes overboard tonight, Billy will blame himself for a very long time.

I heard water running in the upstairs bathroom. Cleo. I sighed. Her words echoed in my mind 'I hope he kills them.'

"I'll worry about that tomorrow." I quoted, softly to the silent room. Looking down I continued to touch Billy until I too fell asleep, head bent backwards on the sofa.

"I've waited long enough. Let's go." Cleo said loudly, sternly.

My head popped up and I opened my eyes, grabbing my neck as pain shot through it. Billy jerked awake.

"Huh?" Billy blinked a few times and sat up.

I groaned as blood rushed back to my lower legs causing them to tingle.

"I said, get up. We're going there, where ever there is. Move it." Cleo as sitting on the sofa, her arms crossed over her chest, her legs crossing with one foot moving up and down angrily.

Billy glanced at her then proceeded to ignore her. "Kat? You ok? I didn't mean to fall asleep." Billy started rubbing my thigh.

"Ah yeah. I know." I rubbed the back of my neck. "I didn't either." I rolled my head in a large circle trying to disengage the kink. I'd forgotten about the robe until I felt Billy tug it closed again. "Sorry." I said with a faint blush. Billy kissed my temple.

"Very touching can we get moving now please?"

"Knock the bitch show off Cleo." Billy growled. "I"m in no mood for it. Who the hell said you were going there anyway?" He stood up and stretched, both hands on his back.

Cleo flew off the sofa and stood like a hen, both hands on her hips, chest out and her nose in Billy's face. "I did! You backwards country boy." Cleo's head even did a quick chicken like jerk.

So that's where the phrase 'Hen Pecked' comes from, I thought absurdly. Billy's chest inflated and if he moved his hands to his hips ... I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing. Both turned to me as one. I held up my hands.

"Hey. Same side remember? We're all on the same side. And frankly it's damned early for this shit." I stood up and pulled Billy a few paces from Cleo. I patted his back, I'll handle it, my touch said to him silently.

"Cleo Molly isn't due today, it's Sunday. I think." I shook my head as I walked. I wasn't sure it was even morning my sleep schedule was so screwed up. "Go make breakfast or something. I'll get dressed, then we'll deal with it." I now had Cleo by the kitchen island. "Please?"

"Fine." Cleo turned sharply. She stomped off to the kitchen where she made sure to slam a cabinet or two.

I sighed, shrugged at Billy and headed upstairs. I put on the same clothes I had yesterday, was it yesterday? My working jeans and a t shirt, with boots. Fully expecting we'd end up with Dean and the trailer. I fought with my hair knots and won, a tad bit of makeup and I hurried down to keep the peace.

Billy sat on one end of the sectional and Cleo sat on the other. In the center of the table sat breakfast.

"A box of store bought doughnuts wasn't what I meant Cleo." I grabbed a drink and sat in the middle. "I don't care, I want everyone to eat at least one. God knows what the day will bring or when lunch will be if we even get one."

Billy reached for one. "Bring a first aid kit please Kat."

I reached for another fat powered one. "I will, anything else?"

"Why? Who the hell cares if they bleed to death." Cleo snarled like a pouting child.

"You'd better!" I'd had enough. I hadn't slept a full 8 hours since when? "First of all Cleo they could have given as good as they got, what if they broke free? And the kit is needed for Dean? You'd feel stupid as hell that we didn't have one wouldn't you?" I'd risen without realizing it. I waved my doughnut to drive home my next point. "And if Dean killed them? You want him hunted down for murder?" I bit my doughnut and went for the kit.

Cleo paled and shut up.

"Have a doughnut Cleo." Billy held out the box, a peace offering. She took it.

Eating while I worked I gathered up a bag of towels the first aid kit and some extra items like cotton balls and extra ice packs. I paused and turned to Billy. "Will I need blind folds?"

Billy shook his head. "No. It should be over. Let's go."

I was surprised at him for both letting her and I go, as well as allowing us to see where. Billy drove by the stables, his truck was gone.

"Damn. Eddie is ahead of us." Billy hurried now.

The direct route was much faster. Although I still didn't know where we were. Billy's truck was parked to the side of the trailer. Eddie sat on the tailgate, looking very pale. The unnamed dog lay by his thigh, nose resting over the edge of the tailgate. I rushed over to Eddie.

"Eddie?" I asked. "Are you ... all right?"

Eddie looked at me, then towards Billy, last he let his eyes rest on Cleo.

"I'm all right." He paused. "Let Billy go first." He reached a hand for Cleo and pulled her close, his other hand reached for me. He nodded at Billy, as if to say 'I've got em, go.'

Billy inhaled and entered the trailer. We waited. The Billy that came out, wasn't the same one that went in.

"Damn." Billy said, shaking his head. "Dean's on his way out. Cleo, stay with Eddie a bit hey?"

Dean came out and shut the door behind him, keeping his back to us he knelt by a cooler and stuck his entire head in, as if he were bobbing for apples. He scrubbed his face under water then brought hand fulls up to his bare chest. When he was at least finished, he poured the cooler out letting the water rush past him and under the trailer.

Dean stood in front of Cleo. After a moment he reached for her and cried in her arms. I looked from Eddie to Billy. What the hell had gone on?

"Are..." my voice cracked with fear. "Are they alive?"

That seemed to break whatever spell the men were under.

"Yeah Baby. They're alive." Eddie said, pulling me in for a hug, I thought more for his sake than mine.

Dean released Cleo and moved off to lean on his car.

"Cleo I think," Billy started. "Cleo I think will have to see." He then addressed her directly. "I think you'll have to see to know..."

Billy bit off the last, he wasn't going to say 'that justice was done' nor could he say 'they'd paid their price' or anything else, she would just have to see.

"Kat." Billy looked at me and crossed his arms over his chest. A stance I was beginning to know well. I waited.

"She doesn't need to be in there." Eddie said more sternly then I'd heard him speak before. Billy ignored him.

"I would highly suggest your NOT going in." Before I could interrupt he continued, "However, I know if I tell you, you can't, you'll fight me tooth and nail to prove you can."